Heroes

Background:

Dominican model and actress Dania Ramirez is popular to television viewers for playing the recurring role of Blanca Selgado on the HBO mob drama “The Sopranos” (2006-2007) and as Maya Herrera on the NBC smash-hit sci-fi series “Heroes” (2007-2008), from which she received an ALMA nomination. On playing Maya, she stated, “I'm originally from the Dominican Republic, and to have the opportunity to play a Dominican character and speak my native language, it's an exhilarating experience.”

On the big screen front, the comely performer who began her career as a model on print and TV commercials is probably best known as Callisto on the successful comic book film “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006). Additionally, she can be seen in Spike Lee's “5th Hour” (2002) and “She Hate Me” (2004), “Fat Albert” (2004), “Quarantine” (2008), “The Fifth Commandment” (2008) and “Brooklyn to Manhattan” (2008).

“I don't want to know who he's been with or how many (women). I do want to know that my man is not a virgin, because I want to know that he knows what he's doing. But I don't need to know how he's learned it.” Dania Ramirez

Ramirez has been married to Jessy Terrero, director of music videos and films and actor, since 2007.

Volleyball

Childhood and Family:

“I'm the middle. There are all girls in my family. I was like the boy, with sports.” Dania Ramirez

Dania Ramirez was born on November 30, 1980, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Her family relocated to New York City when she was 10 years old. Dania began taking modeling jobs five years later after a talent scout discovered the attractive teen while working in a local convenience store. She eventually became interested in acting, and studied under Flo Greeberg at the Actor's Workshop in New York City.

In 1999, Dania graduated from Montclair State University in New Jersey with a degree in Communications. At Montclair, she made a name for herself as one of the school's top five volleyball players.

Dania later moved to Los Angeles to become a professional actress.

The Last Stand

Career:

Spotted by a modeling scout while at work, 15-year-old Dania Ramirez appeared in print and television commercials before deciding to seriously pursue her childhood dreams to become an actress. In 1998, she appeared as Jay-Z's girl in the Brooklyn-born rapper's music video of the song “Streets is Watching,” but it was not until 2002 that the former athlete got her real acting job. Ramirez was cast in the small role of Daphne in Spike Lee's adaptation of “5th Hour,” which starred Edward Norton and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Ramirez and Lee first met in 1997 when she was an extra in the HBO film “Subway Stories.”

The next year, Ramirez, who used to re-create Spanish soap operas for her family as a child, made her TV series debut with a three-episodic appearance on the Fox popular “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” as Caridad, and later that same year, on September 25, she made a guest appearance as Lucy on the WB short-lived sitcom, “Run of the House.” She went on to have a guest spot in the soon-canceled crime series “10-8: Officers on Duty” (2004), starring Scott William Winters and Michael Dotson.

Back to movie, the Santo Domingo native took on the starring role of Laurie, the beautiful prom queen, on the homosexual-themed short “Little Black Boot” (2004), for director Colette Burson, and a leading role opposite Pharrell Williams on the Brin Hill-helmed 18-minute short “The Ecology of Love” (2004). She also appeared as Mia in Larry Golin's “Cross Bronx,” which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 29, 2004 and won Tribeca's Best High Definition Technology Award. Released theatrically in the December of 2007, the film also picked up a Best Dramatic Film - Feature Length award at the 2005 Ashland Independent Film.

Ramirez reunited with filmmaker Spike Lee for the 2004 comedy/drama “She Hate Me,” starring Anthony Mackie as a Harvard-educated biotech executive named John Henry “Jack” Armstrong. There, she played the small role of Alex Guerrero. She was cast as the love interest, Lauri, on the live-action version of “Fat Albert” (2004), starring Kenan Thompson in the titular role, and supported Katherine Heigl and Alexandra Breckenridge for the made-for-TV film “Romy and Michele: In the Beginning” (2005).

Ramirez's big breakthrough arrived in two years later when director Brett Ratner tapped her to portray Callisto on the third installment “X-Men: The Last Stand” (2006), in which she acted opposite such luminaries as Hugh Jackman, Halle Berry, Ian McKellen and Anna Paquin. She confirmed her career was on the rise when the gifted actress began a recurring role on the David Chase critically acclaimed drama series “The Sopranos.” She portrayed Blanca Selgado, the love interest of AJ Soprano, in five episodes during the sixth and seventh season.

After “The Sopranos,” Ramirez played Angela Hardwick on the TV series pilot “Fort Pit” (2007), but it was her regular role on the NBC science-fiction/drama series “Heroes” that put her back on the spotlight. As the bathetic and enigmatically deadly Maya Herrera, she joined the hit show in fall of 2007 and was nominated for an ALMA in the category of Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Television Series in 2008.

“Honestly, it's the most amazing feeling in the world to be able to work on something that you're really proud of. I'm working with amazing writers and they've created a character for me who's so complex and the evolution of my character and the arc of where I'm going is interesting.” Dania Ramirez (On working on “Heroes”)

Ramirez resumed her film career by appearing in the Franc. Reyes drama “Illegal Tender” (2007) and supporting Jennifer Carpenter and Jay Hernandez in the horror flick “Quarantine” (2008). She could also be seen in Brin Hill's “Ball Don't Lie” (2008), the action flick “The Fifth Commandment” (2008), opposite Rick Yune, Keith David and Bokeem Woodbine, and the thriller “Brooklyn to Manhattan” (2008), directed by husband Jessy Terrero.

Awards:
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