By Eunice Charles
FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
Sara Elena Ramírez Vargas (Spanish: [ˈsaɾa eˈlena raˈmiɾes ˈbaɾɣas]; born August 31, 1975) is an American actor. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved from Mexico to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School.
Ramírez began acting in Broadway productions, making their debut in Paul Simon‘s The Capeman, and later ventured into film and television roles. Ramírez’s breakthrough came with their portrayal of the original Lady of the Lake in the 2005 Broadway musical Spamalot, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. On Grey’s Anatomy, they were Callie Torres, one of the longest-running LGBT characters in US television history, appearing in 11 seasons and 239 episodes. Ramírez’s volunteered addition of the character’s bisexuality marked one of the earliest series regular queer roles on primetime television. After departing from the series, Ramírez came out as bisexual and later non-binary, using they/them pronouns. They later portrayed the bisexual and non-binary roles of Kat Sandoval on Madam Secretary and Che Díaz on And Just Like That….
Ramírez debuted as a voice actor in the 1999 PlayStation video game Um Jammer Lammy, where they voiced its title character Lammy in a spin-off to PaRappa The Rapper. They also voiced Queen Miranda in the Disney Junior animated series Sofia the First (2012–2018). Ramírez released their first single “Silent Night” in 2009. Their self-titled EP debuted at number 37 on the Billboard 200 in 2011.
Ramírez’s extensive campaigns for LGBT rights won the Ally for Equality Award from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in 2015. In addition to the Tony Award, Ramírez has also been the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Satellite Award, among other accolades.
Sara Elena Ramírez was born on August 31, 1975, in Mazatlán, Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico. Both of Ramírez’s parents are Mexican. When Ramírez was eight years old, their parents divorced, and Ramírez went to live with their mother, eventually settling in Tierrasanta, San Diego, California. Ramírez’s interest in music encouraged their mother to send them to San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts, where their singing talent was discovered during an audition. Ramírez started acting in stage productions in high school.
After roles in the plays Into the Woods, Hello, Dolly!, and Annie, Ramírez was recommended to study drama at Juilliard School, from which they graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts. While at Juilliard, Ramírez further worked on their acting skills and trained as a vocalist. Ramírez speaks both Spanish and English fluently.
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Question of the Day
Advice of the Day
Home Hint of the Day
Word of the Day
Puzzle of the Day
Died
- Henry V of England –
- Rocky Marciano (boxer) –
- John Ford (film director) –
- Princess Diana (killed in a car accident in Paris) –
- Lionel Hampton (jazz musician) –
- Tom Seaver (baseball player ) –
Born
- Baron Lisgar (2nd Canadian Governor General 1869 – 1872.) –
- Maria Montessori (doctor and founder of the Montessori method of education) –
- Buddy Hackett (actor & comedian) –
- Van Morrison (singer) –
- Itzhak Perlman (violinist) –
- Richard Gere (actor) –
- Debbie Gibson (singer) –
- Chris Tucker (actor) –
- Sara Ramirez (singer and actress) –
Events
- Honolulu was declared the capital of the Hawaiian Islands –
- A deadly 7.3 (estimated) moment magnitude earthquake occurred in Charleston, South Carolina –
- President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Neutrality Act of 1935, prohibiting the export from the U.S. of arms, ammunitions or implements of war to any belligerent state –
- Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh married –
- National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame chartered, in Bonner Springs, Kansas –
- Comet Howard-Koomur-Michels collided with the Sun –
Weather
- Hurricane Emily lashed the Outer Banks of North Carolina –
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