# Mercedes Ruehl

Mercedes J. Ruehl (/ruːl/ ROOL; born February 28, 1948) is an American screen, stage, and television actress. She is the recipient of several accolades, including an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a Tony Award, a Drama Desk Award, two Obie Awards, and two Outer Critics Circle Awards.
Ruehl is known for her leading performance in the play Lost in Yonkers (1990) and supporting performance in the film The Fisher King (1991). Her other film credits include Big (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), Last Action Hero (1993), Roseanna's Grave (1997), Gia (1998), The Minus Man (1999) and Hustlers (2019).

## Early life and education

Ruehl was born February 28, 1948, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, to Mercedes J. Ruehl, a schoolteacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her mother was of Cuban and Irish descent. The family frequently moved during her childhood owing to Vincent Ruehl's assignments with the FBI, and lived in other states including Silver Spring, Maryland. She and her brother, Peter, were raised Catholic.
She attended the College of New Rochelle and graduated in 1969 with a BA in English.

## Career

Ruehl began her acting career in New York City appearing in various off-off Broadway productions while working a variety of temping and waitressing jobs. She established herself in regional theatre with the Denver Center Theatre Company. In 1980, she was nearly cast in the sixth season of Saturday Night Live, losing her slot to Denny Dillon. Her first starring role on Broadway came in 1984's I'm Not Rappaport. She then went on to win the 1984 Obie Award for her performance in The Marriage of Bette and Boo and twenty years later, an Obie for Woman Before a Glass. She also received a 1991 Tony Award as Best Actress (Play) for Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers and continued her role in the show during its tour with co-star Mercedes McCambridge. Her performances in two other plays earned her two other Tony nominations: in 1995, as Best Actress (Featured Role – Play) for a revival of The Shadow Box; and in 2002, as Best Actress (Play) for Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who is Sylvia?.
In 1996, she was mentioned in the Sheryl Crow song A Change Would Do You Good. In 1999, they co-starred together in the movie The Minus Man.
Her most acclaimed film role was in The Fisher King; her performance as a strong-willed and pragmatic video store owner earned her the 1991 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, American Comedy Award, Boston Society of Film Critics Award, a Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, and a Golden Globe. Earlier she had won the 1989 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Married to the Mob. She played KACL station manager Kate Costas in five episodes of Frasier, and had a major role in the made-for-TV film All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story. In 2005, she (along with Esai Morales) received the Rita Moreno HOLA Award for Excellence from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. She later played the mother of main character Vincent Chase in HBO's Entourage.
In 2009, she returned to the stage in Manhattan Theater Club's production of Richard Greenberg's The American Plan playing the role of Eva Adler. The production opened at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre and the limited engagement ran From January 22 until March 22. In his rave review in The New York Times, Ben Brantley called Ruehl's performance "masterly". Ruehl next appeared in the drama/horror film What Ever Happened to Barker Daniels?, which was released in 2009. In January 2011, Ruehl starred in Sarah Treem's play The How and The Why, directed by Emily Mann at McCarter Theatre of Princeton University.
Ruehl appeared in the role of Ma in Harvey Fierstein's revamped and renamed revival of his play Torch Song Off-Broadway at Second Stage Theater. The play began previews on September 26, and opened officially on October 19, 2017. The production later transferred to Broadway.
Ruehl is on the faculty of HB Studio in New York City.

