Rachel Ticotin
Encyclopedia
Rachel Ticotin is an American
film and television actress.
, the daughter of Iris Torres, a Puerto Rican educator, and Abe Ticotin, a Russia
n Jewish used car salesman. Her brother, Sahaj
, is a musician and the lead singer for his rock group, Ra. Ticotin grew up in the Bronx, which has a large population of Puerto Ricans, and where she received her primary and secondary education
. Ticotin's parents enrolled her in the Ballet Hispanico of New York where she took ballet
lessons.
, making that her official film debut. She also acted on the Off-Broadway
production of Miguel Piñero
's The Sun Always Shines for the Cool. (During this period, she also received an onscreen credit as a production assistant
on Brian De Palma
's Dressed to Kill.) Her first big break came in 1981
, when she was cast as Isabella opposite Paul Newman
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 in are, Ohara
(1987), Women on the Inside (1991), Crime & Punishment (1993), and Gargoyles
(1994).
Among the movies in which she has been cast are the following, Critical Condition
(1986) as Rachel Atwood, Where the Day Takes You
(1992) as Officer Landers, Falling Down
(1993) as Detective Sandra Torres, Total Recall
(1990) as Melina alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
and Sharon Stone
, (1997) as Mcbride alongside Omar Epps
in First Time Felon
and Con Air
(1997) alongside Nicolas Cage
, where 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 DeMarco
in the tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy of the same name, with Johnny Depp
playing the title role.
Ticotin has participated in over 40 film and television series, recently 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 most recently appeared on television in season 2 of the popular ABC
series Lost
. She was cast as Captain Teresa Cortez, mother of Michelle Rodriguez
's character Ana Lucia Cortez
.
In September 2010; Ticotin joined that cast of the NBC
legal drama
, Law & Order: Los Angeles
as Lt. Arleen Gonzales in place of Wanda De Jesus
, who originally portrayed the role. Ticotin reshot the scenes originally by De Jesus.
, with whom she had a daughter, Greta, born June 1, 1984. In 1989, she divorced Caruso and has been married to Peter Strauss
since 1998.
Saturn Award
Blockbuster Entertainment Award
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
film and television actress.
Early life
Ticotin was born in Bronx, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the daughter of Iris Torres, a Puerto Rican educator, and Abe Ticotin, a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Jewish used car salesman. Her brother, Sahaj
Sahaj (musician)
Daniel "Sahaj" Ticotin , is an American musician, vocalist, record producer, and member of the rock band, Ra. Sahaj was born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Russian-Jewish father. During a pilgrimage to India in 1992, he studied meditation and was given the name "Sahaj"...
, is a musician and the lead singer for his rock group, Ra. Ticotin grew up in the Bronx, which has a large population of Puerto Ricans, and where she received her primary and secondary education
Secondary education
Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...
. Ticotin's parents enrolled her in the Ballet Hispanico of New York where she took ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
lessons.
Career
In 1978, Rachel appeared as a dancer in the film King of the GypsiesKing 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 power associated with the title varied; it might be...
, making that her official film debut. She also acted on the Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
production of Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero
Miguel Piñero was a Puerto Rican playwright, actor, and co-founder of the Nuyorican Poets Café. He was a leading member of the Nuyorican literary movement.-Early years:...
's The Sun Always Shines for the Cool. (During this period, she also received an onscreen credit as a production assistant
Production assistant
A production assistant, also known as a PA, is a job title used in filmmaking and television for a person responsible for various aspects of a production...
on Brian De Palma
Brian De Palma
Brian Russell De Palma is an American film director and writer. In a career spanning over 40 years, he is probably best known for his suspense and crime thriller films, including such box office successes as the horror film Carrie, Dressed to Kill, Scarface, The Untouchables, and Mission:...
's Dressed to Kill.) Her first big break came in 1981
1981 in film
-Events:*January 19 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer acquires beleaguered concurrent United Artists. UA was humiliated by the astronomical losses on the $40,000,000 movie Heaven's Gate, a major factor in the decision of owner Transamerica to sell it....
, when she was cast as Isabella opposite Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
in the movie Fort Apache, The Bronx
Fort Apache, The Bronx
Fort Apache, The Bronx is a 1981 crime drama film made by Producers Circle, Time-Life Television Productions Inc., and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Daniel Petrie and produced by Martin Richards, Thomas Fiorello, with David Susskind as executive producer...
. 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
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's television drama Love and Honor. Other television series in which she has appeared in are, Ohara
Ohara (TV series)
Ohara is an American television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel...
