How Lin-Manuel Miranda's non-stop work ethic from a young age made 'Hamilton' one of the most successful musicals of all time

• Lin-Manuel Miranda rose to fame for his Broadway musical, "Hamilton."
• Miranda worked on "Hamilton" for years, and it became one of the biggest musicals of all time.
• Miranda's unconventional blend of musical theater and hip hop, as well as a passion for diverse representation in the entertainment industry, has transformed musical theater as we know it. 
• The success of "Hamilton" has led to a promising career writing music for movies like "Moana" and "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Lin-Manuel Miranda seemingly came out of nowhere. After creating "Hamilton" he became a household name, and his career has skyrocketed in the years since as he's continued to keep busy.

"Hamilton," which he wrote and starred in, made its Off-Broadway debut in 2015, and it quickly became one of the most popular and most profitable musicals of all time. It ranks among classics like "The Phantom of the Opera," "The Lion King," and "Wicked."

At the end of 2017, and with a mostly new cast, "Hamilton" is still one of the most popular shows on Broadway. Tickets are still hundreds of dollars (or thousands on resale websites), and have to be purchased months in advance. 

But "Hamilton" wasn't Miranda's first big hit. He also wrote and starred in "In the Heights," a musical combining hip hop and salsa that he started to work on while he was in college.

Miranda' relentless, non-stop work ethic - which is reflective of founding father Alexander Hamilton, whom Miranda admires so much he wrote an entire musical about him - has gotten him far in the entertainment industry, even though people he trusted told him to give up on "Hamilton" while he was working on it. 

But Miranda kept perfecting his passion project, and it paid off - literally. "Hamilton" consistently sells out all 1,321 seats at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City and its touring productions across the country and in London.

At 37, Miranda has won a Pulitzer Prize, an Emmy, three Tonys, and two Grammys. He's also been nominated for an Oscar. An Oscar win would award Miranda the coveted EGOT: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony.

In addition to his passion for hip hop-infused musicals that bring diversity to the often white-dominated entertainment industry, Miranda expertly uses his platform and fame for the greater good. In 2017, Miranda was (and continues to be) an outspoken advocate for hurricane relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, which brought devastation to Puerto Rico in September. 

Here, we've profiled the rise of Miranda's booming career, to see how he did it and how he continues to aim higher every day: