Javier Muñoz is an American actor and singer. He is most notable for his Broadway performances as Usnavi de la Vega in the 2008 musical In the Heights and Alexander Hamilton in the 2015 musical Hamilton, in which he played the title role from July 11, 2016, until January 14, 2018.
Early life and education Muñoz was born to a Puerto Rican family and raised in the Linden projects of East New York, Brooklyn. He was the youngest of four sons, and the only of his siblings to pursue a professional career in the arts.
He attended Edward R. Murrow High School, where he participated in the drama club known as the Players' Circle. He went on to earn his Bachelor of Fine Arts from New York University, where he participated in Collaborative Arts Project 21.
Career Muñoz's early roles include Ziad in Kari Floren's The Porch at Altered Stages in New York and other off-Broadway productions. He was in the 2006 New York Musical Theatre Festival production of All Is Love. He abandoned acting and took a full-time job as a manager at the restaurant 44 in Hell's Kitchen before he landed a role in In the Heights. His role was cut from the show during rehearsals, but he stayed on as a member of the ensemble.
On February 16, 2009, Muñoz took the male lead of Usnavi de la Vega in In the Heights. Theater critic Robert Feldberg wrote that he preferred Muñoz in the role over Lin-Manuel Miranda, stating that the romance between Usnavi and Vanessa seemed "more believable" and the performance was "emotionally persuasive".
In 2015, Muñoz began performing as an alternate for the role of Alexander Hamilton in Miranda's Broadway production of Hamilton. By spring 2016, he appeared in the role every Sunday and on select weekdays. He played the role of Hamilton the night President Barack Obama and his family attended the show. He assumed the role full-time on July 11, 2016. He was temporarily replaced by Jevon McFerrin following a February 2017 injury, and returned on March 21, 2017.
In 2017, he joined the panel of Justin Baldoni's talk show Man Enough.
On August 2, 2017, he made a guest appearance in a musical skit on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, where he played the role of an immigrant affected by Kris Kobach's anti-immigration efforts.
In 2018, Muñoz was announced as a recurring guest star on the third season of Shadowhunters.
In 2025, Muñoz was cast as Robert Baker in Wonderful Town at New York City Center as part of their Encores! series.
From December 2025 to February 2026, Muñoz portrayed Nate in Wonder the Musical, based on the novel Wonder by R. J. Palacio.
Personal life Muñoz is a gay man, a cancer survivor, and has been living with HIV since 2002.
On October 15, 2017, Muñoz became part of the MeToo movement, sharing that he had been a victim multiple times.
In March 2018, Muñoz received backlash following tweets where he lashed out, seemingly unprovoked, at fans. He issued a public apology in April, noting that the phrasing of a tweet caused him to recall an incident where he received anonymous hate mail at his building, leading to fear and distress.
Filmography Films YearTitleRole Notes 2013 The House That Jack Built Hector Papa's PrinceJavier / Prince Short film 2021 In the Heights Washington Heights Resident 2022 Three Months Dr. Diaz
Television YearTitleRole Notes 2016 Odd Mom Out Waiter Episode: "Hamming It Up" 2017 Quantico Episode: "JMPALM" Blindspot Episode: "Draw O Caesar, Erase a Coward" Full Frontal with Samantha Bee Episode: "August 2, 2017" 2018 Elena of Avalor Episode: "Song of The Sirenas" 2018–2019 Shadowhunters 7 episodes 2022 Eureka! Main role; 24 episodes
Theatre credits YearTitleRole Notes 2001 Assassins Giuseppe Zangara Lesher Center for the Arts 2005 In the Heights Usnavi de la Vega Eugene O'Neill Theater Center 2008–2009 Ensemble / Usnavi de la Vega (standby) Richard Rodgers Theatre 2009 Usnavi de la Vega 2009–2010 National tour 2013 Hamilton John Laurens / Samuel Seabury Vassar College, Workshop 2014 Into the Woods The Baker Oregon Shakespeare Festival 2015–2016Hamilton Alexander Hamilton (alternate) Richard Rodgers Theatre 2016–2018 Alexander Hamilton2022 The Devil Wears PradaNigel OwensJames M. Nederlander Theatre2024GalileoCardinal MorosiniBerkeley Repertory TheatreFaustThe LordThe SorayaReeve Carney, Ryan McCartan, Javier Munoz And More Lead 'Faust: The Concert' At The Soraya2025Schmigadoon! Doc Jorge LopezKennedy CenterWonderful TownRobert BakerNew York City Center, Encores!Wonder the MusicalNate PullmanAmerican Repertory Theater2026 Into the Woods The BakerCape PlayhouseGalileoCardinal MorosiniShubert Theatre
See also LGBT culture in New York City List of LGBT people from New York City NYC Pride March
References
External links
Lin Manuel Miranda introduces Munoz as his replacement in the musical In the Heights