If it weren’t for the cancellation of a show at Radio City Music Hall, Anthony Ramos might never have been picked to join the cast of Hamilton. Check out the star’s story above of how he went from a cruise line performer to John Laurens/Philip Hamilton in the Tony-winning musical.

Speaking on The Late Late Show with James Corden September 15 from Budapest (where the star is filming the sci-fi movie Distant), Ramos said he was using open audition listings to find work without an agent before Hamilton. After nine months in Saturday Night Fever: The Musical on the Royal Caribbean, the performer booked a gig at Radio City Musical Hall, which was canceled shortly before previews.

Around the same time, Ramos auditioned at Telsey Casting, who sent him to audition for The Hamilton Mixtape. Recognizing the names of the In The Heights creators like Lin-Manuel Miranda and Tommy Kail, Ramos went for it. And, while clearing out from Radio City, the performer received a call saying he got the part. Ramos would stay in the role as it went from concert staging to The Public Theater Off-Broadway and eventually the Richard Rodgers Theatre.

On top of the audition process, Ramos told Corden that rewatching Hamilton on Disney+ was a “blast from the past.” The star watched with Hamilton alums Jasmine Cephas Jones (Ramos’ fiancée) and Okieriete Onaodowan—plus their moms—calling it an emotional experi ence for everyone. "We couldn't believe we'd made that. Five years later, watching yourself on screen, this is immortalized," he said.

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Ramos also performed his song “Stop” on the show—check it out below.