Anthony Ramos has a special vintage green jacket that he wears to every home football, baseball and basketball game he attends for the New York Jets, Mets and Brooklyn Nets.
In addition to his thriving acting career, he recently released his The tornadoes summer and in view of his next role in Heart of IronThe actor always finds time to root for his favorite teams. Sports have been a part of his life since before he landed his first on-screen role on TV Land's Youngerfollowed by his turn in Lin-Manuel Miranda's record-breaking musical, Hamilton.
THE In the heights star grew up playing baseball and football and was on the wrestling team in high school. He initially considered a career in professional baseball before attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy, eventually graduating from its musical theater program.
When it comes to sports, the actor knows that superstitions can be silly but, like over 70 percent of football fans, he ends up believing them anyway.
“I feel like it's just that fan thing, where you just want your team to win so bad, and for whatever reason, you think that some shit you do in the stands is going to help give some kind of energy to the hitter, or the quarterback, or whoever's playing out there,” he says. The Hollywood Reporter in an exclusive interview while discussing his new partnership with The Athletic that encourages fans to celebrate the world of (ir)rational fan love through his Fall Football Superstition Swap.
“Making a little noise during a game, or making a little bit of a noise, it’s just those superstitions, those things that we do to stay in the game, and it also makes us feel like we’re a part of the game,” he continued. “It makes us feel like, if our team wins, we have something to do with it.”
Below, Ramos also opens up about what fans can expect from Marvel Heart of IronMiranda's career-changing advice and more.
Tell me a little about this campaign. Why did you want to be a part of it?
I have my superstitions, and I got this jacket from my cousin years ago. It was a retro Jets jacket, and he gave it to me, and I kept wearing it, and it was just a cool thing. I'm a football fan, and now the Jets are inviting me to the opener and stuff. They know I'm ready to rock out when the season starts. Any excuse to talk about sports and the little superstitions that we have, like the rally cap or the jacket, things like that that we do just to make the game more fun, that's why I wanted to join. I just thought it would be a cool thing to show my friends, honestly.
Why do you think superstition plays such a big role in people's minds when it comes to sports?
When you're at a game, it's like that thing where some people are like, “I don't go to the bathroom more than once.” Or “I just sit in the same seat the whole game.” Sometimes I'll be at a baseball game and I'll be like, “Damn, when I stood up when this person was batting or hitting last, he hit a home run, and when I stood up, he hit a home run last, so maybe I should stand up when this person goes to bat, every time.” It's little things. I feel like it's just that fan thing, where you just want your team to win so bad, and for whatever reason, you think that some bullshit you do in the stands is going to help energize the hitter, or the quarterback, or whoever's playing out there. It just keeps you more involved in the game. The salute during a game, or the noise, it's just those superstitions, those things that we do to keep ourselves in the game, and it also makes us feel like we're a part of the game. It makes us feel like if our team wins, we had something to do with it.
How do you think superstition will evolve in the coming seasons, in football, baseball, basketball or any other sport?
Well, in baseball, Grimace with the Mets. Did you see that? Grimace threw out the first pitch, and then all of a sudden the Mets started winning. So they were making videos, and they'll have AI Grimace in the video like, [Francisco] Lindor hitting a home run or something, and Grimace bouncing in the back. I was talking to the players during a rain delay. I went down to the locker room and it was crazy. It was the craziest experience. I met my favorite player that night: Carlos Beltran. I was with one of my guys and he was like, “Hey, Francisco.” Francisco told us to come down, so we chilled with them. And everyone was talking about Grimace. They were like, “Hey, that Grimace stuff, that was crazy.”
We'll see what happens. I'm a Jets fan. I can't wait to see what happens this season. God willing, everybody stays healthy. It's always fun when there's some kind of superstition, or when during the season there's some kind of superstition that everyone gets involved with. I don't know. I can't predict, but hopefully whatever it is, it leads to the Super Bowl.
