Mercedes J. Ruehl ( ; 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, and a Tony Award.
Ruehl won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as video store owner and romantic interest in Terry Gilliam's fantasy comedy drama The Fisher King (1991). She also acted in the films The Warriors (1979), Heartburn (1986), 84 Charing Cross Road (1987), Big (1988), Married to the Mob (1988), Last Action Hero (1993), Indictment: The McMartin Trial (1995), Roseanna's Grave (1997), Gia (1998), The Minus Man (1999) and Hustlers (2019). On television, she had a recurring role as a radio station manager in the NBC sitcom Frasier from 1995 to 1996.
On stage, she made her Broadway debut in the Herb Gardner play I'm Not Rappaport (1985). She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in the Neil Simon drama Lost in Yonkers (1991). She reprised the role in the 1993 film of the same name. She was further Tony-nominated for her performances in Michael Cristofer's The Shadow Box (1995) and Edward Albee's The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (2002). She has also acted in Broadway productions of The Rose Tattoo (1995), The American Plan (2009), and Torch Song (2017).
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 Roman 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. Andy Hoglund, Vulture, August 13, 2020 Her first starring role on Broadway came in 1984's I'm Not Rappaport. She then went on to win an Obie Award for her performance in The Marriage of Bette and Boo and twenty years later, an Obie for Woman Before a Glass. She won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actress in a Play and Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance as mentally challenged aunt Bella Kurnitz in 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: Best Featured Actress in a Play for her role as the trashy and devoted ex-wife Beverly in the revival of The Shadow Box; and Best Actress in a Play for her role as Stevie Gray in 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 in the movie The Minus Man.
Her most acclaimed film role was in The Fisher King; for her performance as a strong-willed and pragmatic video store owner, she won the 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 the 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 Ruehl had a son, Christopher, whom she placed for adoption in 1976 when she was 28. They were reunited in the late 1990s when he turned 21. In 1999, Ruehl married painter David Geiser with whom she adopted a son, Jake, (born 1995). 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 YearTitleRoleNotes1976Dona Flor and Her Two HusbandsAmerican girl in casinoFilm debut Uncredited1979The WarriorsPolicewoman1981Four FriendsWoman in Taxi1986HeartburnEveTwistedCybelle1987Radio DaysAd Man84 Charing Cross RoadKayThe Secret of My Succe$sSheilaLeader of the BandMiss Cooper1988BigMrs. BaskinMarried to the MobConnie Russo1989Slaves of New YorkSamanthaCrimes and MisdemeanorsParty GuestUncredited1990Crazy PeopleDr. Liz Baylor1991Another YouElaine/Mimi KravitzThe Fisher KingAnne1993Lost in YonkersBella KurnitzLast Action HeroIrene Madigan1994On HopeWendyShort film1997Roseanna's GraveRoseanna 'Rosa'1999The Minus ManJaneOut of the ColdTina2000What's Cooking?Elizabeth 'Lizzy' AvilaMore Dogs Than BonesVictoria 'Vic' GallettiThe Amati GirlsGrace2002Spooky HouseBoss2004Zeyda and the HitmanEsther2010Goldstar, OhioAdriana RockShort film2014Chu and BlossomMrs. Fefterg2016Good BusinessLorraineShort film2019 Hustlers Mother 2023The Nana ProjectHelen “Nana” Lewis
