Dania Ramirez
Encyclopedia
Dania Ramirez is a Dominican
-American TV and film actress.
She is most recently known for playing Alex in Entourage
, Maya Herrera
in Heroes
and Blanca during the last season of The Sopranos
. She also played antagonist Callisto
in X-Men: The Last Stand
.
, Dominican Republic
. At an early age, she decided to become an actress. As a young child, she would reenact Spanish soap operas for her family. She was discovered by a modeling scout while working in a Los Angeles convenience store at the age of 15, and was cast in a small part in a soda commercial. Later, she decided to pursue acting seriously and studied at the Actor's Workshop in New York City under Flo Greenberg.
She graduated from Montclair State University
in 1999, where her volleyball talents led her to be placed among the top five in career digs, digs/game, solo blocks and total blocks.
She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.
's Streets is Watching
(1998), LL Cool J's
"Hush
" (2005; directed by her fiancè, Jessy Terrero
), Santana
's "Into the Night
" (2007), as well as "Cry Baby Cry" (a Santana and Sean Paul collaboration). Ramirez has also appeared in Wisin & Yandel
's music video "Dime Que Te Paso", in which she played the main character, the wife and mother of a military man at war in Iraq
who finds out her husband died at war. She was also featured in Hip-Hop group Sporty Thievz's video "Cheapskate" back in 1998.
who later cast her in his film, She Hate Me
(2004). She played older sister "Laurie" in the movie Fat Albert
(2004). She was Callisto
, one of The Omegas, in the comic book
film X-Men: The Last Stand
(2006).
She went on to star in The 5th Commandment in 2008, a film written by and starring Rick Yune
. Ramirez will play a bicycle messenger
in the upcoming film Premium Rush
, directed by David Koepp
. Ramierz was cast as Trisha in American Reunion
, scheduled to be released in 2012.
.
Ramirez portrayed the character of Maya
on the TV series Heroes
.
She was also the guest judge of hit reality TV show America's Next Top Model
.
She also guest starred as Alex, an employee of Turtle's and begins a relationship with Turtle in season 7 on the TV series Entourage
.
launched the company's "Clean Makeup for Clean Water Campaign".
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
-American TV and film actress.
She is most recently known for playing Alex in Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
, Maya Herrera
Maya Herrera
Maya Herrera is a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Dania Ramirez. Her first on-screen appearance was in the episode "Four Months Later...", though the character was featured earlier in the graphic novel "Maya y Alejandro"....
in Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
and Blanca during the last season of The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
. She also played antagonist Callisto
Callisto (comics)
Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 ....
in X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
.
Early life
Ramirez was born in Santo DomingoSanto Domingo
Santo Domingo, known officially as Santo Domingo de Guzmán, is the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. Its metropolitan population was 2,084,852 in 2003, and estimated at 3,294,385 in 2010. The city is located on the Caribbean Sea, at the mouth of the Ozama River...
, Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. At an early age, she decided to become an actress. As a young child, she would reenact Spanish soap operas for her family. She was discovered by a modeling scout while working in a Los Angeles convenience store at the age of 15, and was cast in a small part in a soda commercial. Later, she decided to pursue acting seriously and studied at the Actor's Workshop in New York City under Flo Greenberg.
She graduated from Montclair State University
Montclair State University
Montclair State University is a public research university located in the Upper Montclair section of Montclair, the Great Notch area of Little Falls, and Clifton, New Jersey. As of October 2009, there were 18,171 total enrolled students: 14,139 undergraduate students and 4,032 graduate students...
in 1999, where her volleyball talents led her to be placed among the top five in career digs, digs/game, solo blocks and total blocks.
She then moved to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career.
Music videos
Ramirez has appeared in several music videos, including Jay-ZJay-Z
Shawn Corey Carter , better known by his stage name Jay-Z, is an American rapper, record producer, entrepreneur, and occasional actor. He is one of the most financially successful hip hop artists and entrepreneurs in America, having a net worth of over $450 million as of 2010...
's Streets is Watching
Streets Is Watching (film)
Streets Is Watching is a musical film in which Jay-Z compiles many of his unreleased music videos into a continuous film. The film takes place in Jay-Z's old neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York. The film uses music from Jay-Z's albums Streets Is Watching, Reasonable Doubt, and In My Lifetime, Vol. 1...
(1998), LL Cool J's
LL Cool J
James Todd Smith , better known as LL Cool J , is an American rapper, entrepreneur, and actor...
