Exclusive Interview: Pop Culturalist Chats with Ramin Karimloo
Once you hear actor Ramin Karimloo sing, you won’t want him to stop. Luckily for all of us, he’s a busy performer (which means a whole lot of singing). A Tony-nominated actor, Ramin has been a part of shows likes Misérables and The Phantom of the Opera to Murder Ballad and Anastasia. Off the theater stage, he’s acted on screen in TV shows like Blue Bloods, Jesus: His Life, and, coming up in the U.K., Holby City.
As if that’s not enough of a whirlwind of projects, Ramin has also performed in concerts around the work, released a solo album entitled Ramin, and consistently tours with his band (look up Ramin Karimloo and The Broadgrass Band for a nice afternoon of YouTube). Most recently, he’s released a new single: a cover of “Maybe It’s Time” from A Star is Born. “Within its sullen tone there is this feeling of hope and encouragement for change,” says Ramin. “This song caught me at a time when I was constantly traveling, spending nowhere near enough time with my family, and that message of hope really resonated with me.”
We were able to dive a little deeper with Ramin and learn more about the single, upcoming covers, and how he balances his acting and music career.
PC: When did you know music was going to be a big part of your career?
Ramin: I differentiate the music you may be talking about and [musical theater] like The Phantom of the Opera. I think, really, [music] started as a passion project. With the theater stuff back in the day, when Love Never Dies happened, Sony approached me. Around that time I thought, “Maybe there is a side project here that we can throw more of our passion into.” So we started developing this Broadgrass sound.
PC: Many of your recent singles are covers like “What You Own” from Rent and “From Now On” from The Greatest Showman. Do you find it challenging to develop a cover of an already popular song?
Ramin: A few years ago had you asked that question, I would have said yeah. But, now, we’re doing this because we want to be together and make music—whether it’s songs we’ve written or covers of songs that we love to do. With this album—mostly theater songs and a couple of film singles—we wanted to play those because we appreciate where this is all spawned from: our theater following and supporters. We’ve toured so much; we would try new theater songs to see how we play [the covers] knowing that fans will like it and that we like playing them. It can’t be one or the other; it has to be both or we won’t do it. If we don’t love it, we just won’t do it. I don’t care if others love it because if your heart’s not in it then why bother. So we just thought, “Ok let’s put these all in the studio one day and see how they come out.” So, we keep the pressure off because it’s enjoyment for ourselves.
PC: What is that songwriting process like? How are you picking songs? Do you leave songs behind?
Ramin: Yeah, we always record more than we need for the album. Sometimes, an idea that worked live once or twice doesn’t translate into a studio [recording] so we have an extensive list of songs. This one we recorded quite a bit for…the final cut of the album is yet to be determined, though. We recorded, I think, fifteen songs. I’m sure they’ll all seep out at some point because we’re proud of all of it.
PC: So is there one song that sticks out to you as a personal favorite?
Ramin: As you age, you interpret songs differently. I keep going back to “Mary Jane.” We recorded “Mary Jane” by Alanis Morisette—her show [Jagged Little Pill] is coming to Broadway—and I love that song. It brings up a lot of memories for me…the lyrics relate to being a father; I know it wasn’t written like that, but how it speaks to my heart is how it speaks to my heart.
We’re really happy with the Dear Evan Hansen song. We also did “Maybe It’s Time” [from A Star is Born]. I love those lyrics and the mood of the song. I think it was maybe one of those instances where it was only one or two takes, tops. We were happy with the vibe of it. We didn’t seek perfection; we wanted to capture a moment. We feel we did that with our rendition and are really proud of that. And this all started with us testing out the waters with our band with “From Now On.” I’m really proud of that track.
PC: You’ve performed on stage as both an actor and a musician—do you enjoy one more than the other? Or do you gravitate toward one?
Ramin: It’s one of those things where the grass is always greener, right? I’ll go into a theater show, and, after a few months in, I’ll go, “We gotta tour!” And then we start touring and by the end of the tour I say, “I gotta be a character!” I’m happy I’m able to keep doing that.