(1987), Women on the Inside (1991), Crime & Punishment (1993), and Gargoyles
Gargoyles (TV series)
Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama...
(1994).
Among the movies in which she has been cast are the following, Critical Condition
Critical Condition (film)
Critical Condition is a 1987 comedy film starring Richard Pryor.-Synopsis:Pryor plays Kevin Lennihan, a con man who is framed in a jewel robbery. In order to escape custody, he fakes insanity, then poses as surgeon Dr. Eddie Slattery at a local hospital when he switches places with the...
(1986) as Rachel Atwood, Where the Day Takes You
Where the Day Takes You
Where the Day Takes You is a 1992 film directed by Marc Rocco. The film tells the story of teenage runaways trying to survive on the streets of Los Angeles...
(1992) as Officer Landers, Falling Down
Falling Down
Falling Down is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster , a divorcee and unemployed former defense engineer...
(1993) as Detective Sandra Torres, Total Recall
Total Recall
Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”...
(1990) as Melina alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
and Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
, (1997) as Mcbride alongside Omar Epps
Omar Epps
Omar Hashim Epps is an American actor, singer, songwriter, and record producer. His film roles include Major League II, Juice, Higher Learning, Scream 2, The Wood, In Too Deep, and Love and Basketball. Epps' television work includes the role of Dr. Dennis Gant on the US medical drama series ER,...
in First Time Felon
First Time Felon
-Plot:A young inexperienced drug dealer and "Vice Lords" gang member, Greg Yance has been given the choice between facing a five-year prison sentence or the successful completion of an intensive boot camp...
and Con Air
Con Air
Con Air is an Academy Award–nominated 1997 American action-thriller film directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich...
(1997) alongside Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
, where she earned an ALMA Award
Alma Award
The American Latino Media Arts Award, or ALMA Award is a distinction awarded to Latino performers who promote positive portrayals of Latinos in the entertainment field...
for her role as prison guard Sally Bishop. In 1995, she played the role of Doña Inez, the Mexican
Mexican people
Mexican people refers to all persons from Mexico, a multiethnic country in North America, and/or who identify with the Mexican cultural and/or national identity....
mother of Don Juan DeMarco
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 psychiatric treatment with Marlon Brando's character, Dr. Jack...
in the tongue-in-cheek romantic comedy of the same name, with Johnny Depp
Johnny Depp
John Christopher "Johnny" Depp II is an American actor, producer and musician. He has won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild award for Best Actor. Depp rose to prominence on the 1980s television series 21 Jump Street, becoming a teen idol...
playing the title role.
Ticotin has participated in over 40 film and television series, recently appearing in Man on Fire
Man on Fire (2004 film)
Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987....
(2004) as Mariana and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (film)
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants is a 2005 American film, based on the novel The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares released by Warner Bros. Pictures. It was directed by Ken Kwapis and written by Delia Ephron.The film's production budget was $25 million...
(2005). Ticotin was cast as Vangie Gonzalez Taylor in the second season of PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
's television series American Family
American Family: Journey of Dreams
American Family: Journey of Dreams is a PBS series created by Gregory Nava that follows the lives of a Latino family in Los Angeles.This was the first broadcast television drama series featuring a predominantly Latino cast...
alongside Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos
Edward James Olmos is an American actor and director. Among his most memorable roles are William Adama in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, Lt...
, Esai Morales
Esai Morales
Esai Manuel Morales is an American actor. He is well known for his role as Bob Morales in the 1987 biopic La Bamba. He also appeared in the PBS drama American Family and in the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd.. However, he is best known for his roles as Lt...
, Raquel Welch
Raquel Welch
Jo Raquel Tejada , better known as Raquel Welch, is an American actress, author and sex symbol. Welch came to attention as a "new-star" on the 20th Century-Fox lot in the mid-1960s. She posed iconically in a animal skin bikini for the British-release One Million Years B.C. , for which she may be...
and Kate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo
Kate del Castillo is a leading Mexican film, theater, and television actress.- Early life :Kate Del Castillo is the daughter of Kate Trillo and Eric del Castillo, a legend of the Mexican cinema's golden era and a former soap opera actor himself...
. Ticotin most recently appeared on television in season 2 of the popular ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. She was cast as Captain Teresa Cortez, mother of Michelle Rodriguez
Michelle Rodriguez
Mayte Michelle Rodríguez , known professionally as Michelle Rodriguez, is an American actress. Following on from her breakthrough role in 2000's Girlfight, she is best known for playing tough-girl roles and starring in Hollywood blockbusters such as The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil,...