"Hush
Hush (LL Cool J song)
"Hush" was the second single from LL Cool J's eleventh album, The DEFinition. It was released on February 15, 2005 for Def Jam Recordings, produced by Timbaland, LL Cool J and Eric "NY Nicks, featuring vocals by 7 Aurelius, and was the follow-up to "Headsprung"...
" (2005; directed by her fiancè, Jessy Terrero
Jessy Terrero
Jessy Terrero is a Dominican film and music video director.-Life and career:Terrero began his filmmaking career working as an intern on the set of Darnell Martin's I Like It Like That. His acting credits include appearances in Law & Order, The Sopranos and In Search of a Dream...
), Santana
Carlos Santana
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is a Mexican rock guitarist. Santana became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion...
's "Into the Night
Into the Night (Santana song)
"Into the Night" is the first single from Santana's 2007 compilation album, Ultimate Santana. The track features Chad Kroeger from Nickelback, with whom he previously worked for "Why Don't You & I" from his album Shaman. It has received a considerable amount of airplay on VH1. Dania Ramirez of...
" (2007), as well as "Cry Baby Cry" (a Santana and Sean Paul collaboration). Ramirez has also appeared in Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel
Wisin & Yandel are a Puerto Rican reggaeton Duo, consisting of Juan Luis Morera Luna and Llandel Veguilla Malavé Salazar . They started their career in 1998 and have been together since, winning several awards during that time....
's music video "Dime Que Te Paso", in which she played the main character, the wife and mother of a military man at war in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
who finds out her husband died at war. She was also featured in Hip-Hop group Sporty Thievz's video "Cheapskate" back in 1998.
Films
Ramirez appeared as an extra in the HBO film Subway Stories (1997), where she met filmmaker Spike LeeSpike Lee
Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....
who later cast her in his film, She Hate Me
She Hate Me
She Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro....
(2004). She played older sister "Laurie" in the movie Fat Albert
Fat Albert (film)
Fat Albert is a 2004 live-action/animated film based on the Filmation animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The movie was produced by Davis Entertainment for 20th Century Fox, and stars Kenan Thompson as the title character....
(2004). She was Callisto
Callisto (comics)
Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 ....
, one of The Omegas, in the comic book
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
film X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand
X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,...
(2006).
She went on to star in The 5th Commandment in 2008, a film written by and starring Rick Yune
Rick Yune
Richard "Rick" Yune is a Korean American actor, screenwriter, producer, and martial artist.Yune, a Korean American, was born in Washington D.C. He is the older brother of actor Karl Yune...
. Ramirez will play a bicycle messenger
Bicycle messenger
Bicycle messengers are people who work for courier companies carrying and delivering items by bicycle. Bicycle messengers are most often found in the central business districts of metropolitan areas...
in the upcoming film Premium Rush
Premium Rush
Premium Rush is an upcoming 2012 American action thriller film directed by David Koepp and written by Koepp and John Kamps. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez and Jamie Chung...
, directed by David Koepp
David Koepp
-Career:As a writer, Koepp has worked on such blockbuster Hollywood films as Jurassic Park, Mission Impossible, and Spider-Man. Koepp had a cameo as the "Unlucky Bastard" in The Lost World: Jurassic Park, in which he was serving as Writer and Second Unit Director.His work as a director has not had...
. Ramierz was cast as Trisha in American Reunion
American Reunion
For the fourth installment in the American Pie series, see American Pie Presents: Band CampAmerican Reunion is an upcoming comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg...
, scheduled to be released in 2012.
Television
Ramirez appeared as the minor character Caridad in the final episodes of the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and as Blanca Selgado, a recurring role during the sixth season of The SopranosThe Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
.
Ramirez portrayed the character of Maya
Maya Herrera
Maya Herrera is a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Dania Ramirez. Her first on-screen appearance was in the episode "Four Months Later...", though the character was featured earlier in the graphic novel "Maya y Alejandro"....
on the TV series Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
.
She was also the guest judge of hit reality TV show America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
.
She also guest starred as Alex, an employee of Turtle's and begins a relationship with Turtle in season 7 on the TV series Entourage
Entourage (TV series)
Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons...
.
Other media
Ramirez has appeared in several magazine spreads. She has also been listed in several of the world's top publications' "Sexiest Ladies of the Year" lists. She has recently been added to the roster of models for CoverGirl Cosmetics. In March 2010, Ramirez and Queen LatifahQueen Latifah
Dana Elaine Owens , better known by her stage name Queen Latifah, is an American singer, rapper, and actress. Her work in music, film and television has earned her a Golden Globe award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award, six additional Grammy nominations, an Emmy...
launched the company's "Clean Makeup for Clean Water Campaign".
