Though not a part of the original American Pie trilogy, actress Dania Ramirez managed to find her way into the fourth installment of the series, American Reunion. Playing Selena, a former classmate of Jim’s and Michelle’s friend from band camp, Ramirez proved to be a welcome and exciting addition to an already very entertaining and loveable cast.
To celebrate the release of the film on Blu-Ray and DVD (it hit store shelves this week), we sat down with Ramirez to discuss not only American Reunion, but some of her future projects as well.
Check it out below.
We Got This Covered: How did you get involved in American Reunion, you weren’t part of the original cast so how did you first come on board?
Dania Ramirez: When I was filming Premium Rush in NYC I flew to LA to have a few general meetings. I sat down with Peter Cramer at Universal Studios and spoke about my life and career and being that I’m such a goof, we spoke about how I really wanted to do a comedy next. I think it is always important to showcase your talent in different ways.
A few months after that meeting I got a call from my agent, Carter Cohn, saying I had the offer to be a part of American Reunion. I was so excited too, being that I was a huge fan of the franchise! I remember cracking up when I went to see the first American Pie back in 1999. It was sweet and funny and I was going to come in and join their party! It was very exciting for me.
WGTC: Now, most of the cast already knew each other and were already friends when you came on board, was it weird for you to come into that, did you feel like a bit of an outsider since you weren’t part of the original cast?
DR: You know, I’m kind of used to be being the new kid by now. Being a foreigner, I got a taste of that when I moved to the states. Then in my career, I experienced it going into X-Men: The Last Stand, Sopranos, Entourage… I think if you have a good attitude and go in with no pressure or expectations, just for a chance to play with all these talented people and do your thing, then it’s always a blast! This, being a comedy was especially fun because the cast was always up for games in between takes and joking around, so I felt very welcomed and very much a part of the family.
WGTC: The film looks like it was a ton of fun to shoot, how was the atmosphere on set, any stories to share or any memorable moments?
DR: Like I said before, it was a blast. We filmed during the summer time in Atlanta so during our off days we got to hang out. Mena and I actually even did a parody video on a weekend off. The whole experience was one of a kind.
WGTC:Â What was your favorite scene to film and why?
DR: I loved filming the scenes at the lake because everyone was on set for that, including a bunch of young actors. It really felt like all the old characters I remembered came to life there. Also Finch and Selena (my character) finally got together there. The location was also to die for!
WGTC: Any word on if there’s going to be another American Pie film and if there is, will you be returning?
DR: I have heard a rumor that there will be but I’m not sure if it’s legit. I’d love to join them though, if they invite me in one more time of course!
WGTC: Can you tell us a bit about what to expect from your upcoming film Premium Rush?
DR: You can expect a realistic look at the underground world of fixie bike messengers, super cool bike stunts, the great silent character that is NYC, fast pace chases with an a perfect villian (Michael Shannon), a love triangle nightmare for Willie ( Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and  of course, me!
The shots are very cool too, especially “bike vision.” David Koepp was brilliant as a director and the cast was superb. We kept it all real as well, not CGI on the stunts, which were performed by professional bikers, or in some cases, the actors themselves.
WGTC:Â What about your new show, Devious Maids?
DR: I’m really excited to start filming Devious Maids. It’s a loose adaptation of the Mexican Telenovela “Son Las AlegrÃas del Hogarl” where a murder has happened and the maids (played by Roselyn Sanchez, Judy Reyes, Edy Ganem, Ana Ortiz and myself) are all either trying to hide or protect a secret about it. The show has that Marc Cherry stamp of drama, gossip and humor all rolled into one.
We are all so different and all have our own aspirations and struggles to get through. I’m excited to have a show on the air where there are five
leading roles for Latino/Hispanic women of different backgrounds. I play Rosie Falta, an immigrant woman with a lot of inner strength. She is working her job in the hopes of bringing her son, who she had to leave back in Mexico, into America. She works for a couple in the Hollywood circle, a soap opera actor (Grant Show) and an up and coming actress (Marianna Klaveno), who just had a baby and somehow can’t deal with taking care of him (makes for an interesting/humorous threesome).
I really wanted to play Rosie because I related to her story so deeply being that my parents left me at 6 months old in the Dominican Republic to stay with my grandmother so that they could come to the States and provide for us and eventually bring us to America for a brighter future. My mom worked at a factory and my dad was a cab driver before they moved back to the Dominican.
Leaving your kids is always hard but for some, it’s a necessity and thank god they did because I am where I am today doing what I love to do in America because of it.
Rosie in the same way has a lot of heart. I love how vibrant the set is and the show is no different. It is a show for everyone really and I think people are going to love it.
I’m always optimistic and greatful for every opportunity I get. I’m thankful to Marc Cherry for taking risks and creating roles where we can get the opportunity to showcase our talent! Hopefully, we can capture America, as well as having real Latino/Hispanic following that will let the business know that as a culture, we are supportive of our talent.
It is the only way to really make some noise in the business and open more doors so more writers/producers/actors can have a chance to tell other Latin stories. We can be the first of many. I believe it that Devious Maids is the first show to exist where it is our stories being told and played out and not just us coming in as the token Latin girl on a show.
I have a show I am producing with Wilmer Valderrama titled Bad Dad and the lead Latina in that is a lawyer. But, we need the support of our people to really make a difference and be allowed to tell all our stories.
That concludes our interview but we’d like to thank Dania very much for talking with us. Be sure to check our American Reunion, now on Blu-Ray and DVD.
