Grace Santiago
Encyclopedia
Grace Santiago was a character
on the American television series
Nip/Tuck
. She was the staff psychologist
for McNamara/Troy. She was portrayed by Valerie Cruz
.
Grace's first patient to work with at McNamara/Troy is a manic depressive, to whom she denies surgery. Grace claims that the patient is resisting drug therapy and is a bad candidate for surgery. After the doctors deny the surgery, the patient commits suicide resulting from extreme depression. This gives Grace a poor start with the doctors.
Later, after noticing Christian
's high sexual activity, she refers him to Sexaholics Anonymous
. She claims to speak to him as a professional, and that he needs help. Ironically, later in the same episode she has sex with Christian, contradicting her advice to him.
At one point during a consultation with Sean and a potential patient, Grace voices a suspicion that Sean is having an affair with the patient, Megan O'Hara. Though her accusations are true, Sean denies them strongly, and they are never confirmed with Grace. Her accusation causes extreme friction in the McNamara/Troy office between Grace and the doctors.
Towards the end of Grace's stay at McNamara/Troy she helps the doctors decide whether or not to operate on a multiple personality patient. She advises not to operate on the patient. Once again Grace makes a bad diagnosis and there is a bad outcome for the doctors. Afterwards, Sean goes against Grace's advice and gives the operation.
After this, the character of Grace disappeared from the show with very little explanation. There is one brief scene where Christian and Sean discuss firing Grace. No more is heard about her after that.
go.
At the beginning of the second season, Liz Winters is renamed Liz Cruz
, a surname she retains for the rest of the series, as a tribute to Valerie Cruz.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the American television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck
Nip/Tuck is an American drama series created by Ryan Murphy, which aired on FX in the United States. The series focuses on McNamara/Troy, a plastic surgery practice, and follows its founders, Sean McNamara and Christian Troy...
. She was the staff psychologist
Psychologist
Psychologist is a professional or academic title used by individuals who are either:* Clinical professionals who work with patients in a variety of therapeutic contexts .* Scientists conducting psychological research or teaching psychology in a college...
for McNamara/Troy. She was portrayed by Valerie Cruz
Valerie Cruz
Valerie Cruz is an American actress.Cruz was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey of Cuban ancestry. She attended Florida State University and received a BFA theatre degree....
.
Character history
Dr. Grace Santiago was first introduced into the show by meeting Sean for advice for two of his potential patients, identical twins who wanted to look different to express their own individuality. She gives Sean her expert advice as a psychologist that their surgery is needed. After a short misunderstanding between Sean and Grace, Sean hires Grace as staff psychologist to help make better judgments on potential patients.Grace's first patient to work with at McNamara/Troy is a manic depressive, to whom she denies surgery. Grace claims that the patient is resisting drug therapy and is a bad candidate for surgery. After the doctors deny the surgery, the patient commits suicide resulting from extreme depression. This gives Grace a poor start with the doctors.
Later, after noticing Christian
Christian Troy
Dr. Christian Troy is a fictional character played by Julian McMahon on the FX Networks series Nip/Tuck. The show revolves around McNamara/Troy, the plastic surgery practice he runs with his business partner and best friend, Sean McNamara....
's high sexual activity, she refers him to Sexaholics Anonymous
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sexaholics Anonymous is one of several twelve-step programs for hypersexuality based on the original Twelve Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. SA takes its place among various 12-step groups that seek recovery from sexual addiction: Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous, Sexual...
. She claims to speak to him as a professional, and that he needs help. Ironically, later in the same episode she has sex with Christian, contradicting her advice to him.
At one point during a consultation with Sean and a potential patient, Grace voices a suspicion that Sean is having an affair with the patient, Megan O'Hara. Though her accusations are true, Sean denies them strongly, and they are never confirmed with Grace. Her accusation causes extreme friction in the McNamara/Troy office between Grace and the doctors.
Towards the end of Grace's stay at McNamara/Troy she helps the doctors decide whether or not to operate on a multiple personality patient. She advises not to operate on the patient. Once again Grace makes a bad diagnosis and there is a bad outcome for the doctors. Afterwards, Sean goes against Grace's advice and gives the operation.
After this, the character of Grace disappeared from the show with very little explanation. There is one brief scene where Christian and Sean discuss firing Grace. No more is heard about her after that.
Departure
Victim of the Chuck Cunningham Syndrome, Grace disappeared with no explanation. Ryan Murphy recently revealed, almost 4 years after her departure, that this decision had been taken by everyone because it felt unreasonable to have a psychiatrist in a plastic surgery clinic. He stated "which kind of psychiatrist would recommend any patient a face lift instead of facing the real problem?" Finding no way to give this character any sense, it was decided to let Valerie CruzValerie Cruz
Valerie Cruz is an American actress.Cruz was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey of Cuban ancestry. She attended Florida State University and received a BFA theatre degree....
go.
At the beginning of the second season, Liz Winters is renamed Liz Cruz
Liz Cruz
Dr. Elizabeth "Liz" Troy is a fictional character in the American television series Nip/Tuck, and is portrayed by Roma Maffia.-Character history:...
, a surname she retains for the rest of the series, as a tribute to Valerie Cruz.