Anthony Ramos' lucky green jacket from New York.
Courtesy of The Athletic
How do you reconcile your passion for sports with your career as an actor and musical theatre producer? Both are things that take a lot of time.
I mean, when the seasons are on, especially when I'm in New York, literally, I'll watch the schedule and go, “Hey, what's going on? Are they playing home games this week?” And I'll stop. I like to go to things. I like to watch sports. I grew up playing sports. I grew up playing baseball. I grew up playing football. I was on the wrestling team in high school. Sports have always been a big part of my life, and I think it's a nice escape from my job, too. I think it's kind of crazy if all you do is work. I mean, a lot of people do that, right? But I just think sports has always been a nice escape for me. So, I try to go to as many games as I can, honestly. Even when I'm not in New York, wherever I am, I try.
I’ve been to the Super Bowl the last three years. I’ve been to the World Series the last few years. I just try to make sure I’m in the mix. If I can go to the playoffs, I’ll go for it. I love it. Sports are fun. It’s fun to root for your team. I grew up loving these teams. I was a Nets fan before they even went to Brooklyn. The chances of that shit happening were slim, and I was in complete shock when the team got bought out and moved to Brooklyn. I was like, “Wait, what?” Because Jason Kidd was my favorite player. Nick Van Horn and Kenyon Martin, I watched them play. So when they came to Brooklyn, I was thrilled. Jets, Nets, and Mets!
Over the years of your career, you have worked with some truly impressive people, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Seth Rogen, Sebastian Stan, to name a few. What is one thing you have learned from one or all of them that you have applied to your ever-growing career?
All those guys have done some amazing things. I think what I've learned from them, overall, is just keep challenging yourself, keep looking for parts that are just different, different. Lin said something so fiery to me once. I used to be a little insecure about how I speak. And, you know, I was like, “Yo, I sound too ghetto, or too ghetto, or whatever.” And he was like, “Yo, you don't have to change the way you speak. You just have to make sure people understand you.” That changed my perspective just on my career in general.
The part where you let people know who you are is like, you don’t have to go to the industry, let the industry adapt to who you are. You don’t have to adapt to the industry. You can create your own parts. You could create your own roles however you want to create them. You don’t have to let the role create. The role could say, “OK, he’s a cowboy and everything in Oklahoma.” But, at the end of the day, you create that guy. You don’t have to do exactly what’s on the page. You take the page as a template and you use that to shape whatever world or whatever personality you want this person to have and to shape whoever you want that character to be. I thought that was really good advice that Lin gave me, for sure.
Next, you will have a role in Heart of Iron. What can you tell those who are eagerly awaiting the show about how you’re working on the project or what they can expect?
I saw a trailer at D23. We went up on stage and they played this new trailer for Heart of Ironand it was the first time I'd seen it. And I'm not going to lie, just as a fan, I was like, “Hey, this is crazy. If this show is even half as good as this trailer, we're in.” Dominique Thorne is incredible. She plays this genius and she creates this new suit using basically just spare parts. In her genius way, she creates this cutting-edge, beautiful, high-tech suit. She becomes Ironheart.
I play this villain, The Hood, and Parker Robbins in the comics, he gets this hood, and it's too powerful for him. It's overwhelming, and it starts to damage his body. You can see it from the outside, and you can see how it's affecting him on the inside as well and his personality and how it's actually, literally, physically and mentally and emotionally breaking him, but it's giving him so much power that he's addicted to it. He's like, “I can't let go of this.” It becomes this weapon to seek revenge, and for him, it's starting small, and he's stealing in the comics, and then it gradually grows. It grows and grows and grows, and just like his power, I think, it becomes a little overwhelming for him, but I'm excited. I'm excited for you all to see what we've done with this character and just the art department, and our visual effects and special effects makeup team, as well. Jonah [Levy] and his whole team, they were amazing with the tattoos and scars. They really did an amazing job.