Rachel Ticotin Strauss (born November 1, 1958)
is an American actress. She has appeared in films such as ''
Fort Apache, The Bronx'', ''
Total Recall'', ''
Falling Down
''Falling Down'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe Roe Smith, and starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall.
Set in Los Angeles, the film tells the story of William Foster, a disgruntled, une ...
'', and ''
Con Air
''Con Air'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich in the lead roles. Written by Scott Rosenberg and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the film centers on a pr ...
''. She has appeared in the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
legal drama ''
Law & Order: LA'' as Lieutenant Arleen Gonzales, and guest starred in the "Warriors" episode of ''
Blue Bloods'' in 2013 (Season 3, Episode 15), appearing as "Carmen Castillo". She also played Dr. Marie Cerone on the
ABC medical drama
A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...
television series ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'' in 2018.
Early life
Ticotin is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Polish-Jewish father. Her father was a used-car salesman. She has five siblings. She earned money for acting lessons by working as a babysitter, in addition to managing New York's Public Theater and working as an usher there. She also was a production assistant for some films made in New York.
In her 50s she enrolled in
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...
, studying English, and graduated in 2019 as the first of six children with a college degree.
Career
In 1978, Ticotin made her film debut as a dancer in the film ''
King of the Gypsies
The title King of the Gypsies has been claimed or given over the centuries to many different people. It is both culturally and geographically specific. It may be inherited, acquired by acclamation or action, or simply claimed. The extent of the ...
.'' She also acted in the
off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
production of
Miguel Piñero's ''The Sun Always Shines for the Cool''. During this period, she received an onscreen credit as a production assistant on
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma (; born September 11, 1940) is an Americans, American film director and screenwriter. With a career spanning over 50 years, he is best known for work in the suspense, Crime film, crime, and psychological thriller genres. ...
's ''
Dressed to Kill''. Her first big break came when, working as a production assistant alongside her brother David in 1981, she was given a significant role as ''Isabella'',
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman (January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008) was an American actor, film director, race car driver, philanthropist, and activist. He was the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Paul Newman, numerous awards ...
's love interest in the movie ''
Fort Apache, The Bronx''.
That same year, she was listed as one of 12 promising new actors in John Willis' ''Screen World'' Vol. 33.
In 1983, she landed a regular role on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
's television drama ''Love and Honor''. Other television series in which she has appeared include: ''
Ohara'' (1987), ''Women on the Inside'' (1991), ''Crime & Punishment'' (1993), and ''
Disney's Gargoyles'' (1994).
Ticotin's film work includes: ''
Critical Condition'' (1987) as Rachel Atwood, ''
Total Recall'' (1990) as Melina (alongside
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, businessman, former politician, and former professional bodybuilder, known for his roles in high-profile action films. Governorship of Arnold Schwarzenegger, ...
and
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone (born March 10, 1958) is an American actress and film producer. Known for primarily playing femmes fatales and women of mystery on film and television, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1990s. She is the ...
), ''
Where the Day Takes You
''Where the Day Takes You'' is a 1992 American drama film directed by Marc Rocco. The film stars Sean Astin, Lara Flynn Boyle, Peter Dobson, Balthazar Getty, Ricki Lake, James LeGros, Dermot Mulroney and Will Smith in his film debut. Its ...
'' (1992) as Officer Landers, ''
Falling Down
''Falling Down'' is a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Joel Schumacher, written by Ebbe Roe Smith, and starring Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall.
Set in Los Angeles, the film tells the story of William Foster, a disgruntled, une ...
'' (1993) as Detective Sandra Torres (alongside
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the ...
and
Robert Duvall
Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...
), ''
First Time Felon'' (1997) as McBride (alongside
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps (born July 20, 1973) is an American actor, rapper, and producer. Epps's film roles include ''Juice (1992 film), Juice'', ''Higher Learning'', ''The Wood'', ''In Too Deep (1999 film), In Too Deep'', and ''Love & Basketball''. His ...
), and ''
Con Air
''Con Air'' is a 1997 American action thriller film directed by Simon West and starring Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich in the lead roles. Written by Scott Rosenberg and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, the film centers on a pr ...
'' (1997) (alongside
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Kim Coppola (born January 7, 1964), known professionally as Nicolas Cage, is an American actor and film producer. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Nicolas Cage, various accolades, including an Academy A ...
and
John Malkovich
John Gavin Malkovich (born December 9, 1953) is an American actor. He is the recipient of several accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and ...
