Mercedes Ruehl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mercedes Ruehl
Ruehl in 2009
Born	(1948-02-28) February 28, 1948 (age 77) New York City, U.S.
Education	College of New Rochelle (BA) Pacific Conservatory of the Performing Arts
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1976–present
Spouse(s)	David Geiser ​ ​ (m. 1999; died 2020)​
Children	2
Relatives	Peter Ruehl (brother)

Mercedes J. Ruehl (born February 28, 1948) is a talented American actress. She has starred in movies, plays, and TV shows. Mercedes Ruehl has won many important awards for her acting. These include an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony Award.

She won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie The Fisher King (1991). In this film, she played a video store owner. She also appeared in other well-known movies like Big (1988) and Last Action Hero (1993). On TV, she was a recurring character on the show Frasier from 1995 to 1996.

On stage, Mercedes Ruehl made her first appearance on Broadway in the play I'm Not Rappaport (1985). She won a Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her role in Lost in Yonkers (1991). She even played the same role in the movie version of Lost in Yonkers in 1993. She was also nominated for Tony Awards for her roles in The Shadow Box (1995) and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002).

Early Life and School

Mercedes Ruehl was born on February 28, 1948, in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York City. Her mother, Mercedes J. Ruehl, was a schoolteacher. Her father, Vincent Ruehl, worked for the FBI. Her father had German and Irish family roots. Her mother's family was from Cuba and Ireland.

Because her father worked for the FBI, her family moved often. They lived in different states, including Silver Spring, Maryland. Mercedes and her brother, Peter, grew up in a Catholic family. She went to the College of New Rochelle and finished her studies in 1969. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English.

Acting Career Highlights

Mercedes Ruehl started her acting journey in New York City. She performed in many small plays while working other jobs. She became well-known in regional theaters.

In 1984, she got her first main role on Broadway in I'm Not Rappaport. She won an Obie Award in 1984 for her acting in The Marriage of Bette and Boo. Twenty years later, she won another Obie Award for Woman Before a Glass.

In 1991, she won a Tony Award for Best Actress for her role in Neil Simon's play Lost in Yonkers. She continued to perform this role on tour. She also received two more Tony nominations for her work in The Shadow Box (1995) and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia? (2002).

Her most famous movie role was in The Fisher King. Her performance as a strong video store owner earned her many awards in 1991. These included the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress and a Golden Globe Award. Before that, she won an award in 1989 for her role in Married to the Mob.

On television, she played Kate Costas in five episodes of Frasier. She also had a big role in the TV movie All-American Girl: The Mary Kay Letourneau Story. In 2005, she received an award from the Hispanic Organization of Latin Actors. Later, she played the mother of the main character in the HBO show Entourage.

In 2009, she returned to the stage in The American Plan. Critics praised her performance. She also appeared in the film What Ever Happened to Barker Daniels? in 2009. In 2011, she starred in the play The How and The Why.

In 2017, Ruehl played Ma in the play Torch Song Off-Broadway. This play later moved to Broadway in 2019. Mercedes Ruehl also teaches acting at HB Studio in New York City.

Personal Life

In 1999, Mercedes Ruehl married painter David Geiser. They adopted a son named Jake, who was born in 1995. Mercedes also has another son, Christopher. She placed Christopher for adoption in 1976 when she was 28 years old. They reconnected in the late 1990s when he turned 21. Christopher later became Jake's godfather.

Mercedes Ruehl and David Geiser were no longer together by 2017, but they remained close friends. David Geiser passed away in 2020. Mercedes's brother, Peter, moved to Australia in 1987. He was a newspaper writer there until he passed away in 2011.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theater

Source:

Awards and Nominations