## Personal life

In 1999, Ruehl married painter David Geiser with whom she had adopted a son, Jake (born 1995). She had another son, Christopher, whom she placed for adoption in 1976 when she was 28. They were reunited in the late 1990s when he turned 21, and later Christopher became Jake's godfather. Ruehl and Geiser put their Hampton house on the market in 2017; the same year, Ruehl said that they were no longer together but remained close. Geiser died unexpectedly of heart disease in his sleep at home on October 14, 2020, at the age of 73.
Her brother, Peter, moved to Australia in 1987, where he was a newspaper columnist until his death in 2011.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1976 | Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands | American girl in casino | Film debut Uncredited |
| 1979 | The Warriors | Policewoman | |
| 1981 | Four Friends | Woman in Taxi | |
| 1986 | Heartburn | Eve | |
| 1986 | Twisted | Cybelle | |
| 1987 | Radio Days | Ad Man | |
| 1987 | 84 Charing Cross Road | Kay | |
| 1987 | The Secret of My Succe$s | Sheila | |
| 1987 | Leader of the Band | Miss Cooper | |
| 1988 | Big | Mrs. Baskin | |
| 1988 | Married to the Mob | Connie Russo | |
| 1989 | Slaves of New York | Samantha | |
| 1989 | Crimes and Misdemeanors | Party Guest | Uncredited |
| 1990 | Crazy People | Dr. Liz Baylor | |
| 1991 | Another You | Elaine/Mimi Kravitz | |
| 1991 | The Fisher King | Anne | |
| 1993 | Lost in Yonkers | Bella Kurnitz | |
| 1993 | Last Action Hero | Irene Madigan | |
| 1994 | On Hope | Wendy | Short film |
| 1997 | Roseanna's Grave | Roseanna 'Rosa' | |
| 1999 | The Minus Man | Jane | |
| 1999 | Out of the Cold | Tina | |
| 2000 | What's Cooking? | Elizabeth 'Lizzy' Avila | |
| 2000 | More Dogs Than Bones | Victoria 'Vic' Galletti | |
| 2000 | The Amati Girls | Grace | |
| 2002 | Spooky House | Boss | |
| 2004 | Zeyda and the Hitman | Esther | |
| 2010 | Goldstar, Ohio | Adriana Rock | Short film |
| 2014 | Chu and Blossom | Mrs. Fefterg | |
| 2016 | Good Business | Lorraine | Short film |
| 2019 | Hustlers | Mother | |
| 2024 | The Nana Project | Helen “Nana” Lewis | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1977 | The Doctors | Ursula | Television debut Recurring role |
| 1984 | ABC Afterschool Special | Sandy | Episode: "Mom's on Strike" |
| 1985 | Our Family Honor | Louise Taylor | Episode: "Homecoming" |
| 1986 | Kate & Allie | Millie | Episode: "Late Bloomer" Credited as Mercedes Ruehle |
| 1990 | The Cosby Show | Bernadette Foley | Episode: "The Moves" |
| 1995 | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | Lael Rubin | Television movie |
| 1995–96 | Frasier | Kate Costas | Recurring role; 5 episodes |
| 1997 | North Shore Fish | Florence | Television movie |
| 1997 | SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground | Leyla | Television movie Segment: "Underground" |
| 1998 | Gia | Kathleen Carangi | Television movie |
| 2000 | All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story | Jane Newhall | Television movie |
| 2000 | The Lost Child | Rebecca | Television movie |
| 2001 | Mr. Life | | Television movie |
| 2002 | Guilt by Association | Susan Walker | Television movie |
| 2002 | Widows | Dolly Rawlins | 4 episodes |
| 2004 | Everyday Life | | Television movie |
| 2004 | 1-800-Missing | Emmanuelle Baker | Episode: "These Dreams Before Me" |
| 2004 | Bad Apple | Lorraine Gibbons | Television movie |
| 2004 and 2009 | Law & Order | Judge Clara Lloyd/Zina Rybakov | 2 episodes |
| 2005 | Mom at Sixteen | Terry Jeffries | Television movie |
| 2006 | So Here's What Happened | Rochelle | Television movie |
| 2006 | A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story | Sylvia Guerrero | Television movie |
| 2006–08 | Entourage | Rita Chase | 2 episodes |
| 2007 | Psych | Detective Goochberg | Episode: "Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast" |
| 2009 | Loving Leah | Janice Lever | Television movie |
| 2012 | El Jefe | Delmi Rodriguez | Television movie |
| 2012 | Luck | Renzo's Mother | Episode: "Episode Nine" |
| 2013 | Doubt | Mrs. Syd Newman | Television movie |
| 2013 | Monday Mornings | Judge Beverly Natheson | Episode: "Wheels Within Wheels" |
| 2013 | Star Spangled Banners | Rosalind Banner | Television movie |
| 2015 | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Lucia Barba | Episode: "December Solstice" |
| 2016 | Life in Pieces | Mia | Episode: "Hair Recital Rainbow Mom" |
| 2016 | The Mysteries of Laura | Val Santiani | Episode: "The Mystery of the End of Watch" |
| 2016 | 2 Broke Girls | Olga | Episode: "And the Godmama Drama" |
| 2017 | NCIS | Marie Quinn | Episode: "A Bowl of Cherries" |
| 2017–18 | Power | Connie Teresi | Recurring role; 7 episodes |
| 2018–20 | Bull | Judge Tessa Hudson | 3 episodes |
| 2022 | New Amsterdam | Grace | Episode: "TBD" |
| 2024 | Accused | Connie | Episode: "Margot's Story" |

