Hamilton has been nothing short of a phenomenon on Broadway, but while the show itself will continue on indefinitely, many of the original cast members are departing the play to start their post-Hamilton lives. Renée Elise Goldsberry, who brought Angelica Schuyler to life on the stage, is the latest cast member to bid farewell to Hamilton. What Goldsberry is doing after Hamilton will certainly keep fans captivated, but first, she had to say goodbye to the show. After her last performance over the weekend, Goldsberry took to Instagram to share a touching tribute to Hamilton fans and to express gratitude for her life-changing role.
The post was a beautiful way for the star to say thank you to all the Hamilton fans who have supported the show. She filmed the roar of the crowd for the last time, and the result was a moving video the actor is sure to treasure forever. "Thank u for always making us feel loved and appreciated. Thank you for shooting us up to the stars..." Goldsberry wrote. It was an eloquent farewell from an eloquent star.
Now the question is, what is next for Goldsberry? The answer to that question is easy — big things. Goldsberry has been a rising star on stage and screen for years. Prior to Hamilton, she had lead roles in The Lion King, The Color Purple, and Rent. Outside of Broadway, she appeared in shows like The Good Wife, Ally McBeal, and The Following. Most recently, she brought her talents to one episode of Netflix's sleeper hit The Get Down. Goldsberry has always been a busy performer, and now that she is moving on from Angelica, she is only going to get busier.
Goldsberry has three very different post-Hamilton roles coming up, all of which are sure to showcase a different aspect of her talents. First up she will return to the world of The Lion King with a guest role on Disney Jr.'s The Lion Guard, then she will get to work on new Netflix series Altered Carbon, and take on the lead role in the HBO film The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , co-starring Oprah Winfrey. Each role could not be more different than the last, but they all feel perfect for Goldsberry.
The next generation of Hamilton fans will be introduced to Goldsberry as Dhahabu the Golden Zebra in an upcoming episode of The Lion's Guard. The voice role is sure to be a full circle moment for the star who once played Nala on Broadway. I'm also willing to bet Goldsberry's presence will make lots of parents happy to tune into their kid's favorite cartoon for once. Meanwhile, the actor is also busy filming the new Netflix series Altered Carbon . The 10 episode sci-fi show is tackling deep concepts like what the ramifications of transferring souls to different bodies could mean for human kind. Goldsberry is set to play — wait for it — Quellcrist Falconer. Is that not the best name ever? Quellcrist is a rebel leader and master strategist who will definitely be your favorite character.
The most exciting of Goldsberry's upcoming roles, though, has to be the role of Henrietta Lacks. Based on the true story of Lacks, a woman whose cells were used to create the first immortal cell line without her knowledge or the knowledge of her family, the HBO film will follow a woman who made an invaluable contribution to science without even knowing it; Lacks' cells led to major medical breakthroughs and changed the course of history. Winfrey is playing Lacks' daughter who traces her mother's contributions to science in hopes of better understanding the mother she lost when she was so young. There is no word yet on when the TV movie will premiere on HBO, but it should already be on your must watch list.
While it is sad to see Goldsberry say goodbye to Hamilton, her future is full of more strong women she is sure to bring to life with the same talent and care she brought to the role of Angelica. This is just the beginning for the amazing Goldsberry.
