Related videos:
The Cuban-American actor J.R. Ramirez is part of the cast of "It's Not Like That", the new romantic drama from Amazon Prime Video that premiered globally on May 15 and is now available for all subscribers of the platform.
Ramirez, born in Matanzas, Cuba, portrays David, a character he himself describes as complex: a man who was in a long-term relationship, has two children whom he loves, but chose to leave at the worst possible moment.
"It's a bit complicated, the man, yes, he's a bit complicated. A man who was in a relationship for a long time, has two children, loves his children, but was not happy and decided to leave during a very difficult moment," explained the actor in an interview with Telemundo.
The series, created by Ian Deitchman and Kristin Robinson, follows widowed pastor Malcolm Jeffries —played by Scott Foley— who struggles to raise his children after the death of his wife Jenny, and Lori Soto —Erinn Hayes—, Jenny's best friend and a newly divorced mother.
According to the official synopsis from Amazon Prime Video, "faith and friendship help them cope with grief and the ups and downs of life, but when something more arises, they insist it's not what you think, or is it?"
Ramirez spoke enthusiastically about the project on Telemundo: "It's a family project. These are real stories, honest stories, stories where I believe everyone will be able to relate to all the characters. It doesn't matter if it's a nine-year-old daughter or a seventy-year-old grandfather; there's a little something for everyone."
The critic Ruben Peralta Rigaud pointed out that Ramirez "approaches his character from a contained vulnerability, distancing himself from the typical romantic archetype," with a performance built "more from contradictions than from certainty."
The actor emigrated from Cuba as a baby with his family and grew up in Tampa, Florida. His career took off with the series "Power" (Starz), where he played Julio Romano in 36 episodes between 2014 and 2017, and gained greater international visibility with "Manifest" (NBC/Netflix), where he portrayed Detective Jared Vasquez.
It’s not the first time a Cuban actor has appeared in productions on Amazon Prime Video. Héctor Noas participated in the Spanish series "Los Farad" and actress Laura Ramos has also been part of the cast for series on the platform, highlighting a growing trend of Latino actors of Cuban descent in high-profile Hollywood productions.
Ramirez also revealed that he always seeks to leave his mark on every role: "I have been very lucky, thank God, to continue working in this career, and whenever I am given a character, I always try to add a little Latin flavor to it."
«It's Not Like That» consists of eight episodes and was filmed in Atlanta in June 2025. At the same time, Ramirez is working on his first movie entirely in Spanish, shot in Santo Domingo under the direction of the 29-year-old Colombian Felipe Vargas, a project that the actor describes as «a challenge» and for which he hopes «it’s going to turn out very, very beautiful».
Filed under: