Rachel Ticotin is a renowned American actress who has made a name for herself in both film and television. She rose to fame with her notable performances in hit movies like ‘Total Recall’ and ‘Con Air.’
Her journey in the film industry began with her role as a dancer in the 1978 movie ‘King of the Gypsies.’ She later appeared in a supporting role in the film ‘Fort Apache, The Bronx.’
Early Life & Education
Rachel Ticotin was born on November 1, 1958, in the Bronx, New York City. Her parents are Iris Torres and Abe Ticotin. She comes from a mixed heritage of Puerto Rican and Russian Jewish. Her father was a used-car salesman in the Bronx and her mother was an educator. Rachel was raised in a large family with four siblings.
From a young age, she had a passion for both dancing and acting. At just 8 years old, she began attending ballet lessons and also took part in multiple stage productions.
When she was 10 years old, she made her debut on the big stage at the City Center Theatre in New York City. She portrayed a Siamese princess in the production of ‘The King and I.’ Throughout her high school years, she continued to pursue acting.
By the time she turned 12, her ballet abilities were exceptional. She was accepted into the renowned ‘Ballet Hispanico’ in New York, where she danced alongside renowned ballet choreogaphers like Anna Sokolow, Geoffrey Holder, and Alvin Ailey. While pursuing her passion, she also completed her high school education.
After graduating from high school, she enrolled at Yale University and started pursuing a career in acting. She made her first appearance on the screen when she was 20 years old.
Rachel Ticotin Movies & TV Shows
In 1978, Rachel Ticotin appeared in her first film, playing the part of a gypsy dancer in the drama ‘King of the Gypsies.’ The movie focused on modern-day gypsies in New York City, and Rachel’s dance abilities were a major factor in her casting.
Rachel resorted to stage acting once more for the next few years due to a lack of more appealing opportunities in television and film. She landed a significant part in the off-Broadway play ‘The Sun Always Shines for the Cool.’ Along with this, in the late 1970s, she took on the role of a production assistant for Brian de Palma’s movie ‘Dressed to Kill.’
Through a twist of fate, she landed her debut lead role in a movie. While working as a production assistant on the crime-drama film ‘Fort Apache, The Bronx in 1981, alongside her brother, she was unexpectedly offered the part of ‘Isabella,’ the romantic partner of Paul Newman’s character.
Without hesitation, she agreed to take on the role, and when the film was released that same year, it quickly gained both financial and critical acclaim.
Despite her efforts, her film career failed to launch. As a result, she shifted her focus to television and landed a role as Grace Pavlik in the 1983 TV movie “For Love and Honor.”
The film was well-received and eventually adapted into a series with the same title. Rachel continued to play her character in the series for 12 episodes until it was discontinued.
She was allowed to play the character of ‘Rachel Atwood,’ the leading lady, in the comedy movie called ‘Critical Condition’ in 1987.
The movie was widely released but was met with negative reviews and did not do well at the box office. Shortly after, she took on the role of ‘Asst. U.S. Atty. Teresa Storm,’ a prominent character in the television show ‘Ohara.’
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, she was cast in numerous TV movies, including ‘Spies, Lies & Naked Things’ (playing the character ‘Sonia’) and ‘Keep the Change’ (portraying ‘Astrid’).
However, in 1990, she landed a major role in the science-fiction/action movie ‘Total Recall.’ The film, where she starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger as ‘Melina,’ was both a critical and financial triumph.
In 1994, she lent her voice to the character of ‘Captain Maria Chavez’ in 12 episodes of the ‘Disney’ animated show ‘Gargoyles.’ She was also set to make a guest appearance as ‘Wanda Bisbing’ in the Oliver Stone-directed movie Natural Born Killers that same year.
Unfortunately, her role was removed from the final version. In 1996, she returned to her voice role as ‘Capt. Maria Chavez’ for three episodes of ‘Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles.’
During the late 1990s, Rachel Ticotin had roles in various movies, including ‘Steal Big Steal Little’ where she played ‘Laura Martinez,’ ‘Turbulence’ where she was known as ‘Rachel Taper,’ and ‘Civility’ where she portrayed ‘Rebecca Russo.’
In addition, she was cast as ‘Guard Sally Bishop’ in the 1997 film ‘Con Air,’ which received mixed reviews but was a box-office hit.
During the early 2000s, she was observed taking on secondary roles in TV shows like ‘American Family’ (as ‘Vangie Gonzalez’) and ‘Skin’ (as ‘Laura Roam’).
Rachel Ticotin also made appearances in movies like ‘Desert Saints’ (as ‘Dora’) and ‘Something’s Gotta Give’ (as ‘Dr. Martinez’). Despite this, she was unable to secure more significant roles and continued to play supporting characters in moderately sized productions.
In 2010, she had a recurring role as ‘Lt. Arleen Gonzalez’ in the police-procedural series ‘Law & Order: LA.’ She also had roles in ‘Lost’ (as ‘Capt. Teresa Cortez’) and ‘Weeds’ (as ‘Candela’).
More recently, she played ‘Mercedes’ in the 2017 series ‘Homeland’ and appeared as ‘Dr. Marie Cerone’ in three episodes of ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ in 2018. Her recent film credits include ‘The Burning Plain’ (as ‘Ana’) and ‘America’ (as ‘Esther’).
Personal Life
Rachel Ticotin has been married two times. She was formerly wedded to actor David Caruso. They tied the knot in 1984 but their relationship ended after only two years, and they both decided to end their marriage in 1987. Ticotin and Caruso have a daughter named Greta, born in 1984.
Her first marriage ended after a decade. Ticotin discovered love once more and married actor Peter Strauss and their marriage has endured until the present.
Net Worth
With a net worth of $4 million, Rachel Ticotin is an accomplished American actress. She gained recognition for her role as Cpl. Grace Pavlik on the show For Love and Honor from 1983 to 1984, and later portrayed Asst. U.S. Atty. Teresa Storm on the TV series Ohara from 1987 to 1988.
