Monica Ramon

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Monica Ramon

Autographed Picture of Monica Ramon
Born Monica Ramoneda Vila
April 27, 1976 (1976-04-27) (age 32)
North Hollywood, California, USA
Years active (1997-present)
Official website

Monica Ramon (born April 27, 1976 as Monica Ramoneda Vila) is a Spanish-American actress who first began appearing in film, television and stage productions in her native Spain in the mid-1990s. Her glamorous looks and style are evocative of the Golden Age of Hollywood. She is the granddaughter of the celebrated Spanish artist Lluis Vila Plana[1], a period contemporary of Pablo Picasso.

Contents

[edit] Biography

[edit] Early Life

Monica Ramon was born in the Sabadell section of Barcelona, Spain[2]. She is the daughter of Anna Vila Alia and Jacint Ramoneda Badiella. The family lived in nine different houses during Monica's childhood. Eventually the family settled in the seaside town of Tossa de Mar[3], the same town where Ava Gardner starred in the film, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman. When she was 18 years old her parents divorced and her father remarried. Throughout her life Monica has always been very active and was heavily involved with sports as a child, including running and swimming. She comes from a very artistic family and was inspired to art as a child by her grandfather's work. She studied theater and ballet as a child and as a young woman she studied theater, art history and plastic arts in Barcelona. Regionally she identifies herself with the Catalan culture and speaks the native Catalan language[4].

She moved to Los Angeles, California in 2006 to pursue her acting career. At that time she became a vegetarian.

[edit] Acting Career

Monica's first acting role was in the Spanish television series Happy End (1997), working alongside the marquee Spanish actress Monica Lopez, playing the role of Malvada. Later that same year she was featured in the Spanish feature film, Primats, working with the renowned Spanish director Carlos Jover.

Monica went on to study acting at the Chekov Theater and spent four years studying and acting on stage. Her studies included the Stanislavsky Method under acting coach Angel Gutierrez. During that period of time she established herself as a serious stage actress and developed an impressive stage resume, including winning a best actress stage award for work in a Tennessee Williams play at the Karpas Theater as a part of the Trapola theater company.

Since that time she has been a prolific television and film actress in Spain.

Monica Ramon - B/W Headshot
Monica Ramon - B/W Headshot

[edit] Recent Success

Monica came to the United States on her own in 2006 and immediately found work in several Spanish-language television shows and film productions as well as T.V. commercials in the Los Angeles area. 2008 will be remembered as a banner year for Miss Ramon, having been cast in roles in four films - From Mexico With Love, Dirty Girl, XII, and Polanski in the first half of the year alone. In addition, Miss Ramon recently signed a non-exclusive four film deal with Monolith Pictures, to last until 2010, including the Crusades epic Saladin, in which she will play the Catalan Queen of England (and only English queen never to set foot in England during her reign) Berengaria of Navarre[5], wife of Richard the Lion Heart, King of England during the Third Crusade[6].

On her listing on [IMDB.com], she is credited with appearing in the film Full Moon Rising in 1996 in California, during a time when she had not yet left Spain for California. The date listed on the website is incorrect. The actual date of the film was 2006.

So far in her career Monica has had the opportunity to work with such actors as Robert DeNiro and Steven Bauer, and directors Mike Nickles and Damian Chapa.

[edit] Personal Life

Monica has remained single, though she has had long-term, live-in relationships. In 2004 she purchased a house in Spain on her own. She has two younger brothers, twins named David and Albert, whom she loves as if they were her own children. In the same year their parents divorced, the two brothers were involved in a near-fatal car accident. Albert, who had been ejected from the car, was seriously injured and his brother David performed CPR[7] and saved his brother's life. Albert then spent a long rehabilitation learning to walk and talk again. He subsequently fell into alcoholism and sought treatment. He is now an alcohol dependence counselor, helping others who have fallen prey to alcohol addiction.

Monica Ramon lists her religion as Buddhist. Monica considers herself to be a strong woman with a great sense of humor. She believes that anything is possible with the right positive attitude.

[edit] Filmography and Television

Year Film/TV Show Role Other notes
2010 Saladin Queen Berengaria of Navarre (Announced)
2009 As yet unnamed western Lupe (Announced)
2009 The Five Furies Candida (Announced)
2008 Strap-Off Lucy (Announced)
2008 Polanski M - Spanish Woman
2008 XII Pole Dancer
2008 Dirty Girl Patient
2008 From Mexico With Love Hector's Friend
2006 Full Moon Rising Katy
2007 Secretos (Ep: El Ingeniero) Victima (Spanish TV Series)
2007 Secretos (Ep: Controversia) Rosa Paez (Spanish TV Series)
2000 "¿De qué hablan las mujeres?" Self Spanish television program
1997 Happy End Malvada Spanish television series
1997 Primats Lidia Castillian Title - Primates

[edit] References


[edit] External Links