Dania Ramirez, the award-winning actress, is best known for her role as Nikki in the FOX series “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” set to return for a second season on March 5th. Nominated for a 2023 Imagen Award, she recently starred as Aimee Eden in Netflix's "Sweet Tooth" and has played significant roles in CBS's "Tell Me A Story," ABC's "Once Upon A Time," and other hit shows. Born in the Dominican Republic, her journey to stardom began when she moved to New York City at the age of ten, reuniting with her parents after being raised by her grandmother. Her early career began with a feature film debut in Spike Lee's "The Subway Stories," leading to subsequent collaborations in Lee's projects like "25th Hour" and "She Hate Me." Beyond television, she is a film producer, co-producing and starring in "Lycan" and "Off The Menu." Her film credits include "Mojave," "Premium Rush," "The Suicide Squad: Hell To Pay," and more. From executive producer Robert Downey, Jr., "Sweet Tooth" follows a boy navigating a post-apocalyptic world as a half-human, half-deer hybrid.

What initially attracted you to acting when you were young, and how did you get your start in the industry?
When I think back on my journey, I truly believe this was a path that was carved out for me and all I’ve done is recognize it and followed it with complete conviction. Or, maybe I just manifested it into existence. At an early age, I never thought of acting as a career that was an option for me or anyone for that matter, as I grew up very poor in the middle of the Dominican Republic. Watching TV was a luxury where we found ourselves in a place where the choices of things to watch were limited. This gave me the chance to explore my imagination. I wrote songs and saw the world as this magical place in which to create. When we finally had a TV in the house, my aunts and grandma would love watching telenovelas, so I’d watch scenes and loved reenacting them. However, it was my head that I found most interesting to live in. I loved talking to myself and creating random scenarios to pretend I was in. Most people thought I was a bit crazy but it all worked out in the end.

Can you share more about your childhood in the Dominican Republic and the experience of moving to New York City at such a young age?
I believe my childhood was amazing as I didn’t know any better. I didn’t know what rich meant, so I was happy climbing trees and playing in the dark when there was no electricity, which was most of the time. I experienced a lot of bullying but it was mostly from my sister, and cousins. I think it gave me a thick skin. It got me ready for Hollywood. If I could take it from them, these strangers at auditions couldn’t judge me and I’d care. When I immigrated to New York, it was shocking. It is such a different place. To come from a jungle-like place where you could run to a river or a beach whenever, and people cooked full meals at 12 p.m. for dinner while they had all the time in the world to sit around for hours with nothing to do. So, to arrive at the concrete jungle that is New York City without knowing the language and find people rushing to get to who knows where at all times was different. I learned to fend for myself and figure my way in the estranged place pretty much by myself as my parents had to work all the time so my sisters and I raised each other. I felt the hustle of the city’s streets and was inspired by the thought that if I worked as hard as these people, I would become anything I wanted to become. That was the positive way to deal with the change for me. I have always been innately positive. The night I landed in New York City my 9 years old sister looked down from the window and saw all these lights beneath and I said, “Dani, look! There are stars on the ground!” I thought the lights were stars and I told myself that was the reality of this place. And it didn’t matter that we were living in Washington Heights sharing an apartment with a whole other family-five of us in one room and the three in another.

Blazer Suit by Givenchy
Shoes by Bottega Veneta

You made your feature film debut under the acclaimed director Spike Lee. What was your experience like working with him for one of your first projects and then continuing to work with him?
Working with Spike was what made me understand that this was the career path for me. The first time I worked with him, I was just a featured extra on a short story for HBO. I was told that I should do this for a living, and he gave me my waivers that got me into SAG. And so, I started taking acting classes immediately. He hired me for my raw talent and saw something in me and then I saw something special in myself. I was lucky, blessed or chosen, not too sure, but I ran into him years later at a commercial and he hired me again. He told me I should get to New York and if I did he had a part for me on “The 25th Hour.” It was a small part but a part in a Spike Lee movie, nonetheless. A few months later I met him at the Mondrian and he said he was doing a movie called “She Hate Me.” and I could be good for it, but I had to audition and “bring it.” That was the beginning of my career because it earned me the respect of the industry. And that is the hardest thing to get. No matter how talented you are and how much you do, it is difficult to continue to prove yourself as someone that has “It.” I felt that if I could show Spike, I could show anyone.

