'In The Heights' star Anthony Ramos shares advice Lady Gaga gave him while co-starring in 'A Star Is Born'

By Megan Armstrong | Last updated 6/9/21

Before Anthony Ramos was the lead in In The Heights , in theaters and streaming exclusively on HBO Max beginning tomorrow (June 10), he was the supportive best friend Ramon to Lady Gaga's Ally in 2018's A Star Is Born.

Wednesday, Ramos shared with USA Today how Gaga assumed that role for him in real life:

"I remember when I got signed, she said to me, she was like, 'Alright, gotta learn how to swim,'" the 29-year-old actor, singer and songwriter relayed. "She said something like, 'You're swimming with the sharks now, kid.'"

Ramos added: "She's been through it, man. She was telling me stories about how she'd, like, lug around a keyboard. She'd be playing gigs, you know, at two or three spots."

Earlier this week, Ramos visited The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and additionally revealed the advice—or lack thereof—Lin-Manuel Miranda gave him for In The Heights:

Miranda originally penned In The Heights as a musical that debuted at the Richard Rodgers Theatre before earning a whopping 13 Tony Nominations in 2008. The 41-year-old Hamilton star also wrote the lead role of bodega owner Usnavi for himself, and he played Usnavi for years.

Ramos, who also got his start on Broadway in the original cast of Hamilton, has assumed the role of Usnavi for the feature film, and Miranda has said Ramos is "a better Usnavi than I could ever be" (h/t CBS News).

Ramos separately has a new album titled Love and Lies coming June 25.

In the Heights, directed by Jon M. Chu, centers around Usnavi in his Washington Heights neighborhood dreaming of a better life in his native Dominican Republic.

Watch the trailer and a cut of the first eight minutes below.