Dania Ramirez discusses how she transformed herself into a detective who works in the missing persons section.

Alongside Scott Caan, the actress presently co-stars in the television series “Alert: Missing Persons Unit” as Nikki Batista, the chief of the Philadelphia Police Department’s missing persons unit. Her ex-husband Jason, played by Caan, and she reconcile after learning that their son, who has been missing for seven years, has been found.

Ramirez recently discussed how fortunate she felt to have someone “come in and train us” in order to understand how to represent a detective realistically.

She identified it as “one of the really tactical components of the show.” “How do you enter a room as a detective and, like, hold the gun? Police officers who put in a lot of effort to find persons who are missing and who put in a lot of effort to serve and protect are the true heroes, and I really wanted to thank them properly.

The actress added that working with Caan was a plus in addition to the trainer who came in because he “had been on ‘Hawaii Five-0’ for 10 seasons” and had more acting experience as a detective than Ramirez. They both “really wanted to make sure that [they] were honest in [their] portrayal,” she said, adding that.

In her discussion on getting ready for her part on the upcoming FOX series “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” Dania Ramirez mentions how much assistance her co-star Scott Caan was.
In her discussion on getting ready for her part on the upcoming FOX series “Alert: Missing Persons Unit,” Dania Ramirez mentions how much assistance her co-star Scott Caan was. Patrick Bosse/FOX

The challenges of playing real-life parents in a missing-persons drama, according to Scott Caan and Dania Ramirez

Scott is great to deal with because of it. He has a great deal of passion for what he does, according to Ramirez. He constantly said, “Okay, this is not genuine, that we can do it this way,” and I love that about him because he really made us feel accountable for wanting to be quite on point and true about the things that we do. We come in, and we have to smash down the door and empty a room.

The actress is the first to agree that the two have amazing chemistry on-screen, but she credits that to their strong friendship off-screen, stating they “truly got to know each other” while filming the program and were able to support one another during trying moments.

“The hours are incredibly lengthy. It’s a lot. Our emotions are always on display because we wear them on our sleeves, she said. It’s really private… He was dealing with a lot of very personal issues as his wife gave birth to a brand-new child. We had numerous opportunities to support one another during difficult times after the recent death of his father.

“I believe since we made the decision to truly support one another as individuals, that really translated to the screen and how we wanted to support one another as Nikki and Jason,” Jason said.

Alongside Scott Caan, Ramirez portrays Nikki Batista, head of the Philadelphia Police Department’s missing people unit, in the television series “Alert.”
Alongside Scott Caan, Ramirez portrays Nikki Batista, head of the Philadelphia Police Department’s missing people unit, in the television series “Alert.” Hane Mahood of FOX

Jamie Foxx, who serves as the show’s executive producer, allowed Ramirez to collaborate with him as well. She praised Foxx and called him “an extraordinary and innovative” talent for the degree of support he gave the “Alert” cast.

He is enthusiastic about everything he does, and he has been quite supportive of the ensemble as a whole. I mean, it’s fantastic to get a note from Jamie Foxx saying, “Hey, you’re amazing on the program,” because he’s someone I’ve admired and watched grow professionally, according to Ramirez. “To be acknowledged in that way by your peers is truly a great experience. I’m really appreciative.

Each episode of “Alert,” which was inspired by Foxx’s own real-life experience when he believed his own child had vanished, tells the tale of a different family whose loved one has gone missing.

Ramirez applauded Foxx and expressed her gratitude for his willingness to share his personal experience in such a public forum.

Instead of just showing her as a figure who kicks butt, Ramirez wanted to emphasize the sensitive part of her personality.
Instead of just showing her as a figure who kicks butt, Ramirez wanted to emphasize the sensitive part of her personality. Patrick Bosse/FOX

Real-life parents in their own right include Ramirez and Caan, and the actress drew on her own motherhood to comprehend what drives her character’s “desire to discover these missing people on the show.”

It enabled her to give this character a lot of the nurturing maternal side, which she said was what it did for her. “I was able to go into that emotion and that raw emotional journey that they could have been through when I’m having these talks with folks who are missing, who are coming in each episode for a fresh case,” the host said.

Ramirez exploited the fact that she and Caan are both real-life parents to her advantage when performing.
Ramirez exploited the fact that she and Caan are both real-life parents to her advantage when performing. By Steve Wilkie/FOX

Ramirez stated that, in addition to assisting her in her portrayal, playing a character whose kid is missing altered her outlook on her own life, adding, “This makes me want to protect my children a little more.”

It definitely puts a lot of these things to the foreground for me, she said, adding that she doesn’t want to become unduly overly careful.

They want me to be happy when I go home, the actress added, so it was crucial for her to “switch everything off when the end of the day came.” She had to go home and take care of her own children. They don’t want me to carry this suffering and anxiety.

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In the future, Ramirez, who has been in Montreal filming “Alert,” said she wants to take a break so she can spend more time with her kids.

In the future, Ramirez, who has been in Montreal filming “Alert,” said she wants to take a break so she can spend more time with her kids.
In the future, Ramirez, who has been in Montreal filming “Alert,” said she wants to take a break so she can spend more time with her kids. (Getty Images/Albert L. Ortega)

“My husband, oh my God, and my children have been so firm in the support that they have offered me,” Ramirez added. “We have been working extremely hard.” They moved up to Montreal, so occasionally I’d get home about midnight and only get to see them briefly in the morning. I feel like I need to go home and show my family the same love, support, and dedication that they showed me right now.