Peter Lawrence Strauss (born February 20, 1947) is an American television and film actor, known for his roles in several television

miniseries A miniseries or mini-series is a television series that tells a story in a predetermined, limited number of episodes. "Limited series" is another more recent US term which is sometimes used interchangeably. , the popularity of miniseries format ...

in the 1970s and 1980s. He is five-time

Golden Globe Awards The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

nominee.

Early life

Strauss was born in

Croton-on-Hudson, New York Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,327 at the 2020 United States census over 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt as part of New York City's northern subur ...

, the son of Warren B. Strauss, a German-born wine importer. His family was

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

. Strauss graduated from the

Hackley School Hackley School is a private college preparatory school located in Tarrytown, New York, and is a member of the Ivy Preparatory School League. Founded in 1899 by a wealthy philanthropist, Frances Hackley, Hackley was intended to be a Unitarian al ...

in 1965 and

Northwestern University Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world. Charte ...

in 1969.

Career

He won an

Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

for his role on the 1979 made-for-television movie ''

The Jericho Mile ''The Jericho Mile'' is a 1979 Emmy Award-winning United States made for TV crime film, directed by Michael Mann. The film won five awards, including three Emmy Awards. The story is set at Folsom Prison, where the film was shot on location in the ...

'', and he starred in a television remake of the classic 1946 film '' Angel on My Shoulder'' in 1980. In 1985, he played Abel Roznovski in the miniseries '' Kane & Abel'' based on

Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Howard Archer, Baron Archer of Weston-super-Mare (born 15 April 1940) is an English novelist, life peer, convicted criminal, and former politician. Before becoming an author, Archer was a Member of Parliament (1969–1974), but did not ...

's book. His other noted television miniseries credits include starring roles in '' Rich Man, Poor Man'', its sequel '' Rich Man, Poor Man Book II'', and ''

Masada Masada ( he, מְצָדָה ', "fortress") is an ancient fortification in the Southern District of Israel situated on top of an isolated rock plateau, akin to a mesa. It is located on the eastern edge of the Judaean Desert, overlooking the D ...

''. Strauss played Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. in the 1977 TV movie '' Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy''. In 1973, he portrayed Stephen Linder, Mary Richards' suave younger boyfriend in ''

The Mary Tyler Moore Show ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' (also known simply as ''Mary Tyler Moore'') is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns and starring actress Mary Tyler Moore. The show originally aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977. Moo ...

'' fourth-season episode, "Angels in the Snow." Strauss starred in the films '' Soldier Blue'' (1970) and '' Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone'' (1983), and has appeared in several others. He portrayed Justin, the Rats of NIMH's captain of the guard, in 1982's '' The Secret of NIMH''. Strauss starred as an abused husband in the television movie '' Men Don't Tell'', alongside

Judith Light Judith Ellen Light (born February 9, 1949) is an American actress. She made her professional stage debut in 1970, before making her Broadway debut in the 1975 revival of ''A Doll's House''. Her breakthrough role was in the ABC daytime soap opera ...

. In 2005, he played the U.S. President in the thriller '' XXX: State of the Union'' alongside

Ice Cube An ice cube is a small piece of ice, which is typically rectangular as viewed from above and trapezoidal as viewed from the side. Ice cubes are products of mechanical refrigeration and are usually produced to cool beverages. They may be p ...

, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman and

Willem Dafoe Willem James Dafoe (; born July 22, 1955) is an American actor. He is the recipient of various accolades, including the Volpi Cup for Best Actor, in addition to receiving nominations for four Academy Awards, four Screen Actors Guild Awards, t ...

. He was the voice of

Moses Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu ( Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pr ...

in the animated series ''K10C: Kids' Ten Commandments''. He starred in the short-lived series ''Body & Soul'' as Dr. Isaac Braun in 2002. He provided the voice for Stoker Van Rotten in both the 1990s and 2006 versions of '' Biker Mice from Mars''.

Personal life

Strauss married Rachel Ticotin on December 31, 1998. Strauss runs a successful citrus production business and is on the advisory board of the

Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden The Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden, 127 acres (51.4 ha), is an arboretum, botanical garden, and historical site nestled into hills near the San Gabriel Mountains in Arcadia, California, United States. Open daily, it only closes ...

. He sold a ranch property to the

Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy is an agency of the state of California in the United States founded in 1980 and dedicated to the acquisition of land for preservation as open space, for wildlife and California native plants habitat Natur ...

. The ranch has since been acquired by the

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational properti ...

as the Peter Strauss Ranch.

Filmography

References

Demetria Fulton; preview of Peter Strauss in Barnaby Jones; episode “The Last Contract”(12/31/1974).

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strauss, Peter 1947 births Living people American male film actors American people of German-Jewish descent American male television actors American male voice actors Jewish American male actors Outstanding Performance by a Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Primetime Emmy Award winners Male actors from New York (state) People from Croton-on-Hudson, New York Northwestern University School of Communication alumni 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors 21st-century American Jews