Few musicals have achieved the cultural impact of Hamilton, with its inventive storytelling and unforgettable songs. Although the production is steeped in American history, creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has often spoken about the influences behind its most memorable moments. He has now revealed that one key scene was directly inspired by a very popular Young Adult book series.

In a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s podcast Happy Sad Confused, Lin-Manuel Miranda revealed that Harry Potter was the direct inspiration for a key moment in Hamilton. Horowitz recalled Miranda's earlier conversation with Emma Watson, in which he said that Harry Potter's first meeting between Harry and Draco had inspired part of Hamilton and Miranda took less than a second to agree to the same.

"Absolutely. In our version of it, Burr gives him the opposite of the lesson he wants to learn, right? Like Draco says to Harry," Miranda said, explaining that both encounters begin with advice the protagonist ultimately chooses to reject.

Miranda confessed during the same Happy Sad Confused interview that the parallels were deliberate. He explained how in both scenes, the main character is faced with another person who shares the same level of ambition or characteristics. They are then given advice contrary to what the main character ends up believing in. Just like Malfoy encourages Potter to hang out with the right sort of people before he becomes friends with Ron Weasley and company, Burr advises Hamilton to "talk less, smile more" before he decides to follow his own way with Lafayette and his friends.

Lafayette, in the comparison, is like Ron Weasley to Hamilton, as Miranda joked during an interview. The discussion started from the question of whether there is any connection between the Harry Potter books and Hamilton. Miranda talked about having read the first three books while on jury duty. He further talked about completing a book in a day until he caught up with the fourth book.

Long before Hamilton became a Broadway phenomenon, Lin-Manuel Miranda found inspiration in one of the world's biggest literary franchises. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda turned Hamilton into a Broadway phenomenon 

Lin-Manuel Miranda produced and originated the title role of Hamilton on Broadway. The musical is based on Ron Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton. It combines hip-hop, R&B, pop, and traditional show tunes to tell the story of one of America's Founding Fathers. It opened Off-Broadway in 2015 and transferred to Broadway later that year, becoming a critical and commercial phenomenon.

Hamilton went on to win 11 Tony Awards. This included Best Musical, the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and a Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The production has since expanded to include multiple international and touring companies. Additionally, the filmed version of the original Broadway cast brought the musical to an even wider audience.

Miranda’s latest revelation is one of the few glimpses that fans get into the creative process behind Hamilton and how inspiration can come seemingly from anywhere. He makes a subtle comparison between Harry Potter and one of the defining relationships of the musical to show the universal elements of storytelling that bind together worlds that seem very different. The insight adds yet another fascinating layer to the Broadway phenomenon and the craftsmanship that has made Hamilton an enduring cultural landmark.

Did this unexpected Harry Potter inspiration change how you see Hamilton's iconic opening scene? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Bias Sinha

Edited by

Itti Mahajan