Rachel Ticotin - Biography

Rachel Ticotin (born November 1, 1958) is an American film and television actress.

Biography

Early life

Ticotin (pronounced tick-oh-tin) was born in Bronx, New York, the daughter of Iris Torres, a Puerto Rican educator, and Abe Ticotin, a Russian 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.

Career

In 1978, Rachel appeared as a dancer in the film King of the Gypsies, 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.

Personal life

In 1983, Ticotin married David Caruso, 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.

Selected Filmography

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

See also

• List of famous Puerto Ricans
• Jewish immigration to Puerto Rico

External links

• Profile of Rachel Ticotin among the cast of American Family at PBS.org