Peter Lawrence Strauss
(born February 20, 1947) is an American television and film actor, known for his roles in several television
miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s. He is five-time
Golden Globe Awards nominee.
Early life
Strauss was born in
Croton-on-Hudson, New York, 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 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.
Chart ...
in 1969.
Career
He won an Emmy Award 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''. Strauss played Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. in the 1977 TV movie ''Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy
''Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy'' is a 1977 American made-for-television biographical film that originally aired on ABC. Based upon the biography by Hank Searls called ''The Lost Prince: Young Joe, the Forgotten Kennedy'', the film chronicles ...
''. In 1973, he portrayed Stephen Linder, Mary Richards' suave younger boyfriend in '' The Mary Tyler Moore Show'' 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. In 2005, he played the U.S. President in the thriller '' XXX: State of the Union'' alongside Ice Cube, Samuel L. Jackson, Scott Speedman and Willem Dafoe. He was the voice of Moses 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
''Biker Mice from Mars'' is an American science fiction action animated series created by Rick Ungar. The series premiered in syndication the week of September 19, 1993. It consists of three seasons of 65 episodes, with the final episode a ...
''.
Personal life
Strauss married Rachel Ticotin
Rachel Ticotin Strauss is an American film and television actress. She has appeared in films such as ''Fort Apache, The Bronx''; '' Total Recall'', ''Falling Down'', and ''Con Air''. She has appeared in the NBC legal drama '' Law & Order: LA'' as ...
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. He sold a ranch property to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The ranch has since been acquired by the National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government within the United States Department of the Interior, U.S. Department of ...
as the Peter Strauss Ranch
The Peter Strauss Ranch is a regional park unit of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - and operated by the National Park Service as Peter Strauss Ranch Park. It is located in the central Santa Monica Mountains — on Mulholland H ...
.
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