Can you share some insights into your character, Nikki, in "Alert: Missing Persons Unit?” How has she evolved from the first season, and what can fans expect in the upcoming season?
You know when I took the meeting for the show, Nikki was a character who was more of an open canvas. I felt like the bones were there and the creative vision I was pitched was one of a strong character that was physically capable, and with a strong sense of self and family. I love doing fight scenes so It was exciting to think of getting to do something like that again. Season one, I explored her emotions in addition to being a badass in the field. It was my way of bringing a mother and nurturing sensibility to the character. This season, we have parted from the physical badass nature of her (although that’s already there and it will always be fun to revisit it). We have also closed the book on the pain of losing her son for good, and now that her adopted daughter has left the nest, I get to explore her ability to practice acceptance. She is stronger than any physical fight she can be in because her strength this season comes from within. We open this season with her dealing with the complex relationships she has with her ex and her new partner, as well as having to manage this team whom she cares for like they were her family, (that includes her work wife Kemi). I am under the watchful eye of our new boss, Inspector Braun, played by the incomparable Gil Bellows. It gives way for us to feel her humorous side as well and allows her to be the boss of the MPU facing all the challenges that come with that. She is still the empathetic and compassionate woman with whom victims. I love playing with all the new actors who guest star and those who complicate things for Nikki from her past, like the Irish mob guy, Charlie, who will make a few appearances throughout the season.

Suit by Nikki Green at Maison Privée PR
Heels by Gianvito Rossi
Bag by Chanel

The show addresses the emotional theme of helping people find their loved ones. How
do you prepare for the emotional aspects of your role, and how do you connect with the
storyline on a personal level?
I love to connect with people as a person outside of my character. That part is easy for me because I love to feel. I have been through a lot and it has always been a gift of mine to make others open up and feel at ease. I bring that part of me to Nikki in those situations and genuinely care for them and their lost loved ones. I know it’s a show but people go through these things, and I connect with that reality to bring those moments to life.

In what ways has working on "Alert: Missing Persons Unit" influenced or shaped your
perspective on real-life missing persons cases, and have you become more involved or
aware of related issues outside of the show?
I pay attention to (Amber) Alerts now. That was never something I did prior to the show. Although this subject isn’t rare in Latin American countries, it is a subject I grew up being aware of. I am glad that this show can bring light and hopefully more people feel inclined to help if they can in those situations.

With your extensive experience in television, film, and producing, how do you navigate the unique demands of each, and what aspects do you find most fulfilling from each venture
The demands of this business are extensive and extremely difficult to navigate and balance. I feel blessed to have made so many mistakes but have learned from them. I believe I am now someone who knows what she is doing and what keeps me sane and balanced is having my family with me while filming away from home. They ground me and inspire me to live life to the fullest. Having my family with me always grounds me and inspires me to continue to live life to the fullest.

Dress by Mejeanne Couture at Maison Privée PR

Are there any upcoming projects you're particularly excited about or that you'd like to share with your fans?
As an actress, producer, writer, artist and songwriter now, I know that I am as good as my life experiences, so I try to experience as much as I can away from the camera so I have more stories to tell. I am in talks with some producers in my country to develop a project in the Dominican Republic. I am working on a music project with my dear friend Damon Elliott.

Social Media.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniajramirez/

CREW CREDITS:
PhotoBook Editor-In-Chief: Alison Hernon
PhotoBook Creative Director: Mike Ruiz
Photographer: Lauren Desberg
Talent: Dania Ramirez
Fashion Stylist: Estelle Aporongao at Exclusive Artists
Hair: Ricardo Rojas
Makeup: Michal Cohen
Tearsheets by Daniel López, Art Director, PhotoBook Magazine
Interview by Ethan Engh, Contributor, PhotoBook Magazine