), in which she earned an
ALMA Award
The American Latino Media Arts Award or ALMA Award, formerly known as Latin Oscars Award, is an award highlighting the best American Latino contributions to music, television, and film. The awards promote fair and accurate portrayals of Latino ...
for her role as prison guard Sally Bishop. In 1995, she played the role of Doña Inez, the Mexican mother of Don Juan, in the tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy ''
Don Juan DeMarco
''Don Juan DeMarco'' is a 1995 American romantic comedy-drama film starring Johnny Depp as John Arnold DeMarco, a man who believes himself to be Don Juan, the greatest lover in the world. Clad in a cape and domino mask, DeMarco undergoes psych ...
'', with
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award as well as nominations for ...
playing the title role.
Ticotin has participated in over 40 films and television series, appearing in ''
Man on Fire'' (2004), as Mariana, and ''
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants'' is a series of five bestselling Young adult literature, young adult novels by Ann Brashares: ''The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (novel), The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2001),'' ''The Second S ...
'' (2005). Ticotin was cast as Vangie Gonzalez Taylor in the second season of
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcaster and non-commercial, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly funded nonprofit organization and the most prominent provider of educat ...
's television series ''
American Family'' alongside
Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos (born February 24, 1947) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Detective List of Blade Runner (franchise) characters#Gaff, Gaff in ''Blade Runner'' (1982) and its sequel ''Blade Runner 2049'' (2017), Lieuten ...
,
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales Jr. (born October 1, 1962) is an American actor. He has had notable roles in the films '' Bad Boys'' with Sean Penn and '' La Bamba'' with Lou Diamond Phillips. His television roles include the PBS 2002 drama series '' Americ ...
,
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Welch (; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023) was an American actress. Welch first gained attention for her role in ''Fantastic Voyage'' (1966), after which she signed a long-term contract with 20th Century Fox. They lent her con ...
, and
Kate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo Negrete Trillo (; born October 23, 1972) is a Mexican and American actress. At the age of 19, del Castillo became known for her lead role in the telenovela ''Muchachitas'' for Televisa in 1991. Afterwards, she continued her car ...
. Ticotin also appeared on television in season two of the
ABC series ''
Lost'' as
Captain Teresa Cortez, mother of
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. She began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Awards, Independent S ...
's character
Ana Lucia Cortez.
In September 2010, she joined the cast of the NBC
legal drama
Legal drama, also called courtroom drama, is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in wh ...
''
Law & Order: LA'' as Lieutenant Arleen Gonzales in place of
Wanda De Jesus, who originally played the role. Ticotin reshot the scenes originally performed by De Jesus.
She also played Dr. Marie Cerone on the
ABC medical drama
A medical drama is a Television film, television movie or film in which events center upon a hospital, clinic, doctor's office, a paramedic, or any other medical topic or environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic progra ...
television series ''
Grey's Anatomy
''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'' in 2018.
Personal life
She was married to actor
David Caruso
David Stephen Caruso (born January 7, 1956) is a retired American actor and producer, best known for his roles as Detective John Kelly on the ABC crime drama ''NYPD Blue'' (1993–1994) and Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the CBS series '' CSI: ...
from 1984 to 1987, with whom she has a daughter (Greta), born in 1984. Since 1998, she has been married to actor
Peter Strauss.
Filmography
Awards and nominations
ALMA Awards
The American Latino Media Arts Award or ALMA Award, formerly known as Latin Oscars Award, is an award highlighting the best American Latino contributions to music, television, and film. The awards promote fair and accurate portrayals of Latino ...
*1998: Nominated, “Outstanding Actress in a Made-for-Television Movie or Mini-Series” – ''First Time Felon''
*1998: Nominated, “Outstanding Actress in a Feature Film” – ''Con Air''
Saturn Award
The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films bel ...
*1991: Nominated, “Best Supporting Actress” – ''Total Recall''
Blockbuster Entertainment Award
*1998: Nominated, “Favorite Supporting Actress in an Action/Adventure Film” – ''Con Air''
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
This is a list of notable people from Puerto Rico which includes people who were born in Puerto Rico (Borinquen) and people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican people, Puerto Rican descent. Puerto Rican citizens are included, as the governm ...
References
External links
*
Profile of Rachel Ticotin among the cast of ''American Family''at PBS.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ticotin, Rachel
Living people
American people of Russian-Jewish descent
American film actresses
American stage actresses
American television actresses
Jewish American actresses
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
American actresses of Puerto Rican descent
21st-century American Jews
Columbia University School of General Studies alumni
21st-century American women
1958 births