Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lin-Manuel Miranda visited The Ellen Show February 13 following his recent Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for Moana’s “How Far I’ll Go.” To welcome him to the show, host Ellen DeGeneres played “I Will Survive,” which is apparently Miranda’s song. He shared a hilarious story (which could be considered TMI) about why his father never allowed him to turn off that song. Watch the video above.
Miranda is currently living in London, filming the sequel to Mary Poppins that co-stars Emily Blunt. “I play the Dick Van Dyke position; it’s not the same character,” he explained. “It’s a sequel; it’s not a remake. There’s new music, but I’m singing and dancing with Emily Blunt all day. It’s awesome.”
Of course, for someone used to stage performances, he’s settling in to life on the set. “It’s really strange. I come from doing musical theatre. You sing a song and people clap at the end,” he said. “So we film our musical number and we’re like killing ourselves…and you hear, ‘Alright, let’s go again.’ It’s a bit of an adjustment, but I hope they clap in two years.”
Miranda also joined DeGeneres for a round of the game “5 Second Rule.”
The 89th Academy Awards air February 26 at 8:30 PM ET on ABC.