Author Garrard Conley says actor Lucas Hedges connected well to his role in "Boy Erased". Based on the memoir by Conley of the same name, the gay conversation drama showcases the true story of a young man Jared's (Hedges) struggle to find himself while being forced to question every aspect of his identity.

Before officially taking the role, Hedges reached out to Conley. They spoke over the phone and decided to meet in Brooklyn. "Hedges immediately connected with the material and genuinely sought to understand his experience," Conley said in a statement to IANS.