Dania Ramirez

Dania Ramirez (born November 8, 1979 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a versatile Dominican actress whose career spans over two decades of television, film, and music‑video appearances. From a young age she mimicked telenovela scenes for her family, and at fifteen a modeling scout discovered her while she worked in a convenience store, landing her first on‑screen role in a soda commercial. Determined to hone her craft, she studied at the Actor’s Workshop in New York City under Flo Greenberg before enrolling at Montclair State University at sixteen, where she excelled in volleyball and graduated in 2000, then moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting full‑time. Ramirez’s early breakout came with a minor part in the HBO film "Subway Stories" (1997) and a memorable guest turn as Caridad on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", but her first major television success arrived as Maya Herrera on NBC’s cult series Heroes, a role that showcased her ability to convey both strength and vulnerability. She further cemented her TV credentials with recurring characters such as Blanca Selgado on "The Sopranos" and Alex on HBO’s "Entourage", while her film résumé includes a performance as Callisto in the blockbuster "X‑Men: The Last Stand" (2006) and a supporting turn in Spike Lee’s "She Hate Me" (2004). From 2013 to 2016 she starred as Rosie Falta in Lifetime’s hit "Devious Maids", and in 2017 she joined the final season of ABC’s "Once Upon a Time" as the modern‑day Cinderella, a role that highlighted her flair for fantasy storytelling. Most recently, Ramirez leads the Fox crime drama "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" (2023) as Captain Nikki Batista, proving her continued relevance in contemporary television. Off‑screen, she married director Bev Land in 2013, became step‑mother to his son Kai Miles, and welcomed fraternal twins later that year, balancing a thriving career with a growing family.