The Easiest Way to Be Like Lin-Manuel Miranda is to Treat Your Friends the Way He Does

If you haven't watched the Drunk History of Alexander Hamilton with Lin-Manuel Miranda, you need to. First of all, because it's hilarious. Secondly, it gives us a brief insight into how much research Miranda did for the show. But most of all, it displays the character of the man itself, which is what I want to talk about today. 

During a very entertaining segment, Miranda drunk Facetime's Christopher Jackson. In his drunken rambling, Miranda sincerely says to Jackson, 

“You’re my best friend. As long as I got a job, you got a job.”

While Miranda was a half a bottle into some Tennessee whiskey, there is no doubt that he meant what he said and that kind of friendship is something we should all aspire to.

And Miranda has kept his promises. If you take a look at the casts of Hamilton, you'll notice that many of them appeared in In the Heights. From Seth Stewart, Joshua Henry, Karen Olivo, Mandy Gonzalez to Javier Muñoz, Lexi Lawson and Christopher Jackson, all of them have worked with Miranda on multiple occasions. Needless to say, he takes care of his friends. 

Friendships in theatre can be a fickle thing. But they can also be treasured and long lasting. There is something about going through the grind of putting a show together that can bond a cast in unconditional ways. I know that when I've been in situations like that, not only will I always have the utmost respect for those who shared the experience, I know I can trust them with future projects as well. 

Sometimes it's hard to know who to trust in this industry. But I've always said, those who stick with you through thick and thin are the ones you want to keep in your circles for the long haul. And who knows, maybe when they have projects coming up, you'll be their first call. 

Photo: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Christopher Jackson and Seth Stewart get a visit from Karen Olivo and Krysta Rodriguez. Credit: Bruce Gilkas