### Theater

| Year | Title | Role | Venue |
| 1985 | Coming of Age in Soho | Patricia | The Public Theatre |
| 1985 | The Marriage of Bette and Boo | Joan Brennan | The Public Theatre |
| 1985–88 | I'm Not Rappaport | Clara | Booth Theatre, Broadway |
| 1988 | American Notes' | Karen | The Public Theatre |
| 1989 | Other People's Money | Kate Sullivan | Minetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 1991 | Lost in Yonkers | Bella Kurnitz | Richard Rodgers Theatre |
| 1992 | Antony and Cleopatra | Cleopatra | Actors Theater, Louisville |
| 1994–95 | The Shadow Box | Beverly | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway |
| 1995 | The Rose Tattoo | Serafina Delle Rose | Circle in the Square Theatre, Broadway |
| 2000 | The Vagina Monologues | Monologist | Westside Theatre, Off-Broadway |
| 2000–01 | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? | Martha | Guthrie Theater. Minneapolis |
| 2002 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? | Stevie | John Golden Theatre, Broadway |
| 2005 | Woman Before a Glass | Peggy Guggenheim | Promenade Theater, Off-Broadway |
| 2009 | The American Plan | Eva Adler | Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway |
| 2010 | Edward Albee's Occupant | Louise Nevelson | Peter Norton Space |
| 2010 | The Prisoner of Second Avenue | Edna Edison | The Old Vic Theatre Company, Vaudeville Theatre, London |
| 2012 | The How and the Why | Zelda Kahn | McCarter Theatre, New Jersey |
| 2015 | Full Gallop | Diana Vreeland | Old Globe Theatre, California |
| 2017–19 | Torch Song | Ma Beckoff | Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Title | Accolade | Results |
| 1989 | Married to the Mob | National Society of Film Critics Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1991 | The Fisher King | Boston Society of Film Critics Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1991 | Lost in Yonkers | Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play | Won |
| 1991 | The Fisher King | Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1991 | Lost in Yonkers | Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play | Won |
| 1991 | The Fisher King | Venice Film Festival Award, Best Lead Actress | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | American Comedy Award, Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actor | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | Golden Globe Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture | Won |
| 1992 | The Fisher King | Saturn Award, Best Supporting Actress | Won |
| 1993 | | Boston Film Festival Award, Film Excellence award | Won |
| 1995 | Indictment: The McMartin Trial | CableACE Award, Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 1995 | The Rose Tattoo | Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play | Nominated |
| 1995 | The Shadow Box | Tony Award, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play | Nominated |
| 2002 | The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? | Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play | Nominated |
| 2006 | Mom at Sixteen | Prism Award, Performance in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2007 | A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story | Imagen Foundation Award, Best Actress - Television | Nominated |