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Subway Series Subway Series The Subway Series is a series of Major League Baseball games played between teams based in New York City. The term's historic usage has been in reference to World Series games played between New York teams... |
Unknown role | Extra |
| 2002 | 25th Hour 25th Hour 25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and is based on the novel The 25th Hour written by David Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox... |
Daphne | |
| 2004 | Little Black Boot | Laurie Rodriguez | |
| 2004 | Alila | ||
| 2004 | Cross Bronx | Mia | |
| 2004 | She Hate Me She Hate Me She Hate Me is a 2004 independent comedy-drama film directed by Spike Lee and starring Anthony Mackie, Kerry Washington, Ellen Barkin, Monica Bellucci, Brian Dennehy, Woody Harrelson, Bai Ling and John Turturro.... |
Alex Guerrero | |
| 2004 | Fat Albert Fat Albert (film) Fat Albert is a 2004 live-action/animated film based on the Filmation animated series Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids. The movie was produced by Davis Entertainment for 20th Century Fox, and stars Kenan Thompson as the title character.... |
Lauri | |
| 2005 | Romy and Michelle: In the Beginning | Elena | TV movie |
| 2006 | X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand X-Men: The Last Stand is a 2006 superhero film and the third in the X-Men series. It was directed by Brett Ratner and stars an ensemble cast including Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Famke Janssen, Kelsey Grammer, Anna Paquin, Shawn Ashmore, Aaron Stanford, Vinnie Jones,... |
Callisto Callisto (comics) Callisto is a Marvel Comics fictional character, associated with the X-Men. Created by writer Chris Claremont and artist Paul Smith, she first appeared in Uncanny X-Men #169 .... |
|
| 2007 | Fort Pit | Angela Hardwick | TV movie |
| 2007 | Illegal Tender Illegal Tender (film) Illegal Tender is a movie written and directed by Franc. Reyes and produced by Academy Award nominee John Singleton. It stars Rick Gonzalez, Wanda De Jesus and Dania Ramirez, the movie also marks the film debut of Reggaeton music star Tego Calderón.... |
Ana | |
| 2008 | Ball Don't Lie Ball Don't Lie Ball Don't Lie is a feature film directed by Brin Hill. It is an adaptation of the novel of the same name, written by Matt de la Peña. It stars AND1 Mixtape team member Grayson Boucher, a.k.a. The Professor... |
Carmen | |
| 2008 | Angel | ||
| 2008 | Quarantine | Sadie | |
| 2009 | Solving Charlie | Veronica King | TV movie |
| 2010 | Brooklyn to Manhattan | Jessica | |
| 2012 | Premium Rush Premium Rush Premium Rush is an upcoming 2012 American action thriller film directed by David Koepp and written by Koepp and John Kamps. The film stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Dania Ramirez and Jamie Chung... |
Vanessa | |
| 2012 | American Reunion American Reunion For the fourth installment in the American Pie series, see American Pie Presents: Band CampAmerican Reunion is an upcoming comedy film written and directed by Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg... |
Trisha | Post-Production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Buffy the Vampire Slayer | Caridad | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | Run of the House Run of the House Run of the House is a sitcom on The WB, that aired between September 2003 and May 2004. 19 episodes were produced but only 16 were aired before the show was cancelled. The show was about a family of four siblings, whose parents moved from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to Arizona, because the weather... |
Lucy | 1 episode |
| 2004 | 10-8: Officers on Duty | Inez | 1 episode |
| 2005 | Dr. Phil Dr. Phil (TV series) Dr. Phil is a reality/talk television show hosted by Phil McGraw. After McGraw's success with his segments on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Phil debuted on September 16, 2002... |
Herself/Guest | 1 episode |
| 2006–2007 | Blanca Selgado | 5 episodes | |
| 2007–2008 | Heroes Heroes (TV series) Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the... |
Maya Herrera Maya Herrera Maya Herrera is a fictional character in the NBC drama Heroes, portrayed by Dania Ramirez. Her first on-screen appearance was in the episode "Four Months Later...", though the character was featured earlier in the graphic novel "Maya y Alejandro".... |
Main cast, Seasons 2 and 3: 15 episodes |
| 2010 | Entourage Entourage (TV series) Entourage is an American comedy-drama television series that premiered on HBO on July 18, 2004 and concluded on September 11, 2011, after eight seasons... |
Alex | Season 7, episodes 1-10: 10 episodes |
Awards
| Year | Award | Award category | Result | Title of work |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | ALMA Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Television Series | Heroes Heroes (TV series) Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the... |
|