For the wondering multitudes who saw «In the Heights» over the musical’s opening weekend — yes, that was Marc Anthony in that stark, mid-movie scene.
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For the wondering multitudes who saw «In the Heights» over the musical’s opening weekend — yes, that was Marc Anthony in that stark, mid-movie scene. Anthony, the global music star ex of Jennifer Lopez, is nearly unrecognizable, looking worn, unshaven and unkempt while swilling beer in the morning. His character was created for the film, the alcoholic uncle to Usnavi (Anthony Ramos) and father of young Sonny (Gregory Diaz IV). In the scene, Usnavi discusses Sonny’s future, but his father is more attentive to the baseball game on the TV. It’s gritty. Ramos says he kicked up his drama game when he saw how in-the-zone Anthony was. «Yo, I was bugging,» says Ramos. «I was like, ‘Hey, I better bring it, because my man is coming for blood.’ » «That scene is going to surprise audiences. People are not going to expect Marc Anthony to do something like this, so it’s really special,» says producer Scott Sanders. Anthony, born in New York City to Puerto Rican parents, was a major fan of «In The Heights» during its 2008 Broadway run, seeing it multiple times.
