Actor / Director Profile

Monique Gabriela Curnen first caught the eye of the industry with her earthy sultriness as Ryan Gosling's fellow teacher and love interest in the critically acclaimed film "Half Nelson." Her performance paved the way for a flurry of television guest star roles, most notably a street hustler with an untreatable condition in the award-winning series "House"; a no-nonsense mafia informant in "Without A Trace"; a scarred and ruthless chola in "Daybreak"; and an abused wife fleeing her husband in "Journey." But it was in "The Dark Knight" that she captured the attention of fans worldwide as the tough, yet vulnerable Detective Ramirez.Curnen and her three brothers were raised outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Her mother is from Puerto Rico and her father is a New Yorker of Irish and German descent. Both educators, their interests in the arts fostered an atmosphere of creativity in the home. On a trip to watch one of her older brothers perform in a school pit orchestra, it was the acting and production on stage that really captivated her, and she proceeded to act in all the school plays. After exploring other academic and creative avenues in college, Monique returned to acting following graduation and a move to New York City. There she performed in myriad theatrical productions and began booking roles in several films, among them, "Maria Full of Grace," "Bernard and Doris" and "The Argentine."Up next for the actress is "The Unusuals," a dramedy produced by Sony Pictures Television for ABC, that takes a comedic look at the work and predicaments of a group of New York City police detectives solving unusual crimes.