Ben Platt Would Prefer Not To Be Asked About The Whole ‘Nepo Baby’ Thing

Ben Platt is a nepo baby, but for the love of Barbara Streisand, please don’t say that to his face.

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, the Dear Evan Hansen star shared the inspiration behind his new mockumentary comedy Theater Camp. The indie he stars in with friend and co-writer Molly Gordon (The Bear) follows a group of children’s theater directors trying to salvage their final show of the summer. It looks hilarious, mostly because it doesn’t mind poking fun at the grown-ups who take this whole show business thing a bit too seriously. But it sounds like Platt doesn’t have skin quite as thick as his character in the film.

During the Rolling Stone chat, Platt was asked for his thoughts on the nepo baby conversation. Platt’s father is famed producer Marc Platt, the man partly responsible for Legally Blonde, Wicked, and a host of other beloved movies and Broadway shows. Naturally, having an industry heavyweight as a parent would’ve opened up doors for Platt, something he could have gracefully acknowledged and then moved on from when questioned about the connection. Instead, this happened:

I think it’s a great read and you should read it, too! https://t.co/Sie0cbxt29 pic.twitter.com/qFFgp5UDr8

— Kalhan (@KalhanR) July 14, 2023

After side-stepping the question from Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson, Platt went on to answer a few more questions about his own Jewish summer camp experiences before his publicist intervened once more, ending his interview 20 minutes sooner than planned. The actor’s sensitivity over the whole nepo baby label has, naturally, prompted Twitter users to drag him for having, among other things, an “inflated sense of ego.”

— Tom Zohar (@TomZohar) July 14, 2023

lol, Ben Platt had MONTHS to come up with a response to nepo baby questions that didn't make him come off as out of touch, and *this* is what he went with https://t.co/HRhfvVYZ8h

— Olivia Truffaut-Wong (@iWatchiAm) July 14, 2023

Ben Platt is MAD mad lmao pic.twitter.com/9EF4YYs5ng

— Sam Herbst (@smhrbst) July 14, 2023

it's weird that ben platt is so sensitive about this because his dad produced some really great movies! why not just say "i am so lucky i got to be around people making stuff as cool as legally blonde growing up! it had a such a huge influence on me" https://t.co/kMy8IOzA8j

— Erin Vanderhoof (@vanderhoofy) July 14, 2023

Ben Platt’s ability to turn himself into the least likable person every single chance he is given needs to be studied https://t.co/7Jc4NLeJT3

— Addison Mueller (@AddisonMueller) July 14, 2023

interviewer: so, you’re a nepo baby

ben platt: pic.twitter.com/eGFyw2AXnO

— Dr. Dillamond (@DrDillamond) July 14, 2023

Ben Platt when you ask him to comment on being called a nepo baby by New York Magazine https://t.co/yVQKksE8G6 pic.twitter.com/C0d6LCN3pg

— Rob || Pro-Democracy (@RealityRobbed) July 14, 2023