Did You Know? This Filipino Costume Designer Made History at the Tony Awards

We’re a few months away from the 79th Tony Awards, where theater’s best and brightest are set to be exalted and recognized for their work on stage. As Filipinos, it’s always a proud moment when our talented kababayans are honored at this prestigious event. Just last year, three of our own, namely Fil-Ams Nicole Scherzinger, Darren Criss, and Marco Paguia, received their flowers by winning in their respective categories.

Suffice to say, a number of our countrymen have been presented with the award show's coveted trophy. But did you know that one Filipino once made history at the Tony's to represent not just Pinoys but people of color everywhere?

Clint Ramos was born in Cebu, Philippines where he spent his formative years falling in love with theater. In an interview with Forbes, he talked about staging “elaborate rituals or funerals of little insects,” as a kid and eventually learning about the craft in high school through political street theater. This soon pushed him to pursue Theater Arts in UP Diliman, setting up the stage for an illustrious career in costume design.

In 1993, Clint moved to the United States to study at New York University’s TISCH School of the Arts, which acted as his springboard to Broadway. Clint has since worked on over 250 shows across theater, opera, and dance, but it was in 2016 that he truly made history.

That year, Clint joined the production of Eclipsed as its costume designer. Originally launched in 2009, it was the first play to premiere on Broadway led by an all-black female cast and creative team. For its 2016 run, the play even featured Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o as one of its main stars.

The production ended up with six Tony Award nominations—one for Clint who was the sole winner from their team that night. He came home with a big one: the Tony Award for Best Costume Design in a Play, making him the first person of color to win in that category.

Since his triumph a decade ago, Clint has been nominated for six more Tony Awards, the latest being for his work on the Darren Criss starrer, Maybe Happy Ending. On the domestic front, he also served as artistic director for Theatre Group Asia, who brought the localized staging of Into the Woods led by fellow Tony awardee Lea Salonga, and the soon-to-open A Chorus Line.

Clint is currently the costume designer for the staging of Tristan und Isolde at The Metropolitan Opera. In a recent interview, he dispensed sound advice for young hopefuls looking to get into the arts, reminding them, “It’s a life practice, it’s not a job, and make sure that that’s what you really want to do.”