Ruben Santiago-Hudson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
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Santiago-Hudson in 2022
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Ruben Santiago Jr.
November 24, 1956 Lackawanna, New York, U.S.
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| Years active | 1988–present |
| Spouse(s) | Jeannie Brittan |
| Children | 4 (Lily Santiago is one of them) |
Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born Ruben Santiago Jr. on November 24, 1956) is an American actor, writer for plays, and director. He has won many awards for his work in all these areas. Many people know him best for playing Captain Roy Montgomery on the TV show Castle from 2009 to 2011. In 2011, he acted on Broadway in a play called Stick Fly. In 2013, he was a main actor in the TV show Low Winter Sun, which was a police drama set in Detroit. In 2021, he was nominated for an award by the Writers Guild of America for writing the movie version of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom.
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Early Life and Education
Ruben Hudson was born in 1956 in Lackawanna, New York. His mother was Alean Hudson and his father was Ruben Santiago, who worked on the railroad. Later, Ruben added his mother's last name, Hudson, to his own. His father was Puerto Rican and his mother was African American.
Ruben went to Lackawanna High School. He earned his first college degree from Binghamton University. He then earned a master's degree from Wayne State University. He also received special honorary degrees from Buffalo State College and Wayne State University.
Acting and Directing Career
Ruben Santiago-Hudson has had a busy career in theater, film, and television.
Theater Work
In 1992, he appeared on Broadway in a play called Jelly's Last Jam. In 1996, he won a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his role in August Wilson's play Seven Guitars.
He has also directed plays. In 2013, he won the Lucille Lortel Award and an Obie Award for directing the play The Piano Lesson. He was also nominated for a Drama Desk Award for this work. In 2016, he received another Obie Award for his work on the play Skeleton Crew.
Film and Television Roles
Santiago-Hudson has appeared in many TV shows and movies. On daytime soap operas, he acted in One Life to Live, Another World, and All My Children.
In prime-time TV, he was in shows like The Cosby Mysteries, New York Undercover, NYPD Blue, Touched by an Angel, The West Wing, and Third Watch. He also appeared in several episodes of Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. From 2009 to 2011, he played Captain Roy Montgomery in the ABC series Castle. His character left the show in the third season finale.
In 2007, he was part of a PBS documentary called Nova about the life of a chemist named Percy Lavon Julian.
Writing and Narration
In 2001, Santiago-Hudson wrote an autobiographical play called Lackawanna Blues. In this play, he played himself and about twenty other characters from his past. The play was performed in New York. He later adapted it into a highly praised HBO film in 2005. This film won the Humanitas Prize and was nominated for Emmy and Writers Guild of America awards.
He also narrated several audiobooks. One of these was James Patterson's Cross Justice, which won an Audie Award in 2017.
Awards and Recognition
Ruben Santiago-Hudson has received several important awards for his work:
- 1996: Tony Award for his acting in the play Seven Guitars.
- 2006: Humanitas Prize for writing the HBO film Lackawanna Blues.
- 2009: NAACP Lifetime Achievement Theatre Award for his contributions to theater.
Personal Life
Ruben Santiago-Hudson has four children. His children are named Broderick Santiago, Ruben Santiago III, Trey, and Lily. Lily is also an actress. He is married to Jeannie Brittan.
When he first came to New York in 1983, he was known as Ruben Santiago. He found that sometimes his name caused confusion when trying to get acting roles. To help with this, he added his mother's maiden name, Hudson, to his surname. This helped him get a part in a play called A Soldier's Play.
See also
In Spanish: Ruben Santiago-Hudson para niños
- List of famous Puerto Ricans
- List of Puerto Ricans of African descent
