One word describes Ben Platt’s reaction when Ryan Murphy
pitched him the new Netflix series The Politician: glee.
“It seemed too good to be true,” says Platt, who first met Murphy back-
stage after the producer saw him perform the title role in the Tony-winning
Broadway musical Dear Evan Hansen. “He offered exactly what I was hoping
to find.”
That would be the role of Payton Hobart, a super-ambitious Santa
Barbara teen who runs a ruthless campaign for high-school class president
in the series’ first season; subsequent seasons will flash forward to Payton’s
future political races. Like Payton, Platt saw the world with tunnel vision
from a young age. “I grew up just doing musical theater,” says the actor,
whose father, Marc Platt, produced Wicked and other stage hits. “I was raised
listening to cast albums in the car.”
But after becoming the toast of Broadway — and winning his own Tony —
Platt was looking for new horizons. “I wanted to find other ways to stretch
myself and feel challenged,” he explains.
With its surreal dramatic sensibility — and occasional musical numbers
— The Politician seemed a perfect platform for Platt.“Ryan’swritinghasa
heightened quality that comes from theater,” he says.“Itwasa comfortableway
to transition from spending so much time onstage toworkingoncamera,butwith
that same intensity.”
The series also offered Platt the opportunity tolearnfromscreenveterans
Gwyneth Paltrow (who plays his mom) and Jessica Lange(asa classmate’smoth-
er). “Gwyneth took me under her wing in a way thatmadeitverynaturaltobe
talking to her as a mother figure,” Platt says of theactress,whosehusband,
Brad Falchuk, created the show with Murphy and IanBrennan.“Andwhilewe
think of Jessica as a brilliant dramatic actress, she’s alsothisunbelievable
comedian. I ruined several of her scenes laughing ather.”
But the biggest thrill for Platt may be collaboratingwithMurphy,
Falchuk and Brennan, who also cocreated Glee. TheFoxseries,
about a high school show choir, debuted in 2009,whenPlatt
was attending L.A.’s Harvard-Westlake School. “My friend
[Booksmart star] Beanie Feldstein and I went as SueSyl-
vester and Mr. Schuester for Halloween one year.”
Though he makes a convincing candidate, don’t
expect Platt to run for office anytime soon. “It
requires too much compartmentalization of
desires and feelings. As an actor, I’ve been
trained to lean into those,” he says. “But
you never know.”
Spoken like a true Politician.
—Bruce Frettsmix
in the
BIO PICK
ZOEY GROSSMAN FOR NETFLIX