Rising Star Ramone Hamilton On The Five Things You Need To Shine In The Entertainment Industry

An Interview With Ming Zhao

Jealousy and fake people. Young actors and even their parents throw a lot of shade back and forth for no reason at all, just because we are all auditioning for a role. My parents have always told me that there’s a lot of work for all of us, that there’s no need to be jealous of any of the other actors trying out for the role. If you are prepared, know your lines, and do a good job, you will always be in the running, but you never want to be jealous of anyone.

As a part of my series about pop culture’s rising stars, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Ramone Hamilton.

Ramone Hamilton is an actor, voice actor, and singer. The 16-year-old is known for playing the leading voice of George in the DreamWorks Animated series “Captain Underpants,” Coop in Disney Jr.’s “The Chicken Squad,” AJ in Nickelodeon’s “Blaze and The Monster Machines,” and Crash Watkins in Ludacris’s animated Netflix series “Karma’s World.” He can also be heard as the voice of young Joe Gardner (whose older version of the character is played by Jamie Foxx) in Disney’s Academy Award-winning animated feature “Soul,” as Axl in Universal Pictures’ “The Grinch,” and most recently, in “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Born into a long line of entertainers, Ramone began his career in the footsteps of uncle and jazz icon Chico Hamilton as well as grandfather and actor Bernie Hamilton, also known as Captain Dobey from the popular 1970s series “Starsky and Hutch.” At age 5, Ramone recorded an anti-bullying CD with jazz icon Patti Austin and, by 7, had performed at the Walt Disney Concert Hall with the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles. He went on to perform in Las Vegas with Michael Jackson Tribute artist Scorpio, at various iconic venues across Los Angeles, like The Troubadour and Whiskey A-Go-Go, and appeared on air for “Good Morning Atlanta.” Recently, Ramone performed at the Coronet Theater with actress Megan Mullally, whom he met while working on an episode of the hit NBC comedy “Will & Grace.” He can also be seen in “Devious Maids,” “Hot in Cleveland,” and “Modern Family,” and heard in “Rapunzel’s Tangled Adventure,” and Cartoon Network’s “Summer Camp Island.”

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?

I was born in Corona, California, and then we moved to Inglewood. We moved there so that my parents could be caregivers to their parents. Our house was full of love and respect. My parents always taught me to judge someone by how they treat you and their character, not the color of their skin. I played football and basketball growing up, and I love to box too.

Can you share a story with us about what brought you to this specific career path?

As a kid I grew up watching Disney and Nickelodeon. My absolute favorite show was the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and this is where I started to emulate some of the characters. My goal became to have a show on Disney. It took me 8 years to get a show on Disney, but I did finally get it. It was an animated series on Disney Junior called The Chicken Squad. My character was the lead Chicken. The show taught kids about community, respect, and how to work together.

Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your entertainment career?

That would definitely have to be the time I met Jenifer Lopez. I was on set working with a large group of other kid actors. Ms. Lopez made a guest appearance and created a big buzz and incredible energy on set. The other actors and their parents were all clamoring to speak with her, but I was cool, calm, and collected, and dressed in a suit. I looked her in her eyes and said, “Hello Ms. Lopez, may I take a picture with you?” And she said, “Yes papi.”

It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

I was working on a show called Will & Grace, and it was the day of the shoot. I went to put on my wardrobe but didn’t like the way my clothes were fitting me, so I told my dad. My dad went and told the head of wardrobe that I didn’t feel comfortable wearing the clothes and that I needed something else. Little did we know at the time that the wardrobe you wear the day of shooting had been approved by directors and producers, and to change that up was a problem. Thank God it all worked out, though. The lesson learned is that you never question your wardrobe, unless you’re the star of the show! [laughs]

What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?

During the holiday season my most important project to talk about is a Christmas song I recorded which was written by my grandfather, an actor for 50 years (Bernie Hamilton of Starsky and Hutch) called “Don’t Forget to Send a Christmas Card,” which is available on all streaming platforms. On Netflix I’m part of a new animated series called Karma’s World, created by Ludacris. I play the role of Crash, who is the lead character, Karma’s arch nemesis. Karma’s World emphasizes positive images and storylines for Black and Latina girls.

Most young people your age don’t have to balance work and school. Can you tell us how you manage to balance your schoolwork, auditions, and time on set?

I have to tell you, it’s very difficult. I go to a school by the name of Orange County School of the Arts, which is 45 to 60 minutes away from my home. It’s not easy, but I have goals for myself. Currently, I’m maintaining a 3.8 GPA. My toughest subject is Algebra 2, but I have a tutor and I ask a lot of questions of my teacher. I know she’s probably tired of my questions, but I’m working hard to bring my grade up. In terms of my auditions, all of them have been via Zoom since the pandemic, which I submit from my home studio. It makes it very convenient, but I’ve had to invest in creating a home studio in order to do it.

