Hamilton star reveals how much actors actually make on Broadway and it might surprise you
Topics: Entertainment, Money, Celebrity
Kya Buller
Featured Image Credit: Theo Wargo/WireImage
Topics: Entertainment, Money, Celebrity
Thanks to Wicked, musicals are at the front and centre of everybody's minds - however, have you ever been left wondering just how much they pay?
Before the Wizard of Oz spin off starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo hit the silver screen, it was a beloved Broadway musical - loved by theatre kids alike.
And you'd be hard pressed to find a fan of the genre that didn't point to Hamilton as another one of their absolute favourites.
Written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, the musical uses singing and rapping to explore the life of American Founding Father Alexander Hamilton alongside the American Revolution and the early political history in the US.
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The musical also casts non-white actors in the lead roles and has received bouts of critical acclaim.
During the Broadway production, actor Anthony Ramos, of A Star is Born fame, portrayed John Laurens and Phillip Hamilton, and has since opened up about his Hamilton experience, as well as what the paycheck is like - and it's probably not what you think.
In an interview with Vivian Tu on her SoFi podcast Richer Lives, Ramos was asked: "What was it like getting that first Hamilton paycheck?"
Ramos replied: "It was nice," before clarifying: "Well actually, no, it wasn't because we were Off-Broadway and I was making like $420 a week. You get paid better on Broadway."
He continued: "Even on Broadway, it can still be tough. If you're an ensemble member, right, if you're a chorus member, you're probably making like $1,800 a week.
"But they're paying their agent, 10% to the agent, 10% to the manager, 20% off the top, and then you're paying, probably in New York, 30% or 40% tax."
The actor added: "You're probably coming home with, like, $1,000 a week, maybe like $1,100 a week.
"Getting that first paycheck was great because I was getting paid to do something I loved, but I was still struggling in New York. It's got to even out, somehow."
Ramos advised people to be careful with their money - especially if they get onto Broadway.
He said: "You can't think, 'Oh, I'm on Broadway! Let me just throw the bag'.
"When we start to make money—people in general—we get excited, and we start spending," however, he added that it's fine to 'treat yourself' sometimes.
He concluded: “If you're not smart with your money, you're beat!"
Suffice to say, people are shocked by the revelation.
One person commented: "You have to love what you do that’s for certain."
Another said: "EXACTLY! I always say $1800 may sounds like a lot, but in NY that is the MINIMUM someone needs to make to live there."
While a third added: "$420 a week is literally nothing! That's less than 22k a year before taxes and other fees. It's well below the poverty line and that's for the national average.
"Not NYC, which has a high cost of living."