‘Tick, Tick … Boom!’ Star Robin de Jesús on Latinos in Hollywood and Working with Lin-Manuel Miranda

Tony Award nominee Robin de Jesús found a way to channel the proper inspirations to maximize his performance as a former theatre actor turned accountant Michael in Netflix’s “Tick, Tick … Boom!” He’s fighting for his art to be seen, as well as the under-seen voices in the Latino and LGBTQ communities, and he’s looking forward to the visibility.

Also on this episode, the Awards Circuit Roundtable assembles to discuss Aaron Sorkin’s “Being the Ricardos” with Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, Halle Berry’s “Bruised” and the opening of Reinaldo Marcus Green’s “King Richard” with Will Smith.

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Listen to the full interview with actor Robin de Jesús in the latest edition of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast below!

Latino actor de Jesús is in the midst of a breakout in Hollywood. His turn in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial debut has received large amounts of praise after debuting at the AFI Film Festival earlier this month. Along with co-star Andrew Garfield, who will be heavily in contention for an Oscar nomination in best actor, de Jesús’ sensitive and impactful turn is just as worthy of consideration for a supporting actor nom. His role acts, in many ways, as the emotional heartbeat of the musical, which may not be as well known to consumers. The film is adapted by screenwriter Steven Levenson, and also stars Vanessa Hudgens, Alexandra Shipp, Joshua Henry, Judith Light and Bradley Whitford.

The Connecticut native is a well-known and accomplished theater actor, after delivering performances in original stage productions like “In the Heights” (2008), “La Cage aux Folles” (2010) and most recently “The Boys in the Band” (2019), which was adapted into a film on Netflix and helmed by Joe Montello. He’s also had stints in popular shows like “Wicked” and “Rent.”

“Tick, Tick … Boom!” is currently streaming on Netflix.

Variety’s Awards Circuit podcast is hosted by Clayton Davis, Michael Schneider, Jazz Tangcay and Jenelle Riley and is your one-stop listen for lively conversations about the best in movies. Michael Schneider is the producer and Drew Griffith edits. Each week, “Awards Circuit” features interviews with top talent and creatives; discussions and debates about awards races and industry headlines; and much, much more. Subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify or anywhere you download podcasts. New episodes post every week.

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