Dania Ramirez

J. Dania Ramírez (born November 8, 1979) 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 Callisto in X-Men: The Last Stand. --- Ramírez was born in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. At an early age, she decided to become an actress. As a young child, she would reenact telenovelas 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. Ramírez appeared as an extra in the HBO film Subway Stories (1997), where she met filmmaker Spike Lee 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. In 2012, Ramírez appeared in two films, playing Selena in American Reunion, and a bicycle messenger in Premium Rush. 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. --- Ramirez and Soul Plane director Jessy Terrero dated until 2008. She became engaged in September 2011 to director John Amos Beverly Land (known as Bev Land professionally). The couple married on the beach in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic on Saturday February 16, 2013. Land brings to the marriage son Kai (9/13/01) with ex wife Sharon Leal.