Who Is Lin-Manuel Miranda? (Who Was?)

Step into the spotlight with Lin-Manuel Miranda in this addition to the New York Times #1 Best-Selling series that explains how the Broadway legend got his start before Hamilton and Encanto!

Born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, Lin-Manuel Miranda had a passion for the arts and creativity from a young age. He participated in theater as a child and wrote his first Broadway musical, In the Heights, while he was still in college. That show won him his first Tony Award for Best Musical! He went on to create and star in the beloved musical Hamilton about the life of Alexander Hamilton. A nonstop writer, Lin-Manuel contributed music for other major projects such as Moana, Encanto, Star Wars, and The Little Mermaid. He has won a Pulitzer prize, five Grammy awards, three Tony Awards, and two Emmy awards so far in his successful career as a composer, lyricist, actor, and director.

Elijah Rey-David Matos is a creative writer and a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow. His work aims to highlight underrepresented authors and tell a few of his own stories along the way.

David Malan is an accomplished artist and illustrator with over two decades of professional experience. He has worked with a wide range of clients, including some of the biggest names in the industry such as The Walt Disney Company, Harper Collins, Penguin Random House, the United States Mint, and The NFL. His work is known for its attention to detail and ability to capture the essence of the individual.