Anthony Ramos: “Action movies make me feel like a kid again. It's great!”

Starring in Twisters, the young New York actor gave us a few moments before going back to chasing tornadoes. Interview.

In 1996, two years later Speed, Jan de Bont sign Twister his second film, a condensed disaster in the vein of nineties and their Volcano, Independance Day and others Outbreakwhere romantic tumults merge with meteorological turmoil. Today, Lee Isaac Chung takes over and employs a new generation of actors to chase tornadoes. Among them, Anthony Ramos.

At thirty-two, the New York actor of Puerto Rican origin already has a lot of experience behind him. His resume makes the effort to reconcile two genres: the musical comedy (A Star is Born, In the Heights, Hamilton) and the action movie (The Good Criminal, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, Godzilla II).

With Twistersnow in theaters, and alongside Glen Powell And Daisy Edgar-JonesRamos confirms his status as a new blockbuster star, and clearly does not intend to stop there.

Does Twisters have any breath? [critique]

Remake, sequel… Where does this new film stand in relation to the original version?

Some elements of Twisters pay homage to the 1996 film. Like Jan de Bont's version, the action is set in the Midwest, and follows tornado chasers, those ace scientists who collect data for meteorologists or university research. But this is really a whole new film, with a whole new generation of characters.

Had you seen Jan de Bont’s film before signing on for this project?

I had heard of it, but I had never taken the time to watch it. I admit that I have not seen many disaster movies other than Independance Day And The day after…Ah! Someone advised me to see Outbreak. Anyway. During filming, the producers rented a movie theater so that some of the crew could see it. I thought it was crazy that this movie was produced in the 1990s. The special effects are really incredible.

With Twistersit looks like we're going to be served. I couldn't help but notice that the title was plural.

In this movie, we go up a notch. More tornadoes, more intensity, more action.

It's not just about overbidding! With MinariLee Isaac Chung imposed his slightly different approach to American culture. Did you feel like you were participating in a re-enactment of the national narrative, as you were able to do on stage with Hamilton or at the cinema with In the Heights ?

What is certain is that the casting of Twisters is more diverse than the 1996 film. Besides, as a Latino, if Isaac had not wanted this diversification, I would not be in the film. (laughs). Directors should continue to make that choice, because today, the United States is also much more diverse. That's the reality of the country. It was cool to work with such a diverse cast – I'm talking about cultures as much as personalities – especially in Oklahoma.

To return to SFX, one almost has the impression that at the time the technical advances in cinema echoed the anxieties of the 1990s: the worrying rise of digital technology, the transition to the year 2000… which perhaps explains their success.

It's probably also because these movies are about things that really happen. The job of tornado chaser exists, people make a living from it. Look Outbreak. He kind of announced Covid. What's nice about this kind of film is the connection to reality which, even if it's thin, is always present. What's shown didn't happen, but it could.

During the 1990s, disaster movies multiplied. Do you think this trend could resume, given the current state of our societies?

If the film does well, maybe (laughs) ! It all comes down to money, it's THE universal language. If people go to see the movie, then there will be others. If they don't, there will be romantic comedies instead.

A large part of Jan de Bont's film is devoted to the romance between the characters of Helen Hunt and Bill Paxton, caught in the whirlwind of a divorce. Do we find this dynamic in Twisters ?

It's more of a triangle between the characters of Javi, Kate and Tyler. Kate, who is played by Daisy [Edgar-Jones] and Javi, my character, have been friends for a long time. A storm hits them while they are doing research for their university and it affects them both in different ways. Javi becomes interested in the profession of tornado chaser, and starts his own company. The story really begins some time later, with Kate returning, and Tyler arriving [Glen Powell]. But I don't want to say too much…

How was the collaboration with Daisy Edgar-Jones and Glen Powell?

We met on set, and we spent a lot of time together getting to know each other. The spirit of a film crew is different from that of a theater troupe. For HamiltonI did six hundred shows with actors that I hung out with seven days a week for two and a half years. For a film, it's different, we see each other non-stop for two months and then we go our separate ways, even if we stay in touch. But the atmosphere was super cool, everyone was really comfortable. Daisy and Glen are super talented, they pay a lot of attention to the details of the script, to the nuances in the text. I learned a lot from them.

Tyler, Glen Powell's character really resembles the archetype of the modern cowboy?

In the film it is a kind of “Tornado Cowboy”. He wears a cowboy hat, plaid shirts, and he drags around an old jalopy that barely runs. In contrast, my character and his crew are super clean-cut. He's a free spirit, a rugged Midwestern guy, kind of a “mister all american”. The guy everyone loves, and everyone also loves to hate.

Did you really film in the Southern US?

Absolutely. The filming took place on location, with the idea that everything had to be as realistic as possible. To create the illusion of tornadoes, the special effects team used airplane engines. And we were more on a Boeing 707 than on a small model. Chasing the tornadoes in a car was no easier than in real life. Between the curtain of artificial rain, the blast of the engines and the earth that was thrown in our faces, we couldn't see two meters. In addition, the camera – which was sheltered, on a truck that was driving in front of us – was very tight on us, so we had to be careful of our facial expressions. It was really an experience like no other.

It's a change from other action films you've made before. Godzilla II: King of the Monsters And Transformers: Rise of the Beasts are two films that you shot mainly in the studio.

For sure. I love working on a green screen, with visual effects. It allows you to play characters who can do crazy things, find themselves in really improbable situations. I'm preparing a Marvel series for Disney +, Ironheart. In this universe, you can levitate, shoot magic bullets… It was the same for Transformers. In fact, what I like is this feeling of becoming a kid again playing “to pretend”. And I get paid to do it. It's great! But it's still work. In front of me, I have two hundred technicians looking at me as if to say: “Stop messing around, we need a good take.” But it's so worth it. Making an action movie is really something.

You haven't limited yourself to action. We've seen you in musical films, in a drama (Dumb Money), and you even dubbed a character in an animated film (Trolls 2). What's next?

I have a lot of very different projects. Right now, I'm trying my hand at producing. It's great to be part of the conception of a film from start to finish. As an actor, I'd like to do a comedy series. Thirty-minute episodes, something that would take me two months out of the year, so that I can continue to take on more serious projects on the side. Oh, and then there's the film adaptation of Bob the Builderproduced by Jennifer Lopezin which I will play. On another note, I am working on my third album, and on a musical comedy. This is the first time I have tackled this kind of project. Music is very important to me. In fact, I proposed one of my songs for the soundtrack of Twisters. We'll see if it's in the final cut…

Twisters by Lee Isaac Chung. With Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell, Anthony Ramos… Duration: 2h02. Currently in theaters.