Anthony Ramos Recalls the One Celebrity Who Totally Threw Him Off During Hamilton — and It’s Not Who You’d Expect
Anthony Ramos, the Hamilton alum who’s since gone on to star in In the Heights and Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, recently opened up about a moment that shook him during one of his Broadway performances — and it involved none other than the Queen of Pop herself.
Appearing on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen, Ramos was asked to name the most intimidating celebrity he’s ever spotted in the audience. Without hesitation, he responded: “Madonna.”
“The most terrifying was Madonna with her iPad in her face,” he said. “She was like this the whole time,” Ramos added, holding his hands up to mime someone staring at a screen. “I’m like, ‘Damn, shorty, if you’re not enjoying it that much, you know the door’s right there. You don’t have to stay.’”
Ramos, now 33, was part of the original Hamilton cast, playing John Laurens and Philip Hamilton from 2015 to 2016 — a run that helped launch his booming film and TV career. But even for a seasoned performer, seeing a megastar glued to her device mid-performance was a major distraction.
Though Ramos didn’t specify exactly when Madonna attended the show, she was previously called out by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda himself. In a since-deleted 2015 tweet, Miranda criticized an unnamed celebrity for texting throughout the second act during the show’s Off-Broadway run — later revealed to be Madonna — and banned her from going backstage afterward.
“Tonight was the first time I asked stage management NOT to allow a celebrity (who was texting all through Act 2) backstage. #noselfieforyou,” he wrote at the time.
According to Playbill, Madonna had also arrived late to the performance and continued using her phone throughout the night.
Despite the awkward encounter, Ramos went on to thrive. After Hamilton, he starred in the film adaptation of In the Heights, headlined major Hollywood blockbusters, and recently reunited with his Hamilton castmates during the 78th Annual Tony Awards to celebrate the show’s 10-year anniversary.
As for that night with Madonna in the crowd? Let’s just say Ramos hasn’t forgotten — and probably never will.
