# Rachel Ticotin

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, and Con Air. She has appeared in the NBC 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 American Broadcasting Company (ABC) medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy in 2018.

## Early life

Ticotin is the daughter of a Puerto Rican mother and a Russian-Jewish father. Her father was a used-car salesman, and 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 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. She also acted in the off-Broadway 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'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'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'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 and Sharon Stone), Where the Day Takes You (1992) as Officer Landers, Falling Down (1993) as Detective Sandra Torres (alongside Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall), First Time Felon (1997) as McBride (alongside Omar Epps), and Con Air (1997) (alongside Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich), in which she earned an ALMA Award 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, with Johnny Depp 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 (2005). Ticotin was cast as Vangie Gonzalez Taylor in the second season of PBS's television series American Family alongside Edward James Olmos, Esai Morales, Raquel Welch, and Kate del Castillo. Ticotin also appeared on television in season two of the ABC series Lost as Captain Teresa Cortez, mother of Michelle Rodriguez's character Ana Lucia Cortez.
In September 2010, she joined the cast of the NBC legal drama 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 American Broadcasting Company (ABC) medical drama television series Grey's Anatomy in 2018.

## Personal life

She was married to actor David Caruso 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

Film :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1978 | King of the Gypsies | Gypsy Dancer | |
| 1981 | Fort Apache, The Bronx | Isabella | |
| 1987 | Critical Condition | Rachel Atwood | |
| 1990 | Total Recall | Melina | |
| 1991 | One Good Cop | Detective Grace | |
| 1991 | F/X2 | Kim Brandon | |
| 1992 | Where the Day Takes You | Officer Landers | |
| 1993 | Falling Down | Detective Sandra Torres | |
| 1994 | Natural Born Killers | Wanda Bisbing (scenes deleted) | |
| 1994 | Criminal Passion | Tracy Perry | |
| 1994 | Don Juan DeMarco | Doña Inez | |
| 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little | Laura Martinez | |
| 1997 | Turbulence | Rachel Taper | |
| 1997 | Con Air | Guard Sally Bishop | |
| 1998 | Gargoyles: Brothers Betrayed | Captain Maria Chavez (voice) | Video short |
| 1999 | Can't Be Heaven | Maggie | |
| 2000 | Civility | Rebecca Russo | |
| 2001 | Full Disclosure | Armiti Khalq | Video |
| 2001 | Warden of Red Rock | Maria McVale | Video |
| 2002 | Desert Saints | Dora | |
| 2003 | Something's Gotta Give | Dr. Martinez | |
| 2004 | Man on Fire | Mariana Garcia Guerrero | |
| 2005 | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants | Carmen's Mom | |
| 2008 | The Eye | Rosa Martinez | |
| 2008 | The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 | Carmen's Mom | |
| 2008 | The Burning Plain | Ana | |
| 2011 | America | Esther | |
| 2020 | Superintelligence | Director Tyson | |
Television :
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983 | For Love and Honor | Corporal Grace Pavlik | TV film |
| 1983–1984 | For Love and Honor | Corporal Grace Pavlik | 12 episodes |
| 1985 | Love, Mary | Rachel Martin | TV film |
