The character of Callie Torres from ABC’s Grey’s Anatomy has garnered legions of fans throughout the years for bringing much-needed bisexual representation to the TV landscape. Among them is the actor who gave life to her, Sara Ramirez.
“Prior to Callie Torres, I’d never seen myself represented on television,” remarks Ramirez, who uses she/they pronouns.
Ramirez won a Tony Award for Spamalot on Broadway in 2005, long before most Americans knew her name. But since then, the Mexican-Irish American actor has become a leading force in visibility. In fact, Callie — who appeared in 11 seasons and 239 episodes of the Shonda Rhimes series — is the longest-running LGBTQ+ character in TV history. Callie’s influence can’t be overstated, and Ramirez credits her with their own growth toward self-understanding. “There was so much I didn’t know that I didn’t know…so I’ve caught up with myself in a lot of ways,” they reflect.
The need to move the needle for LGBTQ+ folks was instilled in Ramirez from a young age. Born in Mazatlán, Mexico, she moved to San Diego when she was 8 and later attended Julliard. Early in her acting career, she realized the power of her platform, and “it wasn’t enough to play a role or write a check,” she says, adding, “I felt the need to get more involved.”
A golden opportunity presented itself at a D.C. event for True Colors United, the nonprofit cofounded by Cyndi Lauper that works to end youth LGBTQ+ homelessness. That night, Ramirez and Lauper had a passionate conversation about social justice, and the actor joined the board of directors the very next day. The group “really helped me hone in on my own truth about myself,” Ramirez shares. In fact, Ramirez came out as bisexual and queer in 2016 at a True Colors summit. The group later helped them come out as nonbinary in 2020.
True Colors “really brought me into a space where I could explore my own most authentic self in ways that I hadn’t prior,” says Ramirez, who also found it invaluable to “speak with LGBTQ youth and hear from them what it is they think needs to change about various systems.”
The organization awakened Ramirez to how she could leverage her “hyper-privileged” position for positive change in the real world. She began attending protests. Notably, in 2017, she rallied at the Texas State Capitol against anti-trans legislation. However, Ramirez shies away from the activist label. “There are activists, organizers, and movement leaders…[whose work] is life or death for them. They are putting their lives literally on the line for this work for justice,” she says.
Along with Ramirez, the on-screen identities of their characters have progressively evolved. The long-haired femme Callie Torres turned into the butchy, undercut-sporting Kat Sandoval in . And Ramirez is again breaking new ground in the S reboot (HBO Max’s ) alongside original stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Cynthia Nixon, and Kristin Davis; the show comes out canon.
