‘Dear Evan Hansen’: Universal Pic Adds Broadway ‘Mean Girls’ Actor DeMarius Copes

EXCLUSIVE: Broadway original cast Mean Girls actor DeMarius Copes has joined Universal’s feature musical Dear Evan Hansen, we can exclusively report. Copes will be making his feature debut playing Oliver, one of Zoe Murphy’s friends. Zoe is played by previously announced actress Kaitlyn Dever.

Copes joins a growing ensemble cast for the feature adaptation of the six-time Tony winning Broadway musical including Julianne Moore, Ben Platt, Amy Adams, Amandla Stenberg, Danny Pino, Nik Dodani and Colton Ryan. Stephen Chbosky (Wonder) will direct.

The story follows Evan Hansen, a high schooler with social anxiety. He unintentionally gets caught up in a lie after the family of a classmate who died by suicide mistakes one of Hansen’s letters for their son’s suicide note. The original stage musical is from Oscar winning La La Land duo Benj Pasek and Justin Paul who also won a Tony for Best Original Score. Steven Levenson, who wrote the book for the stage musical, penned the screenplay.

Currently a member of the touring Philip Company production of Hamilton, Copes spent two years on Broadway in the original cast of Mean Girls and was also a part of the original cast of The Prom at the Alliance in Atlanta. Prior to that he toured with the first National tour of Disney’s Newsies. Copes is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and began his musical theatre journey at the Red Mountain Theatre Company. He has also performed on SNL and at The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the Tony Awards.

Oscar-nominee Marc Platt (La La Land) and Adam Siegel will produce for their Universal-based Marc Platt Productions. Universal’s SVP of Production Sara Scott and Director of Development Lexi Barta will oversee production on behalf of the studio.

Copes is repped by Clear Talent Group and Lynne Marks of PKM Talent Management.

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