"Sopranos" starlet lands "Heroes" role

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - A new hot young female hero is joining the gang on NBC's hit sci-fi drama "Heroes."

Dania Ramirez ("The Sopranos") has been added as a regular on the NBC Universal TV Studio series, which is returning for a second season in the fall.

Ramirez will play Maya, a new hero whose powers are being kept under wraps.

Maya is one of four to five new characters expected to be added to "Heroes" next season, but her character might be the only regular one. The other roles, most of which are said to have international flavor, include a sexy boyfriend for Claire (Hayden Panettiere), a 28-year-old black mother, a surrogate for Niki's (Ali Larter) son and an Irish mobster.

The Dominican Republic-born Ramirez is garnering attention with her recurring role on HBO's "Sopranos," on which she plays A.J.'s (Robert Iler) former fiancee Blanca. She also played Callisto in Fox's "X-Men: The Last Stand."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter