Mercedes Ruehl

Mercedes J. Ruehl (born February 28, 1948) is an American screen and stage actor. 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) and Hustlers (2019).
==Personal life==
Ruehl was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City, the daughter of Mercedes J. Ruehl, a schoolteacher, and Vincent Ruehl, an FBI agent. She was raised Catholic. Her father was of German and Irish descent and her mother was of Cuban and Irish ancestry. Ruehl attended College of New Rochelle and graduated in 1969. She is married to painter David Geiser, with whom she adopted a son, Jake (born 1995). She had another son, Christopher, whom she gave up for adoption in 1976 when she was 28. She reunited in the late 1990s with Christopher when he turned 21, and he later became Jake's godfather.
Her brother, Peter Ruehl, moved to Australia in 1987 where he was a popular newspaper columnist until his death in 2011.
==Career==
Ruehl began her career in regional theatre with the Denver Center Theatre Company, taking odd jobs between engagements. 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?.
Her most acclaimed film role was in The Fisher King; her performance in the film earned her the 1991 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress as well as an American Comedy Award, a 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, Ruehl returned to the Broadway 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 2012, 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.
==Performances==
===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 	Mama 	
=== Television ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Notes
1977 	The Doctors 	Ursula 	Television debutRecurring role
1984 	ABC Afterschool Specials 	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 movieSegment: "Underground"
1998 	Gia 	Kathleen Carangi 	Television movie
2000 	Mary Kay Letourneau: All American Girl 	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 	Bab 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 	Bull 	Judge Tessa Hudson 	Episode: "Jury Duty"
=== Theater ===
Year 	Title 	Role 	Venue
1985 	Coming of Age in Soho 	Patricia 	Public Theatre
1985 	The Marriage of Bette and Boo 	Joan Brennan 	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
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-BroadwayHelen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
== Awards and nominations ==
Year	Title 	Accolade 	Results
1989	Married to the Mob 	National Society of Film Critics Award, Best Supporting Actress 	
1991	The Fisher King 	Boston Society of Film Critics Award, Best Supporting Actress 	
1991	Lost in Yonkers 	Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play 	
1991	The Fisher King 	Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actress 	
1991	Lost in Yonkers 	Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play 	
1991	The Fisher King 	Venice Film Festival Award, Best Lead Actress 	
1992	The Fisher King 	Academy Award, Best Supporting Actress 	
1992	The Fisher King 	American Comedy Award, Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 	
1992	The Fisher King 	Chicago Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actor 	
1992	The Fisher King 	Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award, Best Supporting Actress	
1992	The Fisher King 	Golden Globe Award, Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture 	
1992	The Fisher King 	Saturn Award, Best Supporting Actress 	
1993	 	Boston Film Festival Award, Film Excellence award 	
1995	Indictment: The McMartin Trial 	CableACE Award, Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries 	
1995	The Rose Tattoo 	Drama Desk Award, Outstanding Actress in a Play 	
1995	The Shadow Box 	Tony Award, Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play 	
2002	The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? 	Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play 	
2006	Mom at Sixteen 	Prism Award, Performance in a Television Movie or Miniseries 	
2007	A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story	Imagen Foundation Award, Best Actress - Television 	
Category:1948 births
Category:Living people
Category:20th-century American actresses
Category:21st-century American actresses
Category:Actresses from New York City
Category:American entertainers of Cuban descent
Category:American film actresses
Category:American people of German descent
Category:American people of Irish descent
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:American stage actresses
Category:American television actresses
Category:Best Supporting Actress Academy Award winners
Category:Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe (film) winners
Category:College of New Rochelle alumni
Category:Drama Desk Award winners
Category:Hispanic and Latino American actresses
Category:People from Jackson Heights, Queens
Category:Tony Award winners
Category:People from the Bronx
Category:Actresses of German descent
Category:Actresses of Irish descent