The In the Heights family is well represented at this year’s Oscar ceremony. Both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Anthony Ramos are presenters at the 92nd Academy Awards, no doubt a perfect chance to plug one of the year’s most anticipated musical adaptations. During their red carpet interviews, both Latino actors fielded questions about what that project means for the US Latino community. “We want the world to see this movie,” Miranda told Ryan Seacrest before reminiscing about how it was twenty years ago when he began first drafting the musical that eventually won him his very first Tony award. Above all, though, he’s most excited for everyone to see Ramos, whom he calls a “movie star.”
By the time Ramos walked the red carpet with Hamilton‘s Jasmine Cephas-Jones (whom Seacrest didn’t recognize!) the lovefest between the two performers was palpable. In fact, Ramos got to share a seminal piece of advice Miranda once gave him that he still remembers today. After Ramos cracked a joke that he thought was “kinda hood” he remembers thinking he should maybe work on changing how he talks. But that’s when Lin stopped him: “Papa, you never need to change the way you speak,” Ramos remembers Miranda telling him. “You just gotta make sure people understand you… Just be who you are and be honest.”
And later still, talking with Variety, Ramos stressed how excited he is for everyone to see the big screen musical, hinting even that there’ll be some “fresh stuff” (aka expect new songs!): “This film means the world to my family and so many people… in the Latinx community. I’m really excited for the world to have this.”