Celebrity

Lin-Manuel Miranda Then & Now: Images of the ‘Hamilton’ Genius Over the Years

January 16, 2026

Because the artistic drive behind ‘Hamilton,’ Lin-Manuel Miranda has remained a cultural powerhouse. See pictures of his evolution over time.

Lin-Manuel Miranda wears many hats — composer, lyricist, rapper, actor, and producer amongst them. A local New Yorker, Miranda was raised in Washington Heights, a neighborhood that will later turn out to be central to his artistic identification. Deeply influenced by hip-hop, Latin music, and musical theater, he has turn out to be some of the influential voices of his era.

By age 25, Miranda had already written Within the Heights (2005), a vibrant portrait of life in Washington Heights impressed by the predominantly Dominican-American group the place he grew up. Developed with director Thomas Kail, the present went on to earn 13 Tony Award nominations and gained 4, together with Greatest Musical.

Miranda’s world breakthrough got here with Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. The groundbreaking musical obtained a file 16 Tony nominations, successful 11 awards, and earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2016 — solidifying Miranda’s standing as a transformative drive in American theater.

Within the years since, Miranda has expanded his influence past Broadway. He composed music for main movies together with Moana and Encanto, incomes widespread approval for bringing Latin-inspired sounds to mainstream animation. He additionally made his characteristic directorial debut with Tick, Tick… Growth! (2021), which earned a number of Academy Award nominations. Extra lately, Miranda has continued working throughout movie, theater, and music whereas remaining lively in philanthropy and humanities advocacy, notably in help of Puerto Rico and humanities schooling.

Scroll via to see how Lin-Manuel Miranda has modified over time.

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