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Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Tony and Obie Award winner Ruben Santiago-Hudson won the 2005 Humanitas Prize for his screenplay for Lackawanna Blues on HBO. The screenplay was written from his award winning play of the same name. Ruben made a cameo performance alongside S. Epatha Merkerson, Lou Gossett Jr., Rosie Perez, Liev Schreiber, Mos Def and others in this powerful cast and served as Executive Producer alongside Halle Berry and Vincent Cirrincione. He starred opposite Halle Berry in ABC's Their Eyes Were Watching God for producers Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones. Ruben recently starred with Judd Hirsh in Brother's Shadow for Mint Pictures and is starring in an upcoming NOVA special on the life of famed African-American chemist Dr. Percy Julian called Forgotten Genius premiering on PBS February 7, 2007.

Lackawanna Blues premiered at the New York Public Theater and is Santiago-Hudson's writing debut, which he wrote as an homage to the woman who raised him. Lackawanna Blues is an unashamed work of thanks, and it is so humble and warm that the honesty of its spirit is never in question... Mr. Santiago-Hudson does a virtuoso turn as a performer... he passes from one identity to the next so fluidly that you barely notice the flip of the switch" raves Bruce Webber of the New York Times.

Santiago-Hudson co-starred with John Travolta in Paramount Pictures Domestic Disturbance and starred opposite Gregory Hines in Showtime Entertainment's The Red Sneakers. He played Christopher Darden in the CBS miniseries American Tragedy, which also starred Ron Silver as Robert Shapiro. Ruben received rave reviews for his starring role in the off-Broadway production of Deep Down and as Walter Lee Younger in the Williamstown Theater Festival Playhouse production of A Raisin in the Sun with Viola Davis and Gloria Foster. He also starred as Roma in the McCarter Theatre production of Glengarry Glen Ross with Charles Durning and Daniel Benzali.

Ruben starred in NBC's Hunt For The Unicorn Killer with Tom Skerritt, and with Christopher Reeves in the ABC production of Rear Window. He co-starred with David Caruso as the explosive, wise, but irreverent Chief Investigator Eddie Diaz on Michael Hayes from CBS. Ruben appeared opposite Al Pacino in Devil's Advocate as the attorney who recruits Keanu Reeves, and co-starred in Shaft with Samuel L. Jackson. He can also be heard as the voice of the villain Jess Chapel in the HBO animated cartoon series Spawn.

Santiago-Hudson is a gifted and accomplished actor who is also a force of nature. He moves easily among the worlds of theatre, film, and television and has amassed important credits in all of these fields. Ruben welcomes the challenge of playing "strong, sensitive, intelligent men... men who have great adversities and simple frailties." He longs to play Richard III.

Ruben received the 1996 Tony Award for Best Featured Performer in August Wilson's acclaimed Seven Guitars. He made his Broadway debut as Buddy Bolden opposite Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam. His feature credits include Bleeding Hearts directed by Gregory Hines, Blown Away with Jeff Bridges, Paramount's Coming to America, TNT's Which Way Home with Cybil Shepard, and Showtime's unique production, Solomon and Sheba, with Halle Berry and Jimmy Smits. This project marked the first time a biblical movie was filmed using people of color in principle roles.

Santiago-Hudson is well remembered for his series regular roles as Captain Billy Cooper on the daytime drama Another World and as Curtis on Dear John, both on NBC. His other television credits include; Law and Order, NYPD Blue, New York Undercover, Whoopie, Murphy Brown, Life Goes On, and Amen.

Ruben was born in Lackawanna, New York. His father was Puerto Rican and his mother black, but the landlady, whom he refers to as Nanny, raised Ruben with the assistance of his godparents. He received a B.A. in Theatre from S.U.N.Y. Binghamton, and an MFA from Wayne State University. He has lectured on theatre at colleges and universities and served as a private acting coach, but it was Ruben's experience of managing his own theatre company in Detroit that brought him to New York. Theatre performances have led him to stages across the United States and Europe. Off-Broadway he has often appeared in The Negro Ensemble Company Productions including Ceremonies in Dark Old Men and A Soldiers Play.

Santiago-Hudson lives in New York with his wife Jeannie, and their twins, Lily and Trey. He also has two older sons. Ruben has a great appreciation of music and can play a mean harmonica. In his spare time, Ruben devotes himself to the causes of underprivileged children.


Note: This profile was written in or before 2007.

Ruben Santiago-Hudson Facts

OccupationActor
BirthdayNovember 24, 1957 (66)
SignSagittarius
BirthplaceLackawanna, New York, USA

Selected Filmography

American Gangster
Coming to America
Mr. Brooks
Castle: Season 3
The Devil's Advocate
Castle: Season 2
Castle: Season 1
Out of the Half-Light
Their Eyes Were Watching God
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