| 1985–1986 | Our Family Honor | Karen Pellagrino | (1) Season 1 Episode 11: "Crimes of Passion: Part 1" (1985) (2) Season 1 Episode 12: "Crimes of Passion: Part 2" (1986) |
| 1986 | Rockabye | Victoria Garcia | TV film |
| 1986 | Stingray | Elena Ballesteros | Season 1 Episode 1: "Ancient Eyes" |
| 1986 | When the Bough Breaks | Raquel Santos | TV film |
| 1987–1988 | Ohara | Assistant U.S. Attorney Teresa Storm | 14 episodes |
| 1988 | Spies, Lies & Naked Thighs | Sonia | TV film |
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | Iris | TV film |
| 1992 | Keep the Change | Astrid | TV film |
| 1992 | From the Files of Joseph Wambaugh: A Jury of One | Christine Avila | TV film |
| 1993 | Crime & Punishment | Detective Annette Rey | all 6 episodes |
| 1994 | Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story | Diane | TV film |
| 1994 | Deconstructing Sarah | Elizabeth Davis | TV film |
| 1994 | Tales from the Crypt | Charbonnet / Lilian | Season 6 Episode 9: "Staired in Horror" |
| 1994–1996 | Gargoyles | Captain Maria Chavez (voice) | 12 episodes |
| 1995 | The Wharf Rat | Dexter Ireland | TV film |
| 1996 | Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles | Captain Maria Chavez (voice) | 3 episodes |
| 1997 | First Time Felon | McBride | TV film |
| 1999 | Aftershock: Earthquake in New York | Elizabeth Perez | TV film |
| 2001 | The Outer Limits | Theodora 'Teddi' Madden | Season 7 Episode 6: "Mona Lisa" |
| 2002 | American Family | Vangie Gonzalez | (1) Season 1 Episode 2: "The Sewing Machine" (2) Season 1 Episode 7: "Crash Boom Love: Part 1" (3) Season 1 Episode 8: "Crash Boom Love: Part 2" (4) Season 1 Episode 9: "Mexican Revolution" (5) Season 1 Episode 10: "The Forgotten War" (6) Season 1 Episode 15: "The Glass Ceiling" |
| 2003–2005 | Skin | Laura Roam | (1) Season 1 Episode 1: "Pilot" (2003) (2) Season 1 Episode "Secrets & Lies" (2003) (3) Season 1 Episode 3: "Endorsement" (2003) (4) Season 1 Episode 4: "Amber Synn" (2005) (5) Season 1 Episode 5: "Blowback" (2005) (6) Season 1 Episode 6: "True Lies" (2005) |
| 2005–2006 | Lost | Captain Teresa Cortez | (1) Season 2 Episode 8: "Collision" (2005) (2) Season 2 Episode 20: "Two for the Road" (2006) |
| 2007 | John from Cincinnati | Woman In Jail Cell | Season 1 Episode 1: "His Visit: Day One" |
| 2009 | Weeds | Candela | Season 5 Episode 13: "All About My Mom" |
| 2010–2011 | Law & Order: LA | Lieutenant Arleen Gonzalez | Main role (21 episodes) |
| 2012 | Unforgettable | Sharon Vega | Season 1 Episode 19: "Allegiances" |
| 2012 | NCIS: Los Angeles | Monica Tenez | Season 4 Episode 4: "Dead Body Politic" |
| 2013 | Blue Bloods | Carmen Castillo | Season 3 Episode 15: "Warrior" |
| 2015 | The Curse of the Fuentes Women | Esperanza Fuentes | TV movie |
| 2016 | Secret Summer | Ms. Annie Archer | TV movie |
| 2017 | Homeland | Mercedes | Season 6 Episode 6: "The Return" |
| 2018 | Grey's Anatomy | Dr. Marie Cerone | (1) Season 14 Episode 14: "Games People Play" (2) Season 14 Episode 15: "Old Scars, Future Hearts" (3) Season 14 Episode 22: "Fight For Your Mind" |
| 2019 | The Act | Gina | (1) Season 1 Episode 1: "La Maison du Bon Reve" (2) Season 1 Episode 2: "Teeth" (3) Season 1 Episode 3: "Two Wolverines" (4) Season 1 Episode 7: "Bonnie & Clyde" |
| 2023 | NCIS | Joy Aaronson | Season 20 Episode 11: "Bridges" |

## Awards and nominations

ALMA Awards
* 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
* 1991: Nominated, “Best Supporting Actress” – Total Recall
Blockbuster Entertainment Award
* 1998: Nominated, “Favorite Supporting Actress in an Action/Adventure Film” – Con Air