ANIMIZE Magazine Volume 2 Issue 6 November 2017 | Page 54

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