Anthony Ramos was quickly drawn to the action-packed animation of his new movie “The Bad Guys.”
The Brooklyn, New York-bred actor sees similarities between the DreamWorks flick about a band of anthropomorphic animals known for their spectacular heists and another high-octane film franchise.
“When I saw it, I was like, yo, these are, like, stunts,” Ramos told the Daily News. “This looks like I’m watching ‘The Fast and the Furious,’ animated version. This is crazy. But the jokes hit and there’s a beautiful story at the heart of this.”
Coming to theaters Friday, the family film stars Ramos as Mr. Piranha, the small-but-mighty muscle of a crew that also features a wolf, a tarantula, a shark and a snake.
Based on a bestselling book series by the same name, “The Bad Guys” movie introduces the animals as outcasts in a society where everyone assumes they’re villains due to preconceived notions about their species.
They initially embrace their criminal statuses and team up to pull off high-profile robberies, but must decide if that’s the lifestyle they really want when they’re given a chance to go good.
“I love when people ask me, ‘What is the movie about?’ If I could say it in one line or slogan, it’s don’t judge a book by its cover,” Ramos, 30, said. “The movie is called ‘The Bad Guys,’ but every bad guy’s got good in them.”
The film is the latest aspirational project that Ramos has been part of. He rose to fame playing the dual roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the original Broadway cast of “Hamilton,” then starred as the New York bodega owner Usnavi in last year’s film adaptation of “In the Heights,” which centers on a vibrant Latino community with big dreams.
Ramos, who has also released two albums as a singer, says he prioritizes projects that have something valuable to say.
“These movies and these shows and music, all of this stuff is going to outlive us, and I think as an artist you want to paint pictures that are timeless, hopefully,” Ramos said. “You want to do things that will stay with people forever. When I’m looking for a script, I’m like, what’s a message that I’d want to remind myself of?”
Ramos is a lifelong fan of animated films who says joining one was a goal as he transitioned from Broadway to the big screen.
He previously voiced King Trollex in the 2019 musical comedy “Trolls World Tour,” and was inspired by a long list of cartoon flicks growing up.
“From when I was a kid, it was like ‘Monsters, Inc.,’ and even before that the Disney movies,” Ramos said. “I loved ‘Madagascar.’ ‘Zootopia’ is one of my favorite ones. Animated films, they just make you feel good. They really do. There’s just something about them, and I was really like, ‘Yo, I want to be part of something like that.’”
In addition to his dialogue in “The Bad Guys,” Ramos performs an original song that was written for his character after he’d already begun recording lines for the movie.
He’s excited to make a splash with Mr. Piranha, whom Ramos describes as “super lovable.”
“He’s quick-tempered but he’s also really sweet and sensitive at the same time,” Ramos said. “At any moment he can be crying about something or cracking a joke, but then the next moment he’s the first one ready to get in the action.”
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