Monica Raymund

Monica Maria Raymund (born July 26, 1986) is an American actress and director, known for her roles as Maria "Ria" Torres in the Fox crime drama Lie to Me (2009–2011), Dana Lodge in the CBS legal drama The Good Wife (2011–2012), Gabriela Dawson in the NBC drama Chicago Fire (2012–2019) and Jackie Quiñones in the Starz crime drama Hightown (2020–2024).

Monica Raymund
Raymund at the 2013 Imagen Awards
Born	Monica Maria Raymund (1986-07-26) July 26, 1986 (age 38) St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.
Education	Juilliard School (BFA)
Occupation(s)	Actress, director
Years active	2004–present
Spouse	Neil Patrick Stewart ​ ​ (m. 2011; div. 2014)​
Family	Edward C. Raymund (paternal grandfather)

Early life and education

Raymund was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, to Steve Raymund, the board chairman and retired CEO of Tech Data Corp., a Clearwater-based distributor of computer components and software,^[1][2] and Sonia (née Lara), a community volunteer and co-founder of the Soulful Arts Dance Academy in St. Petersburg.^[3][2][4] Her father is of English and Eastern European Jewish descent. Her mother is Dominican. Raymund was raised Jewish, celebrated a bat mitzvah, and attended a Reform Judaism temple.^[5] Her paternal grandfather was businessman and philanthropist Edward C. Raymund. Raymund's younger brother, Will, was a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and a sound and lighting engineer and music promoter.^[3][4] He died in August 2015.

In high school, she participated in the "Broadway Theater Project" in Tampa and was a founding member of The Performing Arts Project at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem."^[3]

Raymund graduated from Shorecrest Preparatory School in St. Petersburg, Florida, in 2004, and from the Juilliard School in New York City in 2008.^{[citation needed]}

Career

Reportedly, Raymund performed in Cymbeline directed by Richard Feldman, The Diviners (directed by Jonathan Bernstein), and Animal Farm (directed by Trazana Beverley) all at the Juilliard School.^[6]

Raymund also appeared in her native St. Petersburg, Florida, in the LiveArts Peninsula Foundation's original production of Manhattan Casino (directed by Bob Devin Jones) where she originated the leading role of Althea Dunbar and Webb's City: The Musical (music & lyrics by Lee Ahlin, written and directed by William Leavengood)."^[6][7] Raymund "is a three-year alumna of Ann Reinking's Broadway Theater Project, where she has been a featured performer."^[6]

Raymund has also "worked with playwright José Rivera on Boleros for the Disenchanted at the Huntington Theatre Company in Boston" in 2008.^[3] In April 2008, she appeared in the NBC legal drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in season 9 episode 17 titled "Authority" in the opening scene as a strip search prank call victim. From 2009 to 2011, she starred in the Fox crime drama Lie to Me, where she played Maria "Ria" Torres, a human lie detector who is a "natural", meaning she has no formal training in detecting lies or the emotions of others. She was using crutches because of a knee injury when she auditioned for this role.

From 2011 until 2012, Raymund had a recurring role in the third season of the CBS legal drama The Good Wife, where she played Dana Lodge, an assistant states attorney.^[8]

In 2012, Raymund began starring in the NBC drama Chicago Fire. She played Gabriela Dawson, the paramedic in charge and a firefighter candidate. On May 15, 2018, Raymund confirmed that she was leaving the show after six seasons. She briefly appeared on the show in the seventh-season premiere "A Closer Eye". In November 2019, she returned to the show in the eighth-season episode "Best Friend Magic".^[9]

In 2020, Raymund began starring as Jackie Quiñones in the Starz crime drama Hightown.

