Lin-Manuel Miranda explains the method to his madness and salutes his idols (video)
Words are his weapon, and salsa and merengue his musical inspirations.
By NURIA NET & CINDY ORTIZ
In the new Disney movie The Odd Life of Timothy Green, out Wednesday, Lin-Manuel Miranda plays a recluse who’s best friends with flowers, lives with his mom, and helps a plant-boy cope with a rare condition. Sound crazy? As he’ll tell you, it’s not as crazy as what Miranda himself looks like when he’s deep in writing mode.
The gifted storyteller and Tony Award-winner, 32, sat down with us in Los Angeles to discuss his new movie (starring Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton), which one of his titles (actor/writer/composer/lyricist) means the most to him, and why Juan Luis Guerra and Rubén Blades are his personal idols.
Coincidentally, both Juan Luis Guerra and Blades are playing at the Hollywood Bowl this week (Guerra on Tuesday and Blades with Eddie Palmieri on Wednesday).
But Miranda isn’t just a fan of Blades; the two are actually friends, and the salsa icon even performed at Miranda’s wedding to high school crush Vanessa Nadal in 2010 — one of many sweet surprises the groom had in store for the bride that evening.
Check out the first part of our interview with Miranda; he spoke to us about the new Bring It On Broadway musical, for which he wrote the music and lyrics, and the general state of Latinos in Hollywood.
We love that he doesn’t just talk the talk.
(Photo: Facebook.com/Lin-Manuel-Miranda)
