Jimmy Smits Joins the Cast of the In The Heights Movie

By Clare Martin  |  April 15, 2019 | 3:51pm
Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty
Movies News in the heights
Jimmy Smits Joins the Cast of the In The Heights Movie

With just over a year until its June 26, 2020 release, the cast of the In The Heights film adaptation is beginning to take shape. Today (April 15), Lin-Manuel Miranda, who wrote the music and lyrics for the Washington Heights-set musical, announced that Olga Meridez (Children Are Too Young to Die), Gregory Diaz IV (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Jimmy Smits (How to Get Away with Murder, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Dexter, the list goes on) have been added to the bill.

Meridez will be playing Abuela Claudia, the resilient matriarch of the neighborhood, while Diaz is set to appear as Sonny, the younger cousin of the Tony Award-winning musical’s narrator, Usnavi. Smits will grace the screen as Kevin Rosario, the overly cautious father of Nina.

Singer-songwriter Leslie Grace has already been announced as the brainy Nina, who drops out of college much to the dismay of her parents. Nina’s love interest, Benny, will be played by Corey Hawkins (BlacKkKlansman) and Anthony Ramos (of Hamilton and She’s Gotta Have It fame) will be stepping into the role of Usnavi, originated on Broadway by Miranda himself. His love interest, Vanessa, is being portrayed by Mexican actress and singer Melissa Barrera.

Behind the scenes, Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) is directing and the musical’s original book writer Quiara Alegría Hudes is penning the script.

While we’re all taking a Lin-Manuel minute (like a New York minute but way more wholesome), be sure to check out this list of his most Lin-Manuel Miranda moments.

 
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