Rachel Ticotin Straus is an American actress known for her work in both television and film.
During her acting career, she appeared in shows like the NBC legal drama Law and Order: LA as Lt. Arleen Gonzales and had a guest appearance on the hot television show Blue Bloods in 2012 as Carmen Castillo.
Her filmography includes many movies, but she is best known for her role in Total Recall, where she played Melina alongside Arnold Schewarzennegger.
Background info
Rachel was born November 1, 1958 to Puerto Rican educator Iris Torres and a Russian-Jewish used-car salesome named Abe Ticotin in the Bronx, New York City.
She has three brothers, Marcus, Daniel, and David. David is now a first assistant director who currently lives in Calabasas, California with his wife and children.
Daniel, is a musician known as Sahaj and is also the lead singer in the band Ra. Nancy, Rachel’s sister, is also an actress.
Rachel was born and raised in the Bronx, getting both her primary and secondary education from local schools. During her time in New York, she also took ballet at the Ballet Hispanic of New York.
Acting Career
In the early part of her career, Rachel worked off-Broadway in the production of Miguel Pinero’s the Sun Always Shines for the Cool.
She made her film debut dancing in the film King of Gypsies in 1978 as well. However, Rachel was doing more than just dancing and acting at this stage of her career.
She received an onscreen credit as a production assistant on Brian De Palma’s Dressed to Kill.
During her time working as a production assistant with her brother, David, in 1981, she would get a major role as Paul Newman’s love interest, Isabella, in Fort Apache, The Bronx.
The film put her on the map and she was listed as one of the 12 promising new actors in John Willis’ Screen World Vol. 33.
By 1983, she was ready to take on Hollywood! She gained her first regular role on NBC’s television drama Love and Honor.
Since her debut, Rachel has gone on to star in over 40 films and television series.
Total Recall
Perhaps, one of her most famous roles is in the 1990 film Total Recall, where she played Melina. In the film, she starred alongside legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone.
She also worked with other high profile actors during her film career. This includes playing the mother, Dona Inez, of Johnny Depp’s character, Don Juan, in the 1995 film Don Juan DeMarco. Rachel would also star as prison guard Sally Bishop in the film Con Air with Nicholas Cage in 1997. She would go on to win an ALMA Award for her role.
Her other filmography includes playing Rachel Atwood in the 1987 film Critical Condition, Officer Landers in the 1992 film Where the Day Takes You, Detective Sandra Torres in the 1993 film Falling Down, and McBride in the 1997 film First Time Felon. Rachel also starred in Man on Fire (2004) and The Eye (2008).
Rachel also has an impressive work history with television series appearing in shows like Ohara (1987), Women on the Inside (1991), Crime & Punishment (1993), Disney’s Gargoyles (1994), American Family (2002), and Lost (2005).
Law and Order
She would go to join the cast of Law and Order: LA in September 2010. Rachel played Lt. Arleen Gonzales on the NBC legal drama that ran until 2011.
What is she doing now?
Since the end of her lead role on Law and Order: LA, Rachel has starred in 8 television shows and movies. In 2012, she was in Unforgettable and NCIS: Los Angeles.
In 2013, she played in Blue Bloods. She starred as Esperanza Fuentes in the TV movie The Curse of the Fuentes Women before playing Ms. Annie Archer in the TV movie Secret Summer in 2016.
Rachel played in one episode of Homeland in 2017 and Grey’s Anatomy in 2018. She also was in four episodes of The Act in 2019, which portrayed the true story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and her mother Dee Dee.
While Rachel was busy with television appearances, she also starred as Director Tyson in the 2020 film Superintelligence.
Rachel was not only busy with acting work, she also completed her Bachelor’s degree in English from Columbia University in 2019.
Personal Life
Rachel married fellow actor David Caruso in 1984. David is best known for his roles as Horacio Caine on CSI: Miami and as Detective John Kelly on NYPD Blue.
(Greta Caruso – Left)
They share a daughter named Greta together. However, the couple divorced in 1987. Rachel has since remarried 5-time Golden Globe nominee Peter Strauss.
The happy couple married in 1998. Peter now runs a commercial citrus business out of California.
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