Ever since earning critical acclaim for his performance as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the smash Broadway hit musical Hamilton, Anthony Ramos has become a major force in film and television. In addition to currently starring in Lin-Manuel Miranda's well-received new musical In the Heights, Ramos can be seen in HBO's dramatic revival of In Treatment as well as the pilot episode of Starz's Blindspotting.
Moving forward, Ramos is poised to star in the comedic sci-fi monster movie Distant, which is currently in post-production, as well as the next untitled Transformers flick, which is currently filming. His movie career has had some high points so far.
White Girl (2016) - 5.7
Ramos made his big-screen debut via the 2016 film White Girl, written and directed by Elizabeth Wood. The title refers to the main character Leah (Morgan Saylor) and the cocaine she begins selling after falling for a drug dealer named Blue (Brian Marc) one summer in New York. Ramos plays a druggie named Kilo in the film.
Leah's summer of love turns dire when Blue is arrested and she is left with a kilo of cocaine. Getting high on her own supply as she tries to sell the drugs and pay for Blue's lawyer, Leah becomes deeply indebted.
Monsters And Men (2018) - 5.9
Tackling the topic of racial profiling and police brutality is Monsters and Men, in which Ramos plays a bystander who records his close friend's death at the hands of police.
As Manny (Ramos) and his friend shoot dice one night, six cops arrest a Black man for selling cigarettes outside of a market. A tussle ensues, resulting in the man being shot to death. Haunted by the recorded footage on his iPhone, Manny finds allyship in a conflicted Black cop (John David Washington) and a former athlete willing (Kelvin Harrison Jr.) to stand up to the injustice.
Honest Thief (2020) - 6.0
The annual Liam Neeson action affair of 2020 belongs to Honest Thief, in which Ramos plays shady FBI agent Ramon Hall. The story follows an aging bank robbery looking to leave a life of crime behind following one final score.
Alas, Tom Donlan (Neeson) becomes set up and double-crossed by Hall, a corrupt lawman working with his dirty partner John Nivens (Jai Courtney). However, Hall begins to regret the decision and helps Tom find his imperiled girlfriend, Annie (Kate Walsh). Ramos also performed the song "Alright," featured on the soundtrack.
Godzilla: King Of The Monsters (2019) - 6.0
Ramos appeared as Staff Sergeant Martinez in the star-studded spectacle Godzilla: King of the Monsters, in which the fire-breathing beast battles his iconic nemeses Mothra, Rodan, and King Ghidorah.
Beyond the epic clashes, the drama concerns zoologists and ex-married couple Mark (Kyle Chandler) and Emma Russell (Vera Farmiga), who harbor different views on the titanic beasts and how they interact with humans. Sergeant Martinez did not return for Godzilla vs. Kong in 2021.
Trolls World Tour (2020) - 6.1
In addition to voicing the character King Trollex in the toy-based film Trolls World Tour, Ramos contributed two songs on the film's official soundtrack, "One More Time" and "Just Sing."
Poppy (Anna Kendrick) and Branch (Justin Timberlake) return to learn that the Trolls are divided into six musical categories: Pop, Rock, Funk, Classical, Country, and Techno. When the tyrannical Queen Barb sets out to destroy all forms of music except for Rock, Poppy, and Branch travel the globe to harmonize the various races as one.
Patti Cake$ (2017) - 6.8
Patti Cake$ marks Ramos' second feature film credit, in which he plays the ancillary character Swisha. The indie coming-of-age dramedy follows Patricia Dombrowski (Danielle Macdonald), aka Patti Cake$, a wannabe rapper in search of viral fame in New Jersey.
Written and directed by Geremy Jasper, the story takes a turn when Patti records a demo in five days with the help of a local producer and meets a famous radio deejay that increases her exposure. Overcoming the odds, Patti triumphs by performing in front of her biggest rap idol.
A Star Is Born (2018) - 7.6
In Bradley Cooper's rendition of A Star is Born, Ramos plays Ramon, a close friend and trusted confidant of Ally (Lady Gaga). He is there to give her advice and lift her spirits in the early days of meeting country music star Jackson Maine (Cooper).
After Jack discovers Ally's singing talents in a dive bar, he takes steps to turn her into a bonafide music star while falling in love with her and battling his own self-destructive addictions. The fifth iteration of the story won an Oscar for Best Original Song ("Shallow").
In The Heights (2021) - 7.7
Despite the underwhelming box office performance, In The Heights is one of the best-reviewed films of 2021 so far. Ramos takes center stage as Usnavi de la Vega, a struggling bodega owner in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York doing his best to provide for his family and achieve the American dream.
Directed by Jon M. Chu, the colorful and uplifting celebration of life features at least 10 songs performed by Ramos, which is adapted from Lin-Manuel Miranda's award-winning Broadway musical.
Summertime (2018) - 8.0
Edward Burns wrote and directed the hard-to-find Summertime, a period dramedy that explores the lives of several young men and women on Long Island in the summer of 1982. Ramos takes top billing as Frankie, one of several twentysomethings looking for work while away from class. The film takes place over Memorial Day weekend, Fourth of July weekend, and Labor Day.
Also starring Lindsey Morgan, Zoe Levin, Rita Volk, Amadeus Serafini, and Caitlin Stasey, the film was shot in 2018 but did not come out until 2020.
Hamilton (2020) - 8.4
According to IMDb, Ramos' best movie to date is Hamilton, in which he reprises his original stage roles as John Laurens and Philip Hamilton. With a whopping 8.4 rating, the film is ranked #70 on IMDb's Top 250.
Based on Lin-Manuel Miranda's Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical smash hit, Hamilton tells the story of Alexander Hamilton (Miranda) and his fellow founding fathers of American history entirely through rhyme and song lyrics. The landmark achievement was named Special Award Winner at the 2021 AFI Awards, USA.