Marisa Ramirez

Marisa Maguire Ramirez (born September 15, 1977) is an American actress, known for her work on television soap operas and for her role on the police procedural television drama series Blue Bloods and its spin-off Boston Blue as Detective Maria Baez.

Early life Ramirez graduated from All Saints Catholic School and then attended an all-girls school in Alhambra, California at Ramona Convent Secondary School. She grew up with her mother after her parents' divorce. She has described her background as Mexican, American Indian, and Irish. As a teenager, she attended a New Kids on the Block concert featuring her future Blue Bloods co-star and regular scene partner Donnie Wahlberg. Her career began at age 12 when she was brought to the attention of a major L.A. modeling agency, which led to an international modeling career. After modeling she transitioned into hosting and acting.

Career Ramirez is known to TV audiences from starring roles on four prime time and two notable daytime series. From 2013 to 2024, she played NYPD Detective Maria Baez in Blue Bloods and recurred as Officer Riley Dunn in Body of Proof. She started on Blue Bloods as a guest star in the third season before becoming a regular character from the fourth season to the 14th season. She currently has a recurring role as the same character on the Blue Bloods spin-off, Boston Blue.

In 2011, she was a series regular on Lifetime's Against the Wall, playing Detective Lina Flores. Despite respectable ratings, the series was not renewed for a second season. Immediately prior to landing that role, Ramirez starred as Melitta on Starz's Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, which was filmed in New Zealand.

After several guest appearances on Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, Ramirez finally got her big break in July 2000, when she was cast in the contract role of supermodel Gia Campbell on General Hospital. She left this role in December 2002 to star in the short-lived ABC drama, Miracles. During her time on GH, she was nominated for ALMA and NAACP Awards.

In she joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Jabot Cosmetics public relations consultant Carmen Mesta for five months. The character of Carmen was killed off. Ramirez briefly returned to the show in early 2007 as Carmen's cousin, Ines Vargas.

Shortly after, she moved to Colombia to film the Fox summer series Mental, opposite Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra.

Personal life In interviews given soon after she joined General Hospital, she said her parents divorced when she was four and remarried when she was 19, soon after which her younger brother was born. Ramirez married Nathan Lavezoli on September 22, 2002, and divorced him in 2011. On January 22, 2016, Ramirez announced she was expecting a baby due in May. In May 2016, she gave birth to a daughter, whose father is a former crew member of Blue Bloods.

She told a Mexican news outlet that she wished she knew more about her Mexican-American heritage, and that on her father's side she also had Native-American ancestry and ties to Arizona.

Filmography

Film Year Title Role Notes 2005 All Souls Day Alicia 2007 Itty Bitty Titty Committee Ellen 2009 Columbia Ave. Charlie Short 2010 The Funeral Planner Sierra D'Asanti Video Contract Sandra Short 2013 Prosecuting Casey Anthony Rita Ashton TV movie 2014 The Extendables Maria

Television Year Title Role Notes 1998 USA High Liza Episode: "Excess's Ex" 1999 Roswell Vanessa Episode: "Leaving Normal" 2000 Senseless Acts of Video Herself/Host Main host 2000–2002 General Hospital Gia Campbell Main role2003 CSI: Miami Susanna Medesto Episode: "Hurricane Anthony" Miracles Evelyn Santos Main role2004 Century City Christina Dobbs Episode: "Only You" Dr. Vegas Eva Leon Episode: "Pilot" 2006 Without a Trace Sara Episode: "Win Today" 2006–2007 Carmen Mesta/Ines VargasMain role 2007 Shark Monique Episode: "Eye of the Beholder" 2008 Supernatural Tammi Episode: "Malleus Maleficarum"2009 Mental Dr. Chloe Artis Main role Castle Angelica Fink Episode: "The Fifth Bullet"2010 Francesca Episode: "Mother of the Groom" CSI: NY Tania Santos Episode: "The Formula" Miami Medical Katherine Episode: "Golden Hour" Past Life Rosa Sanchez Episode: "Gone Daddy Gone" Rizzoli & Isles Marisa Rodriguez Episode: "See One, Do One, Teach One"2011 Spartacus: Gods of the Arena Melitta Main role Bones Paula Ashwaldt Episode: "The Killer in the Crosshairs" Against the Wall Lina Flores Main role 2012 Sharon Vasquez Episode: "War of the Roses"2013 Celebrity Ghost Stories Herself Episode: "Marisa Ramirez/Jimmie Walker/Lisa Vidal/Kate Vernon" Body of Proof Officer Riley Dunn Recurring role 2013–2024 Blue BloodsDet. Maria Baez Recurring role; Season 3, Main role; Seasons 4-142025-Boston BlueRecurring role

Music Videos Year Song Artist 1996 "Tease Me" 3T 1997 "As Long as You Love Me" Backstreet Boys 1998 "Wherever You Go" Voices of Theory 1999 "Give It To You" Jordan Knight 2022 "Bring Back The Time" New Kids on the Block featuring Salt-N-Pepa, Rick Astley & En Vogue