JR Ramírez Opens Up About Impostor Syndrome, Identity, and His New Amazon Project - INTERVIEW

For someone who has been a series regular on Netflix's Manifest and Jessica Jones and now headlines an Amazon series, you'd think JR Ramírez would be brimming with confidence. Instead, the actor admits he still wrestles with impostor syndrome.

"I'm petrified of public speaking," he confessed to The Latin Times after his applauded participation during the ProXimo at AVANCE Global conference in San Diego. "Even though I'm an actor, I have the worst impostor syndrome in the world. I often wonder, why would anyone want to hear from me?"

That vulnerability resonated with fans. It also reveals how even established actors aren't immune to self-doubt, especially Latinos navigating an industry that has historically sidelined them.

Reclaiming Space on Amazon

During his presentation, the Cuban-American artist mentioned how difficult it is for him to give talks. "I just told them to ignore that fear. To quiet that voice that says that nobody would be interested in anything I have to say. Once I started, I got in the zone, and things just fell into place," Ramírez explained.

He also discussed the challenges of being a Hispanic artist in Hollywood."Things are better, but there is so much to be done," he highlighted. "But as big as our culture is, we're still not where we need to be. But things are changing, and I'm proud to be part of that," he said.

Ramírez's next big step and commitment to representation comes with David Soto, his role in Amazon's new series It's Not Like That . From the beginning, he insisted that the character remain unapologetically Latino. "We speak Spanish throughout the show. I started injecting it into the scripts, and the showrunners loved it," he explained. The result is a rare mainstream series where a bilingual Latino family feels authentic, not stereotyped

For Ramírez, this representation isn't cosmetic. It's a statement.

In the faith-based series, produced by Amazon MGM Studios, Ramírez stars alongside Erinn Hayes and Scott Foley in what he has described as "the most rewarding journey" of his career so far.

Ramírez sees it as "a chance to anchor a story that brings together themes of resilience and faith," echoing the lessons he's carried from his immigrant parents and his own battles with self-doubt.

Ramírez credits his parents, Cuban immigrants who built their own version of the American dream, for his resilience. Watching them work tirelessly gave him the courage to push through rejection and keep storytelling, no matter the obstacles. "I'm never going to stop getting rejection," he said, "but I'm going to go down to my grave being a storyteller"

The Story Behind the Name

Even his name carries the weight of identity. Born Jimmy Ruiz Ramírez, he was named after Jimmy Carter. Growing up, classmates mocked the way "Jimmy" sounded in Spanish—Jaime—which fueled his decision to switch to his initials, JR. "To this day, some of my friends still call me Jimmy just to mess with me," he laughed. "But for me, JR is about taking ownership of my identity"

It's a subtle but powerful reminder of how Latino kids often have to re-shape their names, accents, and personas to fit into American culture.