Check Out Isis J. Ramirez’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Isis J. Ramirez.

Hi Isis, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today. 
My acting and film career started very peculiar actually. I was a freshman in high school, and throughout my time there, I was involved in many sports. I ended up taking a blow to the head in volleyball warmups right before a tournament, not very athletic of me I know. After that painful injury, I had to limit every activity and could no longer be in impact sports. One of my friends reached out to me from the school theater as they were holding auditions for an up-and-coming play production. I never considered acting or truly knew any process behind it, was a shy kid in general. A few days passed after my injury, and I was so bored. I was and am still a very determined being. I thought I was healed within those days. I had no baseline testing done, and the medical professionals did some tests, but nothing “serious” showed up in their eyes. So, I decided to give acting a go. I went to the auditions and the drama teacher was praising me for my delivery. Which at the time was a huge compliment, but I thought, “Hey, cool, this eccentric, joyful lady loves me.” I got the part of a scientist and started going to rehearsals. I was starting to understand this character’s story and identity. Since I was going through a lot myself at the time, it somewhat felt easier to be someone else, an escape. My head injury persisted and was deteriorating my health significantly. Homework and daily life become too overwhelming. I couldn’t fathom not being able to work done; it felt like my body was giving up. I was frustrated after having so many things taken away from me. I returned back to the doctor’s and went through more testing. I was officially diagnosed with post-concussion syndrome. Most concussions heal within days or weeks, but seeing as the excruciating headaches, excessive grogginess, and loss of focus was still present, I was definitely in this for the long haul. I could no longer attend school. I missed a full month. Everything was a blur during that time. I missed my friends and the overall atmosphere of high school. On top of that I could no longer be in the play, I begged my mom to be in it. After all, I did have my lines memorized. She couldn’t believe, after everything, that I still was acting like an energizer bunny. After healing for a month, nothing felt the same. I was looked at differently, and I hated it. I was no longer the goody-two-shoes but the broken, damaged girl who probably faked her condition to get out of class. Even after the serious head injury and trying times I still held acting dear to my heart. It was a beautiful oasis where I could walk in another person’s shoes. I went to some acting classes that ended up being five in a hours from my house. Meet amazing people and was even signed with an agency at the age of eighteen. I received a scholarship from New York Film Academy and decided that the entertainment industry was going to be my life. Now, at the age of twenty-one, I’ve created a career for myself from that heart-wrenching experience. I hold a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from New York Film Academy, I’ve surrounded myself with loving individuals, and have survived some of the worst dealt cards I wouldn’t wish on anyone. But I don’t regret a thing about my journey. At the time, of course, being stunted in all different aspects was criminal. The point of view of a fourteen-year-old Latina girl already being difficult enough to comprehend. But it’s what makes me the hard-working and persevering person I am today. When you think about it, aren’t the most compelling stories based on a great tragedy? 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, definitely not. Coming into this world, I weighed a solid two pounds as I was premature. The stress it put on my mother’s body during the delivery was critical as well. Her organs were shutting down, so a C-section was required. I’m so grateful for being a happy and healthy kid, though. Another my component in my upbringing was my parents. I was raised solely in a one-parent household. My father was killed in action in 2004. I was two years old, and my brother was only a few months. My mother had been so young with two children but in my opinion, she did an amazing job with both of us, love you mom. Moving forward in my life, I was heavily bullied in my adolescent due to my ethnicity, name, gender, appearance, etc. It was really hard for my to understand why other kids and adults at times felt the need to comment on such things about me. After all that, I think one of the largest obstacles is that I’m still learning. Not everyone having your best interests in mind was something I had to come to terms with. I mean, I’ve been through friends, relationships, and even family members to realize that they didn’t deserve or respect me. Which was I hard concept for my to understand as I’m a giving and generous individual. At the end of the day, everyone will have their own opinion, and I truly wish the best to everyone who is no longer in my life. 

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Wow. Making and being in movies is what I do. It feels weird to say because I never in a million years saw myself creating entertainment for the world to view. During my time at New York Film Academy, I’ve written over 20 plus screenplays and 15 stories and have been in many short films. The one I’m proud of would be Healthy Death, directed by Oleksandr Bugela. It was a film noir-style project. Outside of acting class, it was the first professional performance. I learned so much from the experience. I actually still have the call sheet. It was screened at many film festivals, including Halicarnassus Film festival and TIMFF the International Short Film Festival, and won awards. As for other projects I’ve worked on, they’ve all been in the wheelhouse of horror/psychological genre. The last few months I’ve been working on some exciting things that I think will change how we see a better representation of women in horror films. I’ve been through a lot in my time here on earth, and that makes me more resilient, grateful, and respectful. One things that sets me apart from others would be my desire to create. Honestly, I believe people would have given up taken the challenges that young creatives have had to face over the last year. Going through Film school, two strikes, and lots of personal matters myself, there were many times when I did think about a life without acting. But ultimately, I never could because of the effect and transformation I’ve seen in myself as an actor and creator. 

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
My advice for starting out would be not being afraid of failure. Not being afraid in general. People are constantly worrying about how they’re going to be perceived and looked at based on upon their actions and career. Which makes sense to a certain extent. There are things that, when I was younger, I wish I would have done, of course, but I was afraid of judgment. It’s okay to make a fool of yourself in my opinion. It’s what makes life exhilarating and fun. I actively want to be on the field, not sitting on the sidelines, because that is how we as humans change and evolve. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://pro.imdb.com/name/nm14536329?s=a4c6c7b2-d2f6-f155-681f-45a6c28da522&site_preference=normal
• Instagram: @isisjramirez
• Linkedin: @isisjramirez
• Twitter: @isisjramirez

Image Credits
Quinn Vasileva