There’s really proud moments when your show as a band starts working, and people are enjoying it and leaving happy and you think, “Wow. We created this; it’s fantastic.” But there’s also a lot of hard work that goes [into the] band because we’re doing a lot of the legwork. We’re working around the clock to make our tours and shows happen so sometimes it’s a breath of fresh air to walk into [an acting] role and only have one thing to worry about. So it’s hard It’s hard to have a preference.
I also appreciate that the music came out of the acting. I signed up to be an actor and then the music happened. So, I’ll always go back to a character or a TV show, like I’m on now. It’s the acting that gives us a platform to put our passion out there.
PC: Do you have a personally memorable acting role?
Ramin: It’s hard when I think about favorite roles. It depends on my mood. I keep swapping back and forth. Right now, what’s fresh in my mind is last year I did Che in Evita. That was an incredibly dynamic character to play. That was pure enjoyment every night.
Obviously, Phantom and Jean Valjean are so iconic, and they’ve given me such a great life creatively and personally. Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard was so great to play. You see; it’s hard. I’m already four characters in! Also, the character I’m playing now, Kian, on this medical drama is also dynamic. I love anything that’s diverse and dynamic that’s got a lot of shades to them.
PC: So, as you mentioned, you’re working on Holby City, a TV show in the UK. You’ve done Broadway, hte West End, films, etc. Are there are other projects or fields that you hope to explore in the future?
Ramin: I’d love to hit a musical film, a movie musical, or be a voice in a Disney film. That’d be so much fun. Whether it’s an adaptation of a musical or something like A Star is Born…it’s all my worlds in one so a movie musical would be quite an experience for me.
PC: You mentioned diverse characters earlier. Do you feel any sense of heightened responsibility, as an actor, to represent your Iranian heritage?
Ramin: I am so proud to be Iranian, especially in this world. I get so many messages and DMs saying, “I’m Iranian, but performing is not something my family wants me to do.” I had that same story until I became successful then my dad was like, “I always knew you could do it!” I tell him, “You tried to steer me away from it!” [laughs] Obviously, it was out of a good place. Looking back, I know he did it ’cause he was worried.
Right now, with everything we do, put out there, and with our platforms, we just have to represent humanity. I feel like I don’t even care anymore what side people are on or who they back; we’ve lost a sense of dialogue. Let’s get back together. It’s ok to have a difference of opinion. It’s ok to hear from someone whose idea you might feel uncomfortable with—that’s a step forward to having a dialogue instead of shutting people up or banning people. I think the moment we don’t listen, we’re just feeding into their rhetoric and we’ll never be any wiser from it. I only want to put out good stuff now and not engage in any negativity because I think what you say about other people says a lot about you.
PC: That said, do you have any advice you wish you could give your younger self?
Ramin: “Don’t panic!” I got married young; I had my kids young…my panicking came from a good place because I never wanted them to go hungry for my artistry. It’s that thing you hear all the time: “Stop and smell the roses.” It’s the simple things that we take for granted. So, I would tell myself, “Don’t worry. One step at a time.” Hard work will pay off. And, honestly, something more pragmatic: “Invest! Invest money.” [laughs]
PC: Finally, your career spans the globe. Are there challenges in maintaining a career on multiple continents?
Ramin: It’s nice to be so diverse and bouncing around like a pinball going from TV show to concert to show. But, I wonder, sometimes if I should have a bit more of five-year plan. Although I try to take it as it comes and enjoy it. I think that where you’re meant to be is where you are. I do believe you chase a dream that’s also chasing you. So, let’s run parallel for a while.
Pop Culturalist Speed Round
Last TV Show You Binge-Watched
Mayans M.C.
Favorite Film
Carlito’s Way
Favorite Play and/or Musical
One of the best experiences I’ve had was watching Showboat.
Favorite Book
A Thousand Splendid Suns
Favorite Place You’ve Been
Taormina in Sicily
Hidden Talent
I’m still looking for it!
Place You Most Want to Go to
Maldives
Person You Most Want to Meet
Sam Rockwell
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