Marisa Ramirez

Marisa Maguire Ramirez is an American actress and model best known for her television work, particularly her roles on daytime soap operas and her portrayal of NYPD Detective Maria Baez on the drama series Blue Bloods and its spin-off series Boston Blue.

Born on September 15, 1977, Ramirez attended All Saints Catholic School and later Ramona Convent Secondary School, an all-girls school in Alhambra, California. Following her parents' divorce when she was four years old, she grew up primarily with her mother. Her heritage includes Mexican, American Indian, and Irish background, with ties to Arizona on her father's side. Her career began at age 12 after being noticed by a major Los Angeles modeling agency, leading to an international modeling career before she transitioned into hosting and acting.

After making guest appearances on daytime series such as Days of Our Lives and The Bold and the Beautiful, Ramirez earned a major breakthrough in July 2000 when she was cast as supermodel Gia Campbell on General Hospital. She remained on the show until December 2002, when she departed to star in the short-lived ABC drama Miracles. During her tenure on General Hospital, her performance earned her nominations for ALMA and NAACP Awards.

In April 2006, Ramirez joined the cast of The Young and the Restless as Carmen Mesta, a public relations consultant for Jabot Cosmetics. Following her character's death five months later, she briefly returned to the series in early 2007 playing Carmen's cousin, Ines Vargas. Shortly afterward, she traveled to Colombia to film the Fox summer series Mental alongside Chris Vance and Annabella Sciorra.

Ramirez continued to expand her television career with starring roles across multiple prime-time series. In 2011, she appeared as Melitta in Starz's Spartacus: Gods of the Arena, filmed in New Zealand. That same year, she starred as Detective Lina Flores on the Lifetime series Against the Wall. She also held a recurring role as Officer Riley Dunn on the drama series Body of Proof.

In 2013, Ramirez began portraying NYPD Detective Maria Baez on Blue Bloods. Initially introduced as a guest star in the third season, she was promoted to a series regular from the fourth season through the 14th season, ending in 2024. She subsequently took on a recurring role as the same character in the spin-off series Boston Blue.