Speaking about his career as an actor, Ramin Karimloo is
incredibly humble acknowledging his success. Karimloo
made his Broadway debut in the 2014 revival of Les
Miserables in the role of Jean Valjean, earning a Tony
Award nomination for his performance. His arrival on the
New York stage follows a long career on London’s West
End, including an Olivier nomination originating the role
of The Phantom in Love Never Dies. Leading companies
of The Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Les
Miserables in the UK, Canada and USA, Karimloo can
afford to boast a little.
From humble beginnings, Ramin has worked his way to
the top of his profession. ‘My first outing I was in a semi-
professional production of Lost in Yonkers. It was great.
There’s much of that time that I still remember. Things I
learned from the director and cast. Then from there I tried
to get involved with as much community theatre as
possible.’ Looking back at his career this far it is clear that
Karimloo has worked steadily, making his way up from
smaller roles to leading man. In the case of Les Miserables,
working his way up through the roles of Enjolras and
Marius, and most recently returning to the show as
Valjean. ‘I truly believe each rung on the ladder has been
important to each other. Each little break helped lead to
the next one. Each being a learning curve. So yes, there’s
been a few things on a grand scale but without the little
steps leading to those then maybe they wouldn’t have
happened. To be honest I just keep working like I always
have. Wherever I am, I try and learn as much as I can, enjoy,
and prepare for what may be to come.’
After playing the hunted Valjean in Les Miserables, Ramin
now finds himself playing the hunter. As Gleb Vaganov
in Anastasia, Ramin plays a Russian general pursuing
Anya, a possible Anastasia Romanov. ‘Gleb is a great
character. It was certainly a challenge, but so much fun
all the same, taking this new character off the page and
bringing him to life. It’s been incredible to see who he is
now compared to who he was when we opened. I’ve had
a blast playing him.’ Having already played several of
musical theatre’s leading roles, Karimloo admits he
doesn’t have a specific dream role. ‘I just want to keep
being diverse and push my own boundaries. So anything
that will allow me to continue doing that. It’s all about
diversity. I’m learning about producing. I want to
continue growing as an actor. To be brave to try different
things. Of course explore more TV and film, as what I have
done on that side of things I’ve enjoyed. There is still
much to explore in the theater as well.’
Follow Ramin on social media and you will find along with
his passion for theater, his love of music and fitness. ‘My
goals dictate my fitness regime. I don’t buy into “I’m too
tired” or “Rest for the shows”, there’s a lot of time in the
day. For me, the gym is a great way to warm up