Dania Ramirez was born in the Dominican Republic, where she caught the acting bug at a young age. Working in a convenience store in New York City, at the age of 15, Dania Ramirez was discovered by a modeling agency, and was offered a part in a small local commercial. From there, she started to pursue acting more seriously, and headed to the West Coast. After relocating to Los Angeles, she earned minor roles in She Hate Me and X-Men: The Last Stand. She went on to land a part in the TV show Heroes.