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sararamirezfans · 7 years

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Madam Secretary: Sara Ramirez previews her return to TV

After a year-and-a-half hiatus since exiting Grey’s Anatomy, Sara Ramirez will make her triumphant return to TV during Sunday’s episode of Madam Secretary.

The actress will be playing Kat Sandoval, a brilliant political strategist, legendary in D.C. for her talent and for abruptly dropping out of politics until Secretary of State Elizabeth McCord (Téa Leoni) manages to coax her back into the State Department. It’s a character that the openly bisexual Ramirez can relate to, having taken time off to both discover herself and give a voice to the LGBTQ community. So what was it about Madam Secretary that lured Ramirez back to TV? EW turned to the actress to find out:

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: What was it about Madam Secretary that made you want to return to TV in a series regular role? SARA RAMIREZ: A new position was opening up on Madam Secretary, and it was during a time when I was open to taking a meeting. [Executive producers] Barbara Hall and Lori McCreary were consistent and persistent in their commitment to meeting with me. We wanted to get to know each other to see what was possible. I really appreciate the kind of show that Madam Secretary is; it’s an aspirational and political show, and I found that really attractive as well.

Tell us about Kat Sandoval and what brings her into Elizabeth’s orbit. SARA RAMIREZ: Something that I can say about Kat is that she is a political strategist. She’s a retired chief of staff to the U.N. ambassador, she’s known well in D.C. for her talents, she’s also know for her sudden departure from politics following an incident. She dropped out for years, and rumors circulate about why. But after Kat consults on a State Department problem, she realizes she has not entirely lost faith in the system, and she’s inspired by Elizabeth McCord, Madam Secretary, and her team — so much so that she proposes to join the State Department. When we first meet Kat, we learn a little bit about her past, and it clues us to the potential challenges she may face due to rumors around an incident that may have led her to leave politics. Her brain is one of her most valuable assets. In this first episode, we’ll see just how valuable it is, here at home and globally. This episode also shows up some vulnerable truths she’s never owned or expressed about herself before.

Will the show explore her sexuality? SARA RAMIREZ: I just met Kat a few months ago, and I’m really looking forward to getting to know her as these episodes unfold.

Do you share any similarities with the character? SARA RAMIREZ: One thing that I know that we have in common is we both took a step back from our respective fields for over a year. I understand how important it can be to acknowledge when a break is needed, for whatever reason, especially when the intention is to come home to oneself in ways that couldn’t occur authentically without that time away. So I really respect Kat for knowing and valuing herself enough to make that move in her life.

How is this working experience, both in front of the camera and behind, different from Grey’s? SARA RAMIREZ: One of the things that I like about Madam Secretary is that, like I said, it’s an aspirational and political show. It takes place one election cycle in the future, which is kind of exciting, so it’s about four to five years down the line. I really love how it dramatizes certain topical world issues and events. It utilizes its projections to normalize inspiring ways to evolve challenging issues in the world through an alternate reality where the current political situation actually doesn’t exist, and with inclusive characters and cast and crew, off-screen as well. It promotes complex, three-dimensional women. Barbara Hall and Lori McCreary are executive producers, five out of the eight writers on the staff are female, the set has inclusive representation on screen and off, more than 70 percent of the show’s directors this season are women or men from diverse backgrounds, the Secretary of State is played by Téa Leoni — this show is in some ways similar, and different in all these ways.

After the results of the election last week, inclusive politics is not necessarily a distant aspiration anymore, but attainable, which is really exciting. We just saw Andrea Jenkins, the first openly bisexual and transgender black woman be elected to public office in the U.S. My intention for Madam Secretary’s Kat Sandoval is to continue normalizing, strengthening, and celebrating these types of inclusive outcomes in the world. As far as the character is concerned, I’m still getting to know her, but so far she’s different in that she spent a good portion of her life in politics before stepping away from it. Kat is very intentional and clear in her approach, because she knows she’s capable. She’s outspoken and unapologetically herself.

Is it fun to change up your style now on-screen and not have to suit up every day in scrubs? SARA RAMIREZ: It’s been a really wonderful experience. Amy Roth, who is the head of the wardrobe department, has been so gracious, kind, and imaginative. I’m just really grateful to be working with her as well. It’s been really fun.

What have you been up to since leaving Grey’s, and what do you think you’ve learned during that time? SARA RAMIREZ: It has been a really full year and a half. Taking a step back from the industry has allowed me to take space and get even more clear about things that are important to me. Coming out publicly was an organic decision and one that I spent a lot of energy and time making. It was incremental, not a spur-of-the-moment decision. By the time the Orlando shooting happened, especially in the context of the political climate escalating, I felt an urgency around coming out publicly in ways that I haven’t felt before. This past year and a half has taught me how to embrace myself fully, to never ever be afraid to claim my truth and power in spaces, and that bisexual, pansexual, queer-identified women of color, of all genders, or no genders, deserve to exist fully and equally in any and every space with respect to our visibility, representation, dignity, and various intersecting identities.

