Video: Tim Walz and Anthony Ramos Talk Theater Teachers and HAMILTON in New Campaign Video

In the latest video released by the Harris-Walz campaign, Vice Presidential candidate Tim Walz spoke with Hamilton star Anthony Ramos about the theatre teacher who influenced him and the impact of Hamilton on voter registration. Watch the discussion in the video here!

Ramos says he wasn't interested in musicals in high school but was encouraged by a teacher in his theatre department, who believed he had a future in the career. "She helped me with the audition material, she paid the $50 for the application and she sat with me and wrote the essays because I wanted to quit."

Walz, who taught history to high schoolers, told Ramos that he thinks Hamilton taught more history than he did. 

When asked about the show's impact on voter registration, Ramos told Walz: "Voting was not a thing I cared about at all, but we're singing about revolution…You think about those words. ‘I am not throwing away my shot.' What is that shot?"

"The reason I didn't care about politics is because I felt like what I had to say didn't matter." said Ramos.

"It matters," affirmed Walz. "I'm sure a lot of people say this, ‘Look I'm just not that into politics,' and I respond, ‘Too bad. Politics is into you.' It's the future we're gonna lead together. It does matter."

Anthony Ramos recently played the role of Javi in Twisters. In 2022, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Usnavi in the film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's In the Heights. On Broadway, he was seen as Phillip Hamilton and John Laurens in Hamilton. Earlier this year, May 15th was proclaimed as "Anthony Ramos Day" in Brooklyn, following a donation from the actor to the arts program at Bushwick High School.