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?

Yes, thank God for my acting coach Marnie Cooper, who I’ve worked with since I was 6 years old. It is very important to have the proper people around you to help you achieve success. I know it sounds crazy but I have a team of people around me that help me. I have my agency CESD, I have my manager, and I have my PR company MWPR, and last but not least my mom and dad, who do everything for me. Whatever is needed, my mom and dad are always there. Also really important is my faith. In this business there’s a lot of rejection. I’ve come so close to getting so many big projects. I thank God that I have a relationship with Jesus because it has helped to maintain my sanity. The entertainment business is very hard on kids. Some of them are led astray, whether it’s not listening to their parents, drinking, doing drugs, or not finishing school. It’s very difficult and you have to stay grounded. That’s where my spirituality has helped me the most.

Okay, thank you for all that. Now let’s jump to the main part of our interview. What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)

1. Jealousy and fake people. Young actors and even their parents throw a lot of shade back and forth for no reason at all, just because we are all auditioning for a role. My parents have always told me that there’s a lot of work for all of us, that there’s no need to be jealous of any of the other actors trying out for the role. If you are prepared, know your lines, and do a good job, you will always be in the running, but you never want to be jealous of anyone.
2. Rejection. I have not gotten more roles than I have gotten, and the rejection hurts. One time, I auditioned for a production company for over 6 weeks, signed an offer sheet and was told that the series regular role was mine. But at the last-minute production changed their mind. That is the only time that my mom and dad ever saw me cry about not getting a role. This was early on in my career and taught me a valuable lesson — to never get your hopes up until you actually get the project.
3. Sports. I love football and I loved playing NFL Flag football when I was younger. And I have to say I was very good. I led the league in rushing touchdowns and my nickname was Mr. Twist and Turn, and Turn It Up). One of the teams I was on went all the way to the championship, and lost. Another valuable lesson. Along the way playing, I missed a lot of practices because I either had to go to auditions or I was working on set. After two seasons of playing, it was too difficult to manage the two. I had to give up football, which was hard for me because I really enjoyed the friendships that I built with my teammates.
4. Very few friends. The school I go to now is my third school. The elementary school I went to was just in the second grade and those friendships that I built were so long ago that I don’t see any of those friends anymore. The second school I went to, till the 8th grade, I still talk to one or two kids. And the school I go to now, because the last two years of the pandemic, we were all on Zoom. Being in the entertainment business does not afford you too many opportunities to create lifelong friendships in school. I do have some friends from the entertainment business, though, but we are all working to pursue our goals, which also makes it difficult to hook up and have some teenage fun.
5. Not a normal childhood. I guess you can see for yourself from the previous 4 answers that it is not easy being a child actor. In many respects, looking back on my non-experiences or experiences, I sometimes question why I ever wanted to be an actor. But in all honesty, it is also very rewarding. I’ve been able to take my parents around the world, personally meet many celebrities, and be exposed to the art of filmmaking, which I want to go to college to study.

You are a person of enormous influence. How do you think you can use social media as a platform to be a positive influence to your fans, and for society at large?

In the entertainment business, production companies want to see how many followers you have, which does not necessarily translate to posting positive messages and images. But first and foremost, I want to create a positive influence by being a positive person. I live my life looking at positive people and positive things. For instance, I dress in a positive way for a young man. I don’t allow my pants to sag. I’m neat and clean and am always looking fresh. The people I choose to hang out with are like-minded, body and soul. I feel the best way to be a positive influence is to post positive images for humanity and society. Young people need to understand that it takes hard work to have the finer things in life, not the free and easy lifestyle you see on social media.

If you had the ability to choose to work on any TV show or film, or work alongside any co-star, or with any director, what or who would that be, and why? You never know who might see this article, especially if we tag them.

I’d love to do a film with Denzel Washington, Michael B. Jordan, all being directed by Antoine Fuqua. I choose Denzel because of his depth and experience and success as an actor. He’s an absolute legend and I know I could learn a lot being on set with him. I say Michael B. Jordan because he’s young and I see a lot of myself in him. And I love that he’s directing. I’m directing short films as well and I see myself in the same vein as his role as Adonis Creed. I take boxing lessons at LB4LB gym in Los Angeles. I want to give honor and praise to the work of Chadwick Boseman. From his role as Jackie Robinson in 42 and James Brown in Get on Up, to Black Panther, he created through his artistry a positive image for black and brown aspiring actors such as myself.

How can our readers follow you on social media?

Thank you for your time. Readers can follow me on Instagram @ramonehamiltonofficial. You can subscribe to my YouTube channel Ram One Productions and stream my Christmas song “Don’t Forget to Send a Christmas Card” on all platforms.

This was very meaningful, thank you so much! We wish you continued success!