's character Ana Lucia Cortez
Ana Lucia Cortez
Ana Lucia Cortez is a fictional character on the ABC television series Lost, played by Michelle Rodriguez. Ana Lucia made her first appearance as a guest star in the first season finale, and became part of the main cast for season two. After Oceanic Flight 815 splits in mid-air, the tail section...
.
In September 2010; Ticotin joined that cast of the NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
legal drama
Legal drama
A legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
, Law & Order: Los Angeles
Law & Order: Los Angeles
Law & Order: LA, originally titled Law & Order: Los Angeles, is an American police procedural and legal drama television series set in Los Angeles, where it was produced...
as Lt. Arleen Gonzales in place of Wanda De Jesus
Wanda De Jesus
Wanda De Jesus is a Puerto Rican-American actress. She is most notably recognized for her role as the fourth actress to portray Santana Andrade in NBC's soap opera Santa Barbara...
, who originally portrayed the role. Ticotin reshot the scenes originally by De Jesus.
Personal life
In 1983, Ticotin married David CarusoDavid Caruso
David Stephen Caruso is an American film and television actor and producer, best known for his role of Lieutenant Horatio Caine on the TV series CSI: Miami. The role that gained him initial significant recognition was the role of Det...
, with whom she had a daughter, Greta, born June 1, 1984. In 1989, she divorced Caruso and has been married to Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss
Peter Strauss is an American television and movie actor, known for his roles in several television miniseries in the 1970s and 1980s.-Personal life:...
since 1998.
Selected Filmography
| Film | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Film | Role | Other notes |
| 1981 | Fort Apache, The Bronx Fort Apache, The Bronx Fort Apache, The Bronx is a 1981 crime drama film made by Producers Circle, Time-Life Television Productions Inc., and distributed by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. It was directed by Daniel Petrie and produced by Martin Richards, Thomas Fiorello, with David Susskind as executive producer... |
Isabella | |
| 1987 | Critical Condition Critical Condition (film) Critical Condition is a 1987 comedy film starring Richard Pryor.-Synopsis:Pryor plays Kevin Lennihan, a con man who is framed in a jewel robbery. In order to escape custody, he fakes insanity, then poses as surgeon Dr. Eddie Slattery at a local hospital when he switches places with the... |
Rachel Atwood | |
| 1990 | Total Recall Total Recall Total Recall is a 1990 American science fiction action film. The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rachel Ticotin, Sharon Stone, Michael Ironside, Ronny Cox & Mel Johnson, Jr.. It is based on the Philip K. Dick story “We Can Remember It for You Wholesale”... |
Melina | |
| 1991 | One Good Cop One Good Cop One Good Cop is a 1991 American crime film written and directed by Heywood Gould and starring Michael Keaton, Rene Russo, Anthony LaPaglia and Benjamin Bratt.-Plot:... |
Grace | |
| F/X2 F/X2 F/X2 is a 1991 American action thriller film directed by Richard Franklin and starring Bryan Brown and Brian Dennehy. It is a sequel to the 1986 film F/X.-Plot:... |
Kim Brandon | ||
| 1993 | Falling Down Falling Down Falling Down is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster , a divorcee and unemployed former defense engineer... |
Detective Sandra Torrez | |
| 1994 | Don Juan DeMarco 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 psychiatric treatment with Marlon Brando's character, Dr. Jack... |
Doña Inez | |
| 1995 | Steal Big Steal Little Steal Big Steal Little Steal Big Steal Little is a 1995 film directed by Andrew Davis. It stars Andy García in dual roles, plus Alan Arkin and Joe Pantoliano.-Plot summary:... |
Laura Martinez | |
| 1997 | Con Air Con Air Con Air is an Academy Award–nominated 1997 American action-thriller film directed by Simon West and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It stars Nicolas Cage, John Cusack and John Malkovich... |
Guard Sally Bishop | |
| 2000 | Can't Be Heaven Can't Be Heaven Can't Be Heaven is a Family comedy film directed by Richard Friedman. The film stars newcomer Bryan Burke and Ralph Macchio. The film was loosely based on the 1968 movie Blackbeard's Ghost.-Plot:... |
Maggie | |
| 2001 | Full Disclosure Full disclosure In computer security, full disclosure means to disclose all the details of a security problem which are known. It is a philosophy of security management completely opposed to the idea of security through obscurity... |
