J.R. Ramirez was born in Matanzas, Cuba, and his family relocated to the United States when he was just a baby. He was subsequently raised in Tampa, Florida, where he spent his formative years.
J.R. is perhaps most famously recognized for his recurring role as "Jared Vasquez" on the Netflix series MANIFEST, which was previously a part of the NBC network and is executive produced by the renowned filmmaker Robert Zemeckis. He held this position from 2018 to 2023.
Before his stint on MANIFEST, J.R. appeared as a series regular on the second season of the popular Netflix series Marvel's JESSICA JONES in 2018. He also portrayed the fan-favorite character "Julio Moreno" on four seasons of the highly acclaimed Starz series POWER, which is executive produced by the well-known musician 50-Cent. The series aired from 2014 to 2017.
Prior to his work on POWER, J.R. starred as "Cal" in the Paramount Pictures comedy feature film DRUNK WEDDING, which was executive produced by John Hamburg. He also made recurring appearances as "Ted 'Wildcat' Grant" on the CW's top-rated show ARROW from 2014 to 2015 and as "Dr. A.J. Aquino" on the CW dramedy EMILY OWENS, M.D. in 2013.
J.R. initially gained recognition for his recurring role as "Diego Hernandez" on Tyler Perry's HOUSE OF PAYNE, which he held for two seasons from 2008 to 2010.
In addition to his acting career, J.R. is fluent in both English and Spanish. He is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys hiking, golfing, playing tennis and basketball. When he is not working in New York, he splits his time between his homes in Tampa and Los Angeles.
J.R. is also a passionate perfectionist who is dedicated to his work. He shares his life with his Havanese-Schnauzer rescue dog, Freddy, who is an integral part of his family.
