Photo by Eric Johnson.
When Anthony Ramos discovered theater in high school, it changed his life. As a teenager, he had his sights set on baseball, but an injury led him down a very different path. One day, he heard about auditions for what he thought was a school talent show, a teacher saw something in him, and the rest is history.
After graduation, he was accepted to the American Musical and Dramatic Academy on a full scholarship, but never fully felt like he fit in with the other musical theater kids. Ramos grew up in Brooklyn in public housing, and he says compared to the drama kids, “I knew like 5 songs, and one monologue from King Lear that I’d worked tirelessly on.”
Nevertheless, Ramos landed a dual role in the 2015 smash Broadway hit Hamilton of both John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton. The role opened the door to major roles in Hollywood movies such as “A Star is Born” opposite Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper as well as television roles in Spike Lee’s Netflix series, “She’s Gotta Have It.”
In October of 2019, Ramos released his debut album The Good and the Bad, a personal journey set to funky bass lines with pop and R&B vocals. His newest single “Stop” is set for release in August.
Latino USA sat down with Anthony a few weeks ago to discuss growing up in Brooklyn, how mentorship has played an important role in his career, and finding himself in “the room where it happens.”
This Latino USA podcast was produced by Jeanne Montalvo.
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NPR’s Latino USA with Maria Hinojosa, produced by Futuro Media, is the longest-running Latino-focused program on U.S. public media.
