Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Ruben Santiago-Hudson Headshot

Actor • Writer

Birth Date: November 24, 1956

Age: 67 years old

Birth Place: Lackawanna, New York

After years of struggle, during which he was often told he was unsuitable for the classic, this actor began gaining recognition for his performances on Broadway in the 1990s. Ruben Santiago-Hudson scored on the New York stage in three projects--as cornet player Buddy Bolden alongside Gregory Hines in the musical "Jelly's Last Jam" (1992), as Canewell, the harmonica-playing amateur philosopher, in August Wilson's "Seven Guitars" (1996), for which he won a Tony Award, and in the title role of "Henry VIII" for the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1997. After his turn in the Wilson play, interest for his services grew in Hollywood. Santiago-Hudson was cast alongside Al Pacino and Keanu Reeves in "Devil's Advocate" (1997) and he landed a regular role in support of David Caruso in the CBS drama "Michael Hayes" (1997-98).

Born and raised outside Buffalo, NY, Santiago-Hudson had an unusual childhood. His father, a railroad worker, and his mother, who struggled with drug addiction, did not live together. While his father was involved with his son, Santiago-Hudson was raised by his mother and her landlady, Rachel Crosby. While his mother dealt with her problems, Crosby, whom the youth called Nanny, oversaw his upbringing with the help of another couple. As one of only 200 blacks in a high school with 1,700 students, Santiago-Hudson encountered racism and his interest in academics dwindled. Nevertheless, he went on to college on scholarships designed for "disadvantaged students" and became interested in acting. Yet, in both college and graduate school he was consistently told that because of his color there were certain roles (mostly classical ones) that he could not play. The closed doors continued when he hit New York City; the Puerto Rican Traveling Theatre rejected him because he could not speak Spanish, while the Negro Ensemble Company rejected him because of the Puerto Rican heritage. By combining his parents names, he eventually won a part in Charles Fuller's "A Soldier's Play" at the Negro Ensemble Company.

It would take nearly a decade before Santiago-Hudson made his Broadway debut in "Jelly's Last Jam." TV roles were slim, although from 1990-1993, he played Captain Billy Cooper on NBC's daytime drama "Another World," a role some might say was "window dressing." He did make several appearances on the NBC primetime sitcom "Dear John" in the early 90s and portrayed a soldier helping to free Cambodian refugee children in "Which Way Home" (TNT, 1991). In 1995, he was alongside fellow Latino Jimmy Smits in Showtime's "Solomon & Sheba." Santiago-Hudson's feature film work began with a small role in "Blown Away" (1994), and, that same year, his was tapped by his Broadway co-star Hines for Hines' directorial debut "Bleeding Hearts."

Credits

East New YorkStream

Actor
Officer Marvin Sandeford
Series
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88%

Inside the Black BoxStream

Self
Talk
2022

The Chavis Chronicles

Guest
Show
2020

Ma Rainey's Black BottomStream

Screenwriter
Movie
2020
97%

ObsessionStream

Actor
Detective Crawford
Movie
2019

The QuadStream

Actor
Cecil Diamond
Series
2017
100%

The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksStream

Actor
Dr. Pattillo
Movie
2017
69%

Designated SurvivorStream

Guest Star
Gen. Contreras
Series
2016
71%

The FamilyStream

Guest Star
Chief of Police Len Bucksey
Series
2016
61%

Public MoralsStream

Actor
Lt. King
Series
2015
82%

Low Winter SunStream

Actor
Series
2013
41%

Steve Harvey

Guest
Talk
2012

Person of InterestStream

Guest Star
Sam Latimer
Series
2011
92%

The Good WifeStream

Guest Star
Charles Jinks
Series
2009
93%

CastleStream

Actor
Captain Roy Montgomery
Series
2009
82%

The Invention of Lying

Actor
Landlord
Movie
2009

American GangsterStream

Actor
Doc
Movie
2007
81%

Mr. Brooks

Actor
Hawkins
Movie
2007

HoneydripperStream

Actor
Stokely
Movie
2007
69%

Brother's Shadow

Actor
Manny Botero
Movie
2006

Lackawanna Blues

Actor
Freddie Cobbs
Movie
2005
75%

Their Eyes Were Watching God

Actor
Joe Starks
Movie
2005

Whoopi

Guest Star
Series
2003
26%

Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control

Actor
Samuel Menendez
Movie
2002

The Red Sneakers

Actor
Uncle Joe
Movie
2002

Little John

Actor
Steven
Movie
2002

Domestic Disturbance

Actor
Sgt. Edgar Stevens
Movie
2001

American Tragedy

Actor
Show
2000

ShaftStream

Actor
Jimmy Groves
Movie
2000
67%

The West WingStream

Guest Star
Morris Tolliver
Series
1999
81%

Law & Order: Special Victims UnitStream

Guest Star
Carlos Guzman
Series
1999
78%

The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer

Actor
Det. Newhouse
Show
1999

Rear Window

Actor
Antonio Fredericks
Movie
1998

Michael Hayes

Actor
Show
1997

The Devil's AdvocateStream

Actor
Leamon Heath
Movie
1997
63%

Theater Talk

Guest
Show
1996

Early Edition

Guest Star
Series
1996

Kids Movie Matinee

Actor
Show
1996

Solomon and Sheba

Actor
Tamrin
Movie
1995

Touched by an AngelStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

New York UndercoverStream

Guest Star
Series
1994

Corazones Ensangrentados

Actor
Movie
1994

White Man's Burden

Actor
Todd
Movie
1994

NYPD BlueStream

Guest Star
Otis
Series
1993
83%

Which Way Home

Actor
Jim Waters
Movie
1991

Law & OrderStream

Guest Star
Series
1990

Dear John

Guest Star
Series
1988

Afterschool Special

Actor
Show
1972

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