Why Noah From Transformers: Rise Of The Beasts Looks So Familiar
"Transformers" has quickly become one of the world's largest franchises. Hasbro's simple toy line has grown to span across toys, movies, TV shows, comic books, and video games. Hasbro introduced mainstream audiences to the series with the release of the 1984 animated series, "The Transformers." Once Hollywood got their claws into the franchise, it had no plans to stop, developing numerous high-budget movies.
Paramount's latest installment in the "Transformer" franchise is "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which dropped its trailer to widespread acclaim. Directed by Steven Caple Jr. ("Creed II"), the movie serves as a sequel to 2018's "Bumblebee," which is now considered a soft reboot of the film franchise. "Rise of the Beasts" brings the fan-favorite Beast Machines to the big screen, with the introductions of many animal-based Transformers, including Optimus Primal (Ron Perlman), Airazor (Michelle Yeoh), and Cheetor. While the movie looks to put the focus on the alien robots, it still includes a few human characters. Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback, Luna Lauren Vélez, and Tobe Nwigwe round out the confirmed human characters.
Ramos, in particular, may look familiar to some fans. If that's the case, don't worry because we've got you covered on where the young actor has popped up before.
He rose to fame with Hamilton
Anthony Ramos is a theater kid through and through. His first big break was in the Broadway megahit "Hamilton," pulling double duty playing the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. The Broadway musical put Ramos, and the rest of his co-stars, in the national spotlight, as Lin-Manuel Miranda's play quickly became one of the most popular and profitable shows of all time (via Insider). While Ramos only remained with the show for a little over a year, it was enough to catch the eyes of numerous Hollywood studios.
While "Hamilton" is a massive statement on Ramos' resume, it wasn't his first theatrical performance. In 2012, the actor played the role of Sonny de la Vega in Miranda's "In The Heights," and later, in 2018, he'd step into the role of Usnavi. Ramos also had a part in the Radio City Music Hall show "Hearts and Lights," but it never got out of previews. The day of the show's cancellation was the day that Ramos received a call for "Hamilton," which he had auditioned for during rehearsals for "Hearts and Lights" (via Theater Mania).
Understandably, Ramos had no idea what he was getting into when he initially auditioned for his "Hamilton" roles. "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,'" he told Teen Vogue. "I was like, what? That's not what I auditioned for, but cool, I guess."
He played alongside Lady Gaga in A Star Is Born
Following the success of "Hamilton," Ramos earned national recognition, and it didn't take long for him to make the jump to the big screen. He continued his trend of music-based projects with 2018's "A Star is Born," starring alongside Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper. In the movie, Ramos plays Ramon, a close friend of Gaga's Ally, who worked together at a restaurant before she quit to pursue her music career. While Warner Bros. didn't include his role in any of the film's awards considerations, he did snag a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for "Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture."
Speaking to USA Today about acting opposite Lady Gaga, Ramos reflected on how much fun the two had filming their scenes. In "A Star is Born," Ally and Ramon quit their jobs to live the lavish lifestyle provided by Bradley Cooper's Jackson Maine. According to the actor, Ramos and Gaga had an equally fun time during those scenes. "We were so in the moment and having so much fun, we popped the bottle and we started laughing hysterically. Boom, there it goes. It was like, 'We're in trouble.' But it was Ally and Ramon having that moment."
He went back to his roots for In the Heights
Anthony Ramos has starred in "In the Heights" quite a few times over the course of his career. The first time was in a musical production in 2012 where he played Sonny de la Vega, then a second time at Washington D.C.'s Kennedy Center in 2018, filling in for the injured lead actor at the time. That performance convinced Lin-Manuel Miranda to consider him for the lead role in his 2021 film adaptation of "In the Heights."
In the movie, Ramos plays the lead role of Usnavi, showcasing his numerous talents of singing, dancing, and acting. Critics praised "In the Heights," earning it a Certified Fresh 94% on Rotten Tomatoes. Ramos earned his fair share of accolades for his portrayal, nabbing a Golden Globe nomination.
Although Ramos and Miranda previously worked together on "Hamilton," that didn't guarantee him the role of Usnavi in "In the Heights." Director Jon Chu was committed to hiring an unknown talent for the part but met with Ramos at the behest of Miranda. "He broke down these lyrics and what it meant to his life," Chu told Variety. "It broke my heart and gave me so much hope. Oh, and he could sing and dance, he's charming, and he's funny and all the things that make a movie star."
With an already impressive career behind him, Anthony Ramos is only moving up from here. Not only will he star in "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," but his other upcoming projects include Marvel's "Ironheart" and the movie depicting GameStop's recent Wall Street craze, "Dumb Money."