Before 'The Bear,' Sarah Ramos Had Her Breakout Role in a Beloved Family Drama (2024)

The Bear is well-known for having an impressive cast. Its first three seasons have been filled with Oscar winners (Jamie Lee Curtis, Olivia Colman), television stars (Sarah Paulson, Jon Bernthal), and a WWE celeb (that would be the one and only John Cena). But the series has also featured some lesser known actors who have also helped the show to flourish. One of those actors is Sarah Ramos, who was a welcome addition to The Bear in Season 2. Ramos plays Jessica, who acts in an integral role, guiding Richie through the process of working in a fine dining restaurant. She inspires him to accomplish great things as she works at the expedite station with a constant, fierce professionalism, focus, and attention to detail. Richie would never have transformed himself into a suit-wearing maître d' without her expertise and her belief in his abilities.

Jessica pops up again in Season 3, indicating that her and Richie have maintained their friendship even after his position staging at her restaurant ended. In the finale episode, Jessica and the crew from The Bear party together, hinting that Jessica might have a more long-term relationship with Richie in the future. But before Ramos became an expert at back-of-the-house maneuvering, she was a child actor with a lot of experience on set. Ramos got her start early on in the business, with a role in the 2002-2005 NBC drama, American Dreams, when she was just 11 years old. After that part ended, she earned several other credits, including Wizards of Waverly Place, Without a Trace, and Ghost Whisperer. But it was her role in another NBC family drama that served as a springboard for her career.

Parenthood

TV-PG

Drama

Comedy

Parenthood follows the Braverman family, led by parents Zeek and Camille, as they navigate the ups and downs of raising their four adult children and their respective families. Set in Berkeley, California, the series explores the challenges and triumphs of parenting, relationships, and personal growth, highlighting issues like work-life balance, special needs children, and marital struggles.

Release Date

March 2, 2010

Cast

Lauren Graham , Peter Krause , Dax Shepard , Monica Potter , Erika Christensen , Sam Jaeger , max burkholder , Joy Bryant

Main Genre

Drama

Seasons

6

Story By

Jason Katims

Writers

Jason Katims

Network

NBC

Streaming Service(s)

Hulu , Netflix , Prime Video , Peaco*ck

Directors

Jason Katims

Showrunner

Jason Katims

'Parenthood' Shows the Highs and Lows of Family Life

Parenthood was loosely inspired by the 1989 Ron Howard film of the same name; it also spawned a one-season television series in 1990 that was quickly canceled. Twenty years later, Jason Katims (the showrunner behind Friday Night Lights) collaborated with Howard and Brian Grazer to write a series about a loving (yet dysfunctional) family called the Bravermans. There was some upheaval in shooting the show early on; Lauren Graham's character was played by Maura Tierney during the initial filming, but Tierney had to back out of the project due to a breast cancer diagnosis. All of her scenes were re-shot with Graham, and the pilot of the show aired in March 2010. The show also stars Craig T. Nelson, Peter Krause, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Bonnie Bedelia, and Dax Shepard as members of the Braverman family (a close-knit crew living in Berkeley, California.)

Ramos plays Haddie Braverman, the teenage daughter of Adam (Krause) and Kristina (Potter). Although Ramos was around 19 years old when filming began, Haddie is a 15-year-old when the series starts off. She tries her best to cope with all the typical adolescent obstacles: peer pressure, sibling squabbles, and trying desperately to get her parents to understand her. Her younger brother, Max (Max Burkholder) is diagnosed with Asperger's, and Haddie often struggles to find her place in her family unit (especially because her brother requires more attention from their parents.) She also has a much younger sister, who takes up her parents' time as well. Throughout the show, Haddie acts out with a general teenage brattiness, fighting with her brother and her parents. She gets caught with drugs, dates guys her parents don't approve of (like a young Michael B. Jordan!), but eventually finds her way, like all young people do. In Season 4, Haddie attends her dream school, Cornell University, and faces hurdles with classic coming-of-age challenges, such as dealing with her own sexuality and core identity.

Sarah Ramos Nails Her Portrayal of Haddie in 'Parenthood'

Some of the other characters in the ensemble drama received more splashy storylines. Haddie's cousin, Amber (Mae Whitman), often gets to explore way more dramatic displays of the traumas of growing up, but Ramos made sure that Haddie always feels authentic to the audience. Her depictions of struggling to follow her own path are realistic, which is one of the things that Parenthood excels at. The Braverman's are messy and often make poor choices, but they're always true to themselves, and they continue to fight for their family in inspiring and moving ways. Even when Haddie is trying desperately to carve out her own space in the world, she knows she always has a place in her family. She might act out (much to her parents' dismay), but there's an underlying understanding that her family will always be there to catch her if she falls (which is true for every member of the Braverman family). Ramos effectively depicts Haddie's journey of growing up with a great deal of heart; even when Haddie is being a tad annoying, viewers can see themselves in her depiction of universal teenage angst and rebellion.

Haddie goes off to college in Season 4 of Parenthood, so Ramos was considered a recurring character instead of a regular one. She also came back to guest-star in Seasons 5 and 6. Haddie still brings drama with her when she returns, including having a surprising partner come home to meet her family. But in the show's sixth and final season, Haddie gets to connect with her family members in a more meaningful way. She reminisces with Amber about all they've been through together as cousins, and she proves that she's still an integral part of the Braverman clan now that she's become an adult. As heartwarming and compelling as the show is, Parenthood was never really able to find the audience it deserved. Before the last season was filmed, NBC had asked the entire cast to take a pay cut in order to help the flailing series and keep costs low. They were able to come up with an agreement to film an abbreviated sixth season of 13 episodes (versus the traditional 20-22), which helped the series come to an appropriate (if not somewhat premature) end.

Ramos was nominated for two consecutive ALMA Awards (which recognizes the accomplishments of Hispanic actors in film and television) for her role as Haddie. But most importantly, the underrated series provided her with a jumping off point for bigger and better things in her career. Since then, she's appeared in Midnight, Texas, The Affair, and Winning Time. However, it's her part in The Bear that's allowing fans to remember what made her role in Parenthood so exciting. Ramos is a supremely talented actor who can make even bratty teenagers (sorry, Haddie!) or smaller roles (like Jessica) feel meaningful and worthwhile. Now that Ramos is officially on people's radars, here's hoping the team behind The Bear will provide her with more to do in the future. But this much is clear: whichever part she's playing, Ramos has shown that she can handle anything.

Seasons 1-6 of Parenthood are now streaming on Hulu.

Watch on Hulu