It has been a really full year. There were a lot of important events that I got the opportunity to be a part of. There was the ACLU rally in Austin, Texas. Initially, when Gavin Grimm’s case was headed to the Supreme Court, it was really important to me to use my public platform to show up and stand in solidarity with the trans and non-binary community, and when Gavin’s case didn’t make it to the Supreme Court, I got a phone call from the ACLU asking if I was open to participating in a rally in Austin connected to the same hurtful anti-trans legislation. I leapt at the opportunity to not only speak to these important issues, but to also engage local and state legislature. As well as introducing a trans woman of color, I introduced a wonder woman named Ana Andrea Molina, so that was a really important event to be a part of.

Then I was asked to speak at the Equality March in June, and I’m so grateful to the committee of the Equality March in D.C. for giving me the opportunity to speak to issues that are rarely spoken in mainstream LGBTQ advocacy. I was able to speak to the need for a truly intersectional movement, one in which we draw the margins in and center the lives of bisexual, queer, trans, non-binary, disabled, and other communities within our LGBTQ family who lack the access, power, and visibility. So as we move forward the community through the onslaught of anti-LGBTQ legislation and attacks, I think it’s important for us to continue to use these intersectional lines and center these communities, and that Equality March was a really beautiful way to be able to speak to that.

Then there was the LGBT Center in New York, who awarded me with this beautiful Trailblazer Award not that long ago, and that was a really special moment for me. Accepting the Trailblazer Award from the New York LGBT Center was — how else can I describe it? — it was a full-circle moment for me, actually. It was almost a year to the date, actually, from when I publicly came out as bisexual queer at the True Colors Fund event at the L.A. LGBT Center, so that was interesting. Lately, I’m feeling more confident about my purpose and highlighting the issues that are plaguing my community as well as continuing to create solidarity within the LGBT community. You know what else I’m thrilled about? Glenda Testone, who is the executive director of the New York LGBT Center, has expressed her commitment to creating specific bisexual programming, so that was a really wonderful full-circle moment after taking this time.

In hindsight, for everything you’ve done for yourself and the community over the last year, do you feel like it was the right decision to leave Grey’s when you did? SARA RAMIREZ: Absolutely.

You voiced displeasure with ABC over the Real O’Neals bisexuality joke, which many Grey’s fans took as a sign you probably wouldn’t return to the show. Would you ever consider returning to Grey’s Anatomy? SARA RAMIREZ: First I’ll speak to the Real O’Neals portion, and then I’ll speak to the other portion. I was really disappointed that a show on a network that I worked on for over 10 years, playing a bisexual character, would get the greenlight for such a hurtful and destructive comment about our community. The bigger disappointment was that this particular episode was set up to succeed in every way by having PFLAG involved, with a gay actor playing a gay character, in all these ways where all of our community would be protected in every way. However, I appreciate how PFLAG acknowledged the issue and owned their mistake, and so far that is the only party involved taking genuine accountability. To the other point, when Shonda [Rhimes] and I last spoke, we agreed to keep the conversations going, and she knows I’m open to keeping those conversations going.

Madam Secretary airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on CBS.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

#Article #Madam Secretary

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sararamirezfans · 7 years

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First sneak peek of Sara in Madam Secretary (video)

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Source: TV Line

#Madam Secretary #News and Info #Promo/Peek #Video

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sararamirezfans · 7 years

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Trailblazer award: Sara's speech

Here is Sara’s full speech, when accepting the Trailblazer award at the Women’s Event 20.

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#Appearances/Events #Video

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sararamirezfans · 7 years

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Sara to receive the Trailblazer Award at the Women's Event 20

Honored 2 receive @LGBTCenterNYC #TrailblazerAward on 11/4! Means so much that @RobynOchs will present the award. https://t.co/VpCzmLJxIz pic.twitter.com/HEqWcy8slL

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) 31. oktober 2017

Join The Center for a night of cocktails, dinner and dancing to celebrate the women in our community who are making a difference. Women’s Event raises funds that directly benefit The Center’s programs and services for lesbians, bisexual women and transgender people. These include innovative programming that addresses women’s economic empowerment, poverty in the transgender community and substance use among young people through the nation’s first outpatient treatment program specifically designed for LGBTQ youth and young adults. Your ticket includes admission to Women’s Event and the Official After Party. Admission for After Party Only tickets begins at 10 p.m.

The event takes place in New York on November 4, 2017.

#Announcement #Appearances/Events #News and Info

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sararamirezfans · 7 years

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Sara Ramirez Joins The Cast Of 'Madam Secretary'

The Tony Award-winning actress will play political strategist Kat Sandoval beginning Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10/9c on CBS and CBS All Access.

Can’t wait for you to meet Kat on Nov. 19! #KatSandoval @MadamSecretary #CBS pic.twitter.com/I0Yl0T6tne

— Sara Ramirez (@SaraRamirez) October 24, 2017

A new series regular has joined the cast of Madam Secretary: Tony Award-winning actress Sara Ramirez!

Sara, who will play political strategist Kat Sandoval, steps into her new role beginning on Sunday, Nov. 19 at 10/9c on CBS and CBS All Access.

Kat’s story begins when, after abruptly dropping out of politics, she is coaxed back into the State Department by Elizabeth (Téa Leoni).

If you’re wondering where you’ve seen Sara before, here’s some of her past work:

– She appeared for over a decade as Dr. Callie Torres on TV drama Grey’s Anatomy – She was the voice of Queen Miranda on the animated series Sofia the First – She was the voice of Mamá Calaca in Vampirina – She performed on Broadway in Monty Python’s Spamalot as Lady of the Lake, which earned her a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical and an Outer Critics Award for Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical – She co-hosted Ted Talks Live NYC on PBS – She has executive produced three films: Loserville, Out of Exile: Daniel’s Story, and The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

“We’re very excited that Sara is joining the cast,” says Madam Secretary Executive Producer and Series Creator Barbara Hall. “She brings a fresh perspective and a fun, energetic quality to the State Department staff.”

Executive Producer Lori McCreary adds, “We are thrilled to have Sara join the Madam Secretary State Department team. From the moment she walked on set with her talent, intellect and spirit, she became part of the family!”

Watch all-new episodes of Madam Secretary on Sundays at 10/9c on CBS and CBS All Access.

Source: Sara herself and CBS

#Announcement #News and Info #Video

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sararamirezfans · 8 years

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'Rollercoaster' at Ted Talks in November 2015 (Video)

Singer, songwriter and actress Sara Ramirez is a woman of many talents. Joined by Michael Pemberton on guitar, Ramirez sings of opportunity, wisdom and the highs and lows of life in this live performance of her song, “Rollercoaster.”

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sararamirezfans · 8 years

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Sara Ramirez criticizes ABC over 'biphobia' in Real O'Neals episode

Actress Sara Ramirez, known for her 10-year run on the ABC medical drama Grey’s Anatomy, is calling out her old network over a joke about bisexual people that she found offensive in a recent episode of The Real O’Neals.

Ramirez, who identifies as bisexual and played a bisexual character on Grey’s, tweeted Thursday that she was “truly disheartened and disappointed” by the joke, adding, “I will invest my brand where I’m respected.”

On the Jan. 17 episode of Real O’Neals, Noah Galvin’s openly gay character, Kenny, compared being bisexual to having “webbed toes” or “money problems.”

Today Ramirez tweeted a link to a Change.org petition imploring ABC to “end biphobia and bi-erasure” on the sitcom. “Words matter,” Ramirez wrote. In a subsequent tweet, she asked the network and show to “own” and “address” the joke, and to “empower our #Queer and #Bisexual youth & community w/accurate positive reflections.”

Ramirez also retweeted a Jan. 18 statement from the LGBTQ advocacy group PFLAG, which partnered on the episode in question. “We were so focused on the family acceptance portion of the episode that we completely missed the joke,” the statement said. “In hindsight, we should have caught it and we blew it. We should have done better and we will definitely do better next time. As allies we have a responsibility to own it when we mess up.”

Galvin also addressed the joke last month on Twitter, writing that the show “respects and loves the bi community,” and that the joke represented “a panicky teen expressing his ‘deepest fear’ which was his boyfriend leaving him for a girl.” He added, “I am sorry if we offended anyone. I hope you know our show fights for visibility and inclusivity and we will do better in the future. BUT, we also have to remember, it’s a comedy.”

ABC declined to comment on Ramirez’s criticism.

The Real O’Neals previously found itself at the center of controversy last year when Galvin gave an interview in which he disparaged Eric Stonestreet’s portrayal of a gay man on Modern Family, derided Arrow actor Colton Haynes’ decision to publicly come out as gay, and made “false and unwarranted” allegations about director Bryan Singer. Galvin publicly apologized for his remarks.

WORDS MATTER.PLEASE SIGN this petition 2 @ABCNetwork protesting biphobia in @TheRealONeals: https://t.co/TkyT5ICtgo @StillBisexual 👊🏽💜#LGBTQ