“One of the most inspiring nights”: The performance that convinced Anthony Ramos to become an actor
When Lin-Manuel Miranda first unleashed Hamilton in 2015, the world of theatre changed forever.
A hip-hop musical about one of the founding fathers of US sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but it was the total opposite, as the show not only made a star out of Miranda, who also played the title character, but of the rest of its cast as well. The original run featured the likes of Leslie Odom Jr and Daveed Diggs, as well as a then-unknown Anthony Ramos.
One of Ramos’ earliest assignments on stage was actually a dual role, where he played both John Laurens, a soldier who recruited slaves to fight during the Civil War, and Philip Hamilton, the eldest son of the protagonist Alexander. He was able to translate the monumental success of the musical into a very successful film career, and over a decade on from Hamilton, he’s been in blockbusters, animated hits, Marvel TV shows, you name it.
Born in New York City, Ramos is of Puerto Rican descent, his Latino heritage playing a major role in his upbringing, especially when it came to who he idolised, and speaking to Hola!, he revealed that he was partially inspired to become an actor after seeing John Leguizamo perform his one-man theatre show, Ghetto Klown.
“That was one of the most inspiring nights I’ve ever had in any live event,” he said, “So it expands beyond movies. Also watching Benicio Del Toro. His performance at Escape at Dannemora is crazy. Also, Pedro Pascal in The Last of Us. Those are not specifically Latino movies and shows, but they are Latino leading actors shining and having an opportunity to give it their all.”
Originally entitled Klass Klown, this autobiographical show was first performed by Leguizamo, with Steven Seagal’s biggest hater pulling no punches in exploring his troubled personal life, tackling subjects ranging from depression to his relationship with his father.
The show has been staged and adapted numerous times; PBS aired a series called Tales From a Ghetto Klown based on Leguizamo’s life, while the story was turned into a graphic novel by Abrams ComicArts. He’s also performed the show at Riker’s Island prison in an attempt to dissuade young men from a life of crime.
These stars aren’t just excellent actors but also proud advocates for Latin America, and Leguizamo recently spoke up against the USA’s current immigration policy, telling people who supported ICE to stay away from his shows and movies. Pedro Pascal is one of the most outspoken celebrities working today, regularly lending his voice to a number of social causes. Ramos clearly believes that, at a time when his people are facing threats from all sides, it’s vital that those with a voice use it for the right reasons.
In a relatively short space of time, the Latino community has gone from barely being represented on screening to producing a raft of top talent across every medium. Ramos is the latest Latin star to make it big, and it sounds like he’s going to be honouring his heritage throughout his career.
