Ramus was born in Seattle, Washington, and grew up in Spokane,[1] but as a boy, his family moved to the Blackfeet Reservation in Browning, Montana.
In San Francisco, Ramus received coaching in drama and voice, eventually leading to work in commercials.
[7] In television series, Ramus had a recurring role in the soap opera Falcon Crest[4]: 323 as Gus Nunouz, and as Chief Black Kettle in Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman.
[8] Guest appearances also included Gunsmoke, Harry and the Hendersons, Little House on the Prairie,[5] MacGyver, Northern Exposure, Stingray, and Walker, Texas Ranger, among others.
[1] He was remarried to Kaysie McCallister in 1995, and moved to the San Pedro River valley area, near Benson, Arizona in 2002.