Exclusive: Anthony Ramos Reflects On His Journey From “Hamilton” To “In The Heights”
Coming out on July 3 on Disney+ is Hamilton, the filmed version of the original Broadway production.
Directecd by Thomas Kail, “Hamilton,” is the 11-time-Tony Award, GRAMMY Award, Olivier Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning stage musical produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffrey Seller and Kail.
Filmed at The Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway in June of 2016, “Hamilton” features Tony Award® winners Lin-Manuel Miranda as Alexander Hamilton; Daveed Diggs as Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson; Renée Elise Goldsberry as Angelica Schuyler; Leslie Odom, Jr. as Aaron Burr; Tony Award nominees Christopher Jackson as George Washington; Jonathan Groff as King George; Phillipa Soo as Eliza Hamilton; and Jasmine Cephas Jones as Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds; Okieriete Onaodowan as Hercules Mulligan/James Madison; and Anthony Ramos as John Laurens/Philip Hamilton.
The cast also includes Carleigh Bettiol, Ariana DeBose, Hope Easterbrook, Sydney James Harcourt, Sasha Hutchings, Thayne Jasperson, Elizabeth Judd, Jon Rua, Austin Smith, Seth Stewart and Ephraim Sykes.
For Ramos, who portrays John Laurens and Philip Hamilton, the roles have led to other opportunities such as co-starring with Lady Gaga in A Star in Born, co-starring in the indie film Monsters and Men, and serving as the lead for the film adaptation of the Lin-Manuel Miranda Tony Award-Winning Musical In The Heights.
When did you hear that Hamilton would be featured on Disney+?
Anthony Ramos: Honestly, we all found out right before the press release went out. So that was when we all found out…when the rest of the world.
In the midst of this global pandemic, it's a great thing that audiences will have the chance to see it since the theaters will be closed for a while.
Anthony Ramos: I’m glad that it will be available for us. I hear Broadway’s not coming back until January and people turn to the theater and art for an escape or relief…for comfort and motivation. The same with concerts. To not have theater and performances is tough. I know it is for me.
When did you realize that “Hamilton” was special?
Anthony Ramos: When President Obama showed up (while he was in office) and gave a speech at the show. He came again for the DNC (Democratic National Convention) and then we started to see all these pop culture icons showing up to the show. All walks of like. There were folks from every country, politicians from different countries and your favorite artists you love growing up or love now, was there. Jay-Z and Beyonce, Chance the Rapper, Mark Anthony, all actors, Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, everybody was coming to the show. And I was like, “Yo, we made this. This actually might be poppin.” You look at the audience and see somebody 75 years old and then a 10 year-old kid and enjoying the show the same way. There was something special about that.
How was working with Lin to breathe life info those characters?
Anthony Ramos: It was awesome because it's dope to work on a show with the creator anytime you working on something. I think it's something special about working on it with the person who created it. And also having been a part of the creative process later on. I wasn't writing it with Lin, but the cast and myself, we were part of the creation of the show, giving the show breath and giving the show life.
In playing two roles in the show, I had never done that before and that was really awesome. I have my hair up and first act and I’m wearing what soldiers wore at that time, wool coat, the boots. John Laurens was about 25 years old at the time and then going back and playing a 19 year old Phillip Hamilton, his son and letting my hair out and wearing this big, beautiful coat. I loved getting to switch it up with the costumes and assume different characters and play with posture. One character is a little tougher than the other one and just being able to stretch as an actor. That’s what you asked for as an artist.
Then being able to do that with the creator and the person who created the show and getting input from him was great. Thomas Kail the director and all these guys work have been working together for years. They know each other so well and they are so brilliant. These guys are brilliant scientists, and masters at their craft.