Raymund has also directed several episodes of television, an episode of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, an episode of Dick Wolf's FBI, and an episode of Chicago Fire^[10]

Personal life

On June 11, 2011, Raymund married writer Neil Patrick Stewart.^[11] They separated in early 2013 and divorced in 2014.^[12]

Raymund is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ rights. In February 2014, she came out publicly as bisexual for the first time via Twitter.^[13] On September 16, 2015, Raymund announced via Twitter that she had begun dating camerawoman, cinematographer, and producer Tari Segal.^[12]

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2007	Fighter	Sarah	Short film
2008	Love? Pain	—	Short film
2012	Arbitrage	Reina
	Fifty Grades of Shay	Dialect Tape	Short film
2013	Brahmin Bulls	Maya
2016	Happy Baby	María
2022	Bros	Tina
2023	The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial	Commander Katherine Challee

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2008	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	Trinidad "Trini" Martínez	Episode: "Authority"
2009–11	Lie to Me	María "Ria" Torres	Main role; 48 episodes
2011	Blue Bloods	Luisa Sosa	Episode: "Critical Condition"
2011–12	The Good Wife	Dana Lodge	Recurring role; 9 episodes
2012–19	Chicago Fire	Gabriela Dawson	Main role (seasons 1–6), guest (seasons 7–8); 139 episodes Imagen Award for Best Actress in Television in 2013
2013	Body of Proof	FBI Video Analysis Agent	Episode: "Disappearing Act"
2014–18	Chicago P.D.	Gabriela Dawson	Recurring role; 9 episodes
2016–18	Chicago Med		Recurring role; 2 episodes
2017	Special Skills	Monica	Episode: "Party Animals"
2020–24	Hightown	Jacqueline "Jackie" Quiñones	Main role; also, producer and director

Director

Year	Title	Notes
2018	Law & Order: Special Victims Unit	"Hell's Kitchen"
2020–2024	FBI	Season 2: "Payback", "Emotional Rescue" Season 3: "Trigger Effect" Season 6: "No One Left Behind"
2021	Law & Order: Organized Crime	"Unforgettable"
	The Sinner	"Part VIII"
	The Endgame	"Judge, Jury and Executioner"
2021–2024	Hightown	Season 2: "Fresh as a Daisy" Season 3: "Fall Brook"
2022	National Treasure: Edge of History	"Graceland Gambit"
2024	Power Book II: Ghost	"The Reckoning"
	Dexter: Original Sin	"Miami Vice", "Fender Bender"

References

1. Winchester, Donna (May 23, 2004). "Bye, high school; hello, tomorrow". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
2. Deggans, Eric (January 25, 2009). "St. Petersburg native, 'Lie To Me' co-star Monica Raymund ready to put in the work". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
3. Park, Mary Jane (January 11, 2009). "St. Petersburg actor has role in Fox's 'Lie to Me'". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on November 5, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
4. Leal, Samantha (October 9, 2012). "Introducing 'Chicago Fire' Star Monica Raymund". Latina. Archived from the original on November 18, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
5. "Celebrating 75 years of faith, progress" Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine, St. Petersburg Times, March 7, 2004.
6. "Biography". littlemary.info. Archived from the original on January 15, 2007.
7. Stephens, Janel (February 23, 2003). "Striking similarities". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on March 28, 2003. Retrieved July 30, 2011.
8. Porter, Rick (September 9, 2011). "'The Good Wife': 'Lie to Me's' Monica Raymund will catch Cary's eye". Zap2It. Retrieved January 8, 2016.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
9. Cordero, Rosy (October 21, 2021). "'Chicago Fire': Jesse Spencer, Producer & Alum Monica Raymund On Tonight's Big Exit". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 21, 2021. Retrieved December 10, 2021. Raymund also confirmed she was due to return at the end of last season but was unable to do so due to Covid restrictions.
10. White, Peter (April 1, 2020). "Monica Raymund On Directing 'FBI's 'Chicago P.D.' Crossover Episode Amid Pandemic That Made It Season Finale". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 1, 2020. Retrieved December 10, 2021. It is only Raymund's third television directing gig after an episode of SVU in 2018 and an episode of FBI earlier this season.
11. Heyman, Marshall (June 11, 2011). "Dinner, with Drama". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on March 27, 2019. Retrieved July 10, 2011.
12. Gilchrist, Tracy E. (September 16, 2015). "Bisexual Chicago Fire Star Monica Raymund Introduces the World to Her Girlfriend Via Twitter". SheWired. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
13. Hallowell, Lucy (February 10, 2014). ""Chicago Fire" star Monica Raymund comes out as bisexual on Twitter". AfterEllen. Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014.

External links

• Monica Raymund at IMDb
• "St. Petersburg native, 'Lie To Me' co-star Monica Raymund ready to put in the work". St Petersburg Times, January 25, 2009 – Interview with Raymund