Anthony Ramos is turning out to be one of the emerging stars in Hollywood. He is currently in the spotlight for starring in the Glen Powell-led feature film Twisters. However, his breakout acting role defined his career once and for all.
Ramos is widely known for his performance in the dual roles in the Broadway musical Hamilton. He once revealed how the offer for the role came in at a very convenient time as he had been one of the many actors who had been laid off after a stage production was canceled.
Twisters Actor Anthony Ramos Landing the Role in Hamilton Was a Blessing in Disguise
Fresh out of the musical theatre program in 2011, Anthony Ramos landed roles in several regional and touring productions. Years later, he was working in Heart and Lights at Radio City Music Hall, a dance show with the Rockettes. Unfortunately, the show got canceled during the previews.
That same year, he appeared in the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the stage production of Hamilton. Interestingly enough, in an interview on LiveKellyandMark in 2021, he revealed he had gotten the offer to do this project on the same day as he got the sad news that Heart and Lights was not moving forward.
Upon being inquired about what it was like when he got the call regarding his Hamilton role, Ramos said:
I had been auditioning for Hamilton though, kind of on the low. I went, I lost my job at like one o’clock, and then they were like, ‘Yo, we heard you like got fired do you want to come do this thing called The Hamilton mixtape’, I was like, ‘Yeah, yo, I’m broke and I ain’t got a job.’
When asked if he would have done the role if he had not been fired from Heart and Lights, he said that he had no idea how that would have gone. He also mentioned that the casting director Bethany Knox believed he was best for the role even though the schedule was going to be hectic.
Knox seemed to be right because Ramos earned an Emmy nomination for his performance. He has also starred in a supporting role in A Star is Born, the musical film In the Heights, the action movie Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and most recently, the disaster film Twisters.
Anthony Ramos Was Initially Doubtful About Landing the Hamilton Role
In an interview with W Magazine, Ramos revealed that he had auditioned for the role of Lin-Manuel Miranda for In the Heights, but did not get the role. Later on, while performing on a Caribbean Cruise ship, he learned that the same people as In The Heights were hiring for Hamilton.
I was 22, and I thought, If they didn’t want me then, why would they want me now? But I went for it anyway. I did four auditions. At the last one, I sang “Grenade,” by Bruno Mars, at 10 in the morning. At the time, I was about to start performing in the Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
The Spring Spectacular refers to Heart and Lights, which got canceled on the same day as his last audition for Hamilton‘s. The cast of the former show had a huge pity party that also involved alcohol, and by 4 PM, Ramos was employed again.
Twisters is now in theatres.
Frequently asked questions
How did Anthony Ramos get cast in Hamilton?
Anthony Ramos had been quietly auditioning for Hamilton while performing in Heart and Lights, a Rockettes dance show at Radio City Music Hall. The same day that show was canceled and he lost his job, he got a call offering him a part in what was then called The Hamilton Mixtape. He accepted immediately, saying he was broke and jobless.
What roles did Anthony Ramos play in Hamilton?
Ramos played the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway production of Hamilton. His performance later earned him a Primetime Emmy nomination when the show’s filmed stage version was released on Disney+, and the show’s casting director, Bethany Knox of Telsey + Company, reportedly believed he was right for the part despite the demanding rehearsal schedule involved.
What other projects has Anthony Ramos starred in besides Hamilton?
After Hamilton, Anthony Ramos appeared in a supporting role in A Star Is Born, starred in the musical film In the Heights, played a lead role in Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and most recently starred alongside Glen Powell in the disaster film Twisters, which the article notes was in theaters at the time of publication.
