We may not talk about Bruno, but we definitely talk about Lin-Manuel Miranda.

A Pulitzer Prize, Grammy, Emmy, Tony Award-winning songwriter, actor, producer, and director, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a modern-day Renaissance man. The creator and original star of Broadway’s cultural phenomenon, Hamilton, composer of In the Heights, and the recipient of the 2015 MacArthur Foundation Award and 2018 Kennedy Center Honors, this acclaimed creative has dedicated his career to the art form of the great American musical on stage and screen. “The things that I loved about doing theater in high school are all the things I love about doing theater now. I love the collaboration, getting to work with all different kinds of people who are good at different things, making something that is bigger than any one person can make alone.”

In late 2013, when Hamilton was in rehearsals, Disney Executive Vice President Tom MacDougall—then head of music for Disney's animated divisions and overseeing the Frozen soundtrack—began seeking the involvement of Lin-Manuel, who credits The Little Mermaid (1989) and other Disney musicals of the era for inspiring his career. Soon after, Disney hired the multi-hyphenate to write and co-create several songs for the animated musical feature Moana (2016). “I really related to Moana in a lot of ways,” says Lin-Manuel. “She has a family that she loves, an island that she loves, but there’s a voice inside that’s calling. The idea of quieting life enough so that you can hear that inner voice was something really worth writing about for me because I think it’s so important.” Moana’s anthem, “How Far I’ll Go” earned the artist his first Academy-Award nomination for Best Original Song, as well as a Grammy Award. Miranda is returning as a producer and music collaborator on Disney’s upcoming live-action reimagining of Moana, premiering in theaters this summer.

After the animated Moana wrapped, Lin-Manuel told MacDougall, “Listen, I know you guys have some Latin-themed things up your sleeve. If there’s going to be a Disney Latina princess, I’ve been training all my life!” Miranda’s eight songs for the Encanto soundtrack all charted on the Billboard Hot 100, leading him to spend 15 weeks at No. 1 on the Hot 100 Songwriters chart and to ultimately be named Billboard’s top Hot 100 songwriter of 2022. Much of that was thanks to the unlikely and explosive leader of the pack: the intricate, multicharacter showstopper “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” which spent five weeks at No. 1. “Surface Pressure,” “The Family Madrigal,” “What Else Can I Do?,” “Waiting on a Miracle,” and Academy-Award nominee “Dos Oruguitas,” all also rank among the most streamed songs on Spotify, where “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has been streamed more than 100 million times.

In 2018, this Disney musical-loving performer got the chance to star in a Disney musical himself, and appeared in Mary Poppins Returns as Jack the Lamplighter. As far back as Lin-Manuel can remember, Walt Disney’s 1964 original feature film was a staple in his parents’ home video collection. “I don’t recall the first time I saw it,” he says. “Because it just lived in our house like furniture, with the other Disney movies.” Having imagined being part of the world of Mary Poppins since childhood, there were two moments during production of the sequel in which Miranda felt the thrill. “The first moment was seeing Cherry Tree Lane for the first time, because they brick-for-brick rebuilt it and it really looks like the original, you can’t help but feel transported.” The second moment came when Disney Legend Dick Van Dyke was on set. “It was magical,” Lin-Manuel says, “It was where we realized, ‘Oh, we’re part of something a lot bigger than us, we’re inheriting this incredible legacy.’”

Lin-Manuel served as producer of the live-action reimagining of The Little Mermaid (2023) and also wrote the lyrics for three new songs composed by the original 1989 film’s composer, Disney Legend Alan Menken. In addition, Lin-Manuel composed the songs for Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King (2024). As an actor, Miranda now plays Hermes in Disney+’s Percy Jackson & The Olympians seasons one and two and will reprise the role for season 3. Other Disney credits include: original songs for Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019); Gizmoduck/Fenton Crackshell-Cabrera in DuckTales (2018); and The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012).

Miranda’s first Broadway show was In the Heights, which premiered at the Richard Rodgers Theater in 2008. He is perhaps best-known for his 2015 master work, Hamilton, an 11-time Tony Award®, Grammy Award®, Olivier Award, and Pulitzer Prize winner. The filmed version was fast-tracked to stream on Disney+ beginning July 3, 2020. Disney showcased Hamilton in select movie theaters in 2025.

Lin-Manuel and the Miranda Family are also active supporters of initiatives that increase the representation of people of color throughout the arts and government, ensure access to women’s reproductive health, and promote resilience in Puerto Rico.