It’s a lights, camera, action kind of deal for Anthony Ramos, 28, as he will be taking over Lin-Manuel Miranda‘s original role of Usnavi de la Vega in the big screen adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights! The exciting trailer for the upcoming movie, which centers on a tight-knight community in Washington Heights, was released on December 12 where his character says, “A dream isn’t some sparkling diamond. There’s no shortcuts. Sometimes it’s rough.” Anthony performed in the stage version of the Tony-award winning show in 2012 before landing the role of a lifetime three years later in another Lin-Manuel production… Hamilton.
Hamilton helped him earn his first ever Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album in 2016 and also garnered him two nominations at the Broadway.com Audiences Awards that same year. Anthony has since made an incredible transition to the small and big screen on shows and movies that have earned him a ton of critical acclaim and have helped him become one of the hottest stars in Hollywood. So here’s everything you need to know about Anthony, from where you might’ve seen him before to where you’re going to see him next!
1.) He’s a Native New Yorker. Anthony grew up in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn with his mom and two siblings, a brother and a sister. Others that hail from his part of NY include actress Rosie Perez, 55, and legendary comedian Eddie Murphy, 58.
2.) His Agent Dropped Him Right Before He Landed The Role Of His Career “At the time, my agent dropped me and I was barely getting any work,” explained Anthony to TeenVogue. “I was totally on my own… I did an open call for some random show and afterwards they said they wanted to meet me for a thing called Hamilton’s Mixtape. I was like, what? That’s not what I auditioned for, but cool, I guess.” The rest, as you know, is history — literally!
3.) He Delighted Audiences On The Will & Grace Reboot. Fans took to Anthony’s character of Tony during his brief but memorable time on Will & Grace. He played Grace’s (Debra Messing, 51) hunky assistant who gets awkwardly hit on by both Grace and her boozy pal Karen (Megan Mullally, 61) during one episode.
4.) He Starred Alongside Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper In ‘A Star Is Born.’ Yes, that was Anthony as the BFF of Gaga’s character Ally in the 2018 version of A Star is Born. His role of Ramon was featured in one of the biggest scenes of the movie where he watched Ally get ready for her big stage moment.
5.)You’ll Be Seeing Much More Of Him In 2020. Anthony will have quite the busy year coming up outside of his In The Heights starring role. He also scored a part in the crime drama Action Thief alongside Liam Neeson, 67, and will be the voice of King Trollex in Trolls World Tour.