Television YearTitleRoleNotes1977The DoctorsUrsulaTelevision debut, recurring role1984ABC Afterschool SpecialSandyEpisode: "Mom's on Strike"1985Our Family HonorLouise TaylorEpisode: "Homecoming"1986Kate & AllieMillieEpisode: "Late Bloomer" as Mercedes Ruehle1990The Cosby ShowBernadette FoleyEpisode: "The Moves"1995Indictment: The McMartin TrialLael RubinTelevision movie1995–96FrasierKate CostasRecurring role; 5 episodes1997North Shore FishFlorenceTelevision movieSUBWAYStories: Tales from the UndergroundLeylaTelevision movie; Segment: "Underground"1998GiaKathleen CarangiTelevision movie2000All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau StoryJane NewhallTelevision movieThe Lost ChildRebeccaTelevision movie2001Mr. LifeTelevision movie2002Guilt by AssociationSusan WalkerTelevision movieWidowsDolly Rawlins4 episodes2004Everyday LifeTelevision movie1-800-MissingEmmanuelle BakerEpisode: "These Dreams Before Me"Bad AppleLorraine GibbonsTelevision movie2004, 09Law & OrderJudge Clara Lloyd/Zina Rybakov2 episodes2005Mom at SixteenTerry JeffriesTelevision movie2006So Here's What HappenedRochelleTelevision movieA Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo StorySylvia GuerreroTelevision movie2006–08EntourageRita Chase2 episodes2007PsychDetective GoochbergEpisode: "Scary Sherry: Bianca's Toast"2009Loving LeahJanice LeverTelevision movie2012El JefeDelmi RodriguezTelevision movieLuckRenzo's MotherEpisode: "Episode Nine"2013DoubtMrs. Syd NewmanTelevision movieMonday MorningsJudge Beverly NathesonEpisode: "Wheels Within Wheels"Star Spangled BannersRosalind BannerTelevision movie2015Law & Order: Special Victims UnitLucia BarbaEpisode: "December Solstice"2016Life in PiecesMiaEpisode: "Hair Recital Rainbow Mom"The Mysteries of LauraVal SantianiEpisode: "The Mystery of the End of Watch"2 Broke GirlsOlgaEpisode: "And the Godmama Drama"2017NCISMarie QuinnEpisode: "A Bowl of Cherries"2017–18PowerConnie TeresiRecurring role; 7 episodes2018–20BullJudge Tessa Hudson 3 episodes2022New AmsterdamGraceEpisode: "TBD"2024AccusedConnieEpisode: "Margot's Story"
Theater YearTitleRoleVenue 1985Coming of Age in SohoPatriciaThe Public Theater1985The Marriage of Bette and BooJoan Brennan1985–88I'm Not RappaportClaraBooth Theatre, Broadway1988American NotesKarenThe Public Theater1989Other People's MoneyKate SullivanMinetta Lane Theatre, Off-Broadway1991Lost in YonkersBella KurnitzRichard Rodgers Theatre1992Antony and CleopatraCleopatraActors Theater, Louisville1994–95The Shadow BoxBeverlyCircle in the Square Theatre, Broadway1995The Rose TattooSerafina Delle Rose2000The Vagina MonologuesMonologistWestside Theatre, Off-Broadway2000–01Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?MarthaGuthrie Theater. Minneapolis 2002The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?StevieJohn Golden Theatre, Broadway2005Woman Before a GlassPeggy GuggenheimPromenade Theater, Off-Broadway2009The American PlanEva AdlerSamuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway2010Edward Albee's OccupantLouise NevelsonPeter Norton Space2010The Prisoner of Second AvenueEdna EdisonThe Old Vic Theatre Company, Vaudeville Theatre, London2012The How and the WhyZelda KahnMcCarter Theatre, New Jersey 2015Full GallopDiana VreelandOld Globe Theatre, California 2017Torch SongMa Beckoff Second Stage Theater, Off-Broadway 2019 Helen Hayes Theatre, Broadway
Source:
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Project Results 1989 National Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Married to the Mob 1991 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a PlayLost in Yonkers Tony Award Best Actress in a Play 1991 Academy Award Best Supporting ActressThe Fisher King American Comedy Award Funniest Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Boston Society of Film Critics Best Supporting Actress Chicago Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe Award Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Actress Saturn Award Best Supporting Actress 1993 Boston Film Festival Film Excellence Award 1995 CableACE Award Best Actress in a Movie or Miniseries Indictment: The McMartin Trial Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actress in a Play The Rose Tattoo Tony Award Best Featured Actress in a Play The Shadow Box 2002 Tony Award Best Actress in a Play The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? 2006 Prism Award Best Performance in a Television Movie or Miniseries Mom at Sixteen 2007 Imagen Foundation Award Best Actress - Television A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story
References
External links
Ruehl Rules, a May 2005 Playbill article Brief Encounter with Mercedes Ruehl, a May 2002 Playbill interview