Lin-Manuel Miranda

Puerto Rican

Writer + Composer + Lyricist + Actor

Instagram: @hamiltonmusical

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an award winning composer, lyricist and performer of Puerto Rico descent. Born in Manhattan, New York, he would spend one month a year with his grandparents in Puerto Rico during his youth.

While attending Wesleyan University, he co-founded a hip hop group called Freestyle Love Supreme, and also wrote what would become his first Broadway hit, In The Heights – which he would win a Tony and Grammy Award for ‘Best Musical Theater Album’ (2008 and 2009 respectively). From 2010 onward, Lin-Manuel has made guest appearances on several TV shows, and has written music and lyrics for musicals.

As of August 2015, Lin-Manuel's Broadway hit, Hamilton, has earned rave reviews and even took him to the White House – where he performed a freestyle rap from prompts held up by President Obama.

Interesting fact: it took Lin-Manuel one year to write the Hamilton song 'My Shot.'