Armiti Khalq | Direct-to-video Release |
| 2002 | Desert Saints Desert Saints Desert Saints is a 2002 film starring Kiefer Sutherland as a hitman named Arthur Banks. He stars alongside Melora Walters and Jamey Sheridan.-Plot:... |
Dora | |
| 2004 | Man on Fire Man on Fire (2004 film) Man on Fire is a 2004 American thriller film, based on the 1980 novel of the same name by A. J. Quinnell. Another film based on the same novel was also filmed in 1987.... |
Mariana | |
| 2008 | The Eye The Eye (2008 film) The Eye is a 2008 supernatural horror film starring Jessica Alba. It is a remake of the Pang Brothers' 2002 film of the same name.-Plot:Sydney Wells is a successful classical violinist who has been blind since the age of five. Fifteen years later, Sydney undergoes a cornea transplant, which causes... |
Rosa Martinez | |
| 2011 | America America (2011 film) America is a 2011 Puerto Rican drama film directed by Sonia Fritz. The film was selected as the Puerto Rican entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards, but was disqualified.-Cast:* Lymari Nadal as America* Yancey Arias as Correa... |
||
| Television | |||
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1983–1984 | For Love and Honor | Cpl. Grace Pavlik | 12 episodes |
| 1985 | Love, Mary Love, Mary Love, Mary is a television movie that first aired on CBS-TV on 8 October 1985. It is based upon the true story of Dr. Mary Groda-Lewis who struggled with dyslexia.-Plot:... |
Rachel Martin | TV-Movie |
| 1986 | When the Bough Breaks | Raquel Santos | TV-Movie |
| 1987–1988 | Ohara Ohara (TV series) Ohara is an American television series that first aired on the ABC television network from January 17, 1987, until May 7, 1988, starring Pat Morita in the title role of Lt. Ohara. Morita also co-created the series along with Michael Braveman and John A. Kuri. Kevin Conroy, Jon Polito, Rachel... |
Asst. U.S. Atty. Teresa Storm | 30 episodes |
| 1991 | Prison Stories: Women on the Inside | Iris | TV-Movie |
| 1992 | Keep the Change | Astrid | TV-Movie |
| 1994 | Thicker Than Blood: The Larry McLinden Story | Diane | TV-Movie |
| Deconstructing Sarah | Elizabeth Davis | TV-Movie | |
| 1994–1996 | Gargoyles Gargoyles (TV series) Gargoyles is an American animated series created by Greg Weisman. It was produced by Greg Weisman and Frank Paur and aired from October 24, 1994 to February 15, 1997. Gargoyles is known for its dark tone, complex story arcs and melodrama... |
Captain Maria Chavez | Voice role 12 episodes |
| 1995 | The Wharf Rat | Dexter Ireland | TV-Movie |
| 1997 | First Time Felon First Time Felon -Plot:A young inexperienced drug dealer and "Vice Lords" gang member, Greg Yance has been given the choice between facing a five-year prison sentence or the successful completion of an intensive boot camp... |
McBride | TV-Movie |
| 1999 | Aftershock: Earthquake in New York Aftershock: Earthquake in New York Aftershock: Earthquake in New York is a 1999 four-hour disaster miniseries that was broadcast in the United States on CBS in two parts, with the first part aired on November 14 and the second on November 16. It was released to VHS in 2000, and on DVD in 2001. It is based on a book written by Chuck... |
Elizabeth Perez | Miniseries |
| 2001 | Warden of Red Rock | Mrs. Maria McVale | TV-Movie |
| 2002 | American Family: Journey of Dreams American Family: Journey of Dreams American Family: Journey of Dreams is a PBS series created by Gregory Nava that follows the lives of a Latino family in Los Angeles.This was the first broadcast television drama series featuring a predominantly Latino cast... |
Vangie Gonzalez | 6 episodes |
| 2003–2004 | Skin Skin (TV series) Skin is a television serial drama which aired at 9:00 p.m. Monday on Fox in 2003. It followed the tale of two teenagers who came from feuding families on opposite sides of the moral and legal spectrum. Adam is the son of the Los Angeles District Attorney, and Jewel is the daughter of a pornographer... |
Laura Roam | 6 episodes |
| 2010–2011 | Law & Order: LA | Lt. Arleen Gonzales | 21 episodes |
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
Saturn Award
The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, television, and home video. The Saturn Awards were devised by Dr. Donald A. Reed in 1972, who felt that films within...
- 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 famous Puerto Ricans
- Jewish immigration to Puerto RicoJewish immigration to Puerto RicoThe Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico began in the 15th century with the arrival of the anusim who accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage...