Dear Evan Hansen’s Director Stephen Chbosky On Challenges Of Adapting The Musical For Film

The Dear Evan Hansen movie also takes steps to make the story a more inclusive one. On top of Alana being an expanded character, the Murphy family is now a blended one featuring Cuban American actor Danny Pino as Larry. Evan’s friend Jared, played by Nik Dodani, is also queer in this adaptation. This change happened organically when Stephen Chbosky was working with the Atypical actor. Chbosky enjoyed flipping the typical sex-crazed teenager archtype on its head, and spoke to his colalboration with Dodani, saying: