After rising to fame with his role in Hamilton [1], Anthony Ramos is making a name for himself yet again, this time with In the Heights [2]. The 29-year-old stars as a bodega owner named Usnavi de la Vega [3], originally played by Lin-Manuel Miranda [4], who also serves as the narrator of the film. If you're not acquainted with Anthony already, it's time that you are, because he's not going anywhere anytime soon. In addition to In the Heights, which is out on June 11, Anthony will also be starring in the upcoming comedic sci-fi film Distant alongside Naomi Scott, and he's already been confirmed for the next Transformers movie [5]. Yep, Anthony is here to stay. Get to know more about him ahead.
He Originally Wanted to Pursue a Career in Baseball
"In high school, baseball was life [7]. My senior year I had the highest batting average on the team. I was one of the starting pitchers," Anthony told TheatreMania in 2015. "I wanted to play Division III ball and eventually coach. I knew that I was good enough to play college ball, but not professionally. My plan was to compete in college, get some money for school, and then coach after graduation — maybe at my old high school. I was planning my life around that vision." However, Anthony eventually began to lose interest in baseball, and that's when his love for acting was born.
He Got Into Acting by Accident
While searching for something else to dedicate his time to, Anthony auditioned for Sing, which he thought was a talent show. "In junior high school, I had this singing group called The Halsey Trio. We would sing songs by The Temptations at school assemblies, so I figured I could do something like that again," Anthony explained. "As it turns out, I auditioned for a musical by accident and they gave me the lead. I wasn't sure I could do it, because it was a big time commitment. But I did the musical and I loved it and decided to do more."
Since then, Anthony has had roles in Hamilton, Will & Grace, A Star Is Born, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and of course, In the Heights.
He's a Musician, Too
By now, we all know Anthony can sing (like, really sing), so it's no surprise that he also has a few music projects under his belt. In 2018, he dropped his Freedom EP, which he followed up with his debut album, The Good & The Bad. Anthony is set to release another album titled Love and Lies [8] on June 25.
He's Engaged
Anthony is currently engaged [9] to his Hamilton costar Jasmine Cephas Jones. The two met during a table read for the musical in 2015 and began dating shortly after. Four years later, Anthony popped the question in front of her mother, his grandmother, and pal Cynthia Erivo. When asked about their wedding plans [10], Anthony told Vogue in 2019 that "the DJ's gotta be on point." He added, "I want people sweating, suit jackets off, chancletas on."
He's a Dog Dad
Anthony and Jasmine have two dogs together, an Alaskan klee kai named Prince and a French bulldog named Nala. They even have their own Instagram account (@nala.n.prince [11]), which is full of adorable photos.
His Go-To Karaoke Song Is by Journey
Given his Broadway background, one would assume that Anthony's go-to karaoke song [12] would be from a musical, but it's actually not. "My song is 'Don't Stop Believin'' from Journey," Anthony recently revealed to W magazine. "That's my message, and that's my dream: to sing in a stadium, with everyone Covid-safe, jamming together and believing."
