Anthony Ramos Balances Acting, Writing and Hosting at Milly’s in Brooklyn

Anthony Ramos, the Brooklyn-born actor who played John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway cast of Hamilton, opened Milly’s Neighborhood Bar in Bedford-Stuyvesant in June with his friend Ron Leakey. He named the bar for his mother, Mildred Ramos. Ramos, 34, said he never planned to own a bar but wanted to fill the gap after his favorite Caribbean restaurant closed.

He described hosting as a joy and tries to be at Milly’s around dinnertime to watch service, notice details and make customers feel welcome. He splits his time between New York City and Miami and lives in a one-bedroom Greenpoint apartment with his dog Prince, a 6-year-old Alaskan Klee Kai/American Eskimo mix.

Prince often stays with Leakey when Ramos travels. On a typical day Ramos wakes without an alarm when he can, prays to center himself and has recently added breath work on the recommendation of his therapist. He works out four or five times a week with trainer Alexa Javens at Session Training in Greenpoint and began running this summer, training recently for the New York City Marathon and a half in Puerto Rico.

He spends afternoons writing a musical with Will Wells — a project they began in 2018, set aside, and resumed in late 2023 — about the birth of Jesus and the events leading up to it. Ramos called it the favorite thing he has done, combining music, choreography and character work and bringing him closer to his faith.

Key Topics

Health, Culture, Brooklyn, Hamilton, Theater, Bar Scene, Music