Ruben Santiago-Hudson

Ruben Santiago-Hudson
Santiago-Hudson in 2022
Born
Ruben Santiago Jr.

(1956-11-24) November 24, 1956
Lackawanna, New York, U.S.
EducationBinghamton University (BA)
Wayne State University (MFA)
Occupations
  • Actor
  • playwright
  • director
Years active1988–present
SpouseJeannie Brittan
Children4, including Lily

Ruben Santiago-Hudson (born Ruben Santiago Jr., November 24, 1956) is an American actor, playwright, and director who has won national awards for his work in all three categories. He has received a Tony Award and three Drama Desk Awards as well as a nomination for a Primetime Emmy Award. He won the Humanitas Prize in 2005 and the Lucille Lortel Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2024.

He made his Broadway debut in the musical Jelly's Last Jam (1992). He then acted in the August Wilson play Seven Guitars (1996) for which he won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. He was Tony-nominated for his roles in his solo show Lackawanna Blues (2022) and the revival Joe Turner's Come and Gone (2026). As a director he was Tony-nominated for his work on the August Wilson revival Jitney (2017).

On television, he portrayed Captain Roy Montgomery in the ABC crime mystery romance series Castle from 2009 to 2011. He has taken recurring roles in Another World (1987–1993), Dear John (1990–1992), Spawn (1997–1999), and Billions (2016–2023). He has also acted in the HBO television films Lackawanna Blues (2005), Their Eyes Were Watching God (2005), and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2017).

He made his feature film debut with a small role in the comedy Coming to America (1988) and has since taken supporting roles in the supernatural film The Devil's Advocate (1997), the action thriller Shaft (2000), and the crime drama American Gangster (2007). He portrayed Bayard Rustin in the Ava DuVernay directed historical drama Selma (2013). He served as a writer for the Netflix film adaptation of Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020) for which he was nominated for the Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Early life

Ruben Hudson was born in 1956 in Lackawanna, New York, the son of Alean Hudson and Ruben Santiago, a railroad worker. He later adopted his mother's maiden name as part of his compound surname.[1] His father was Puerto Rican and his mother was African American.[2] He went to Lackawanna High school, earned his bachelor's degree from Binghamton University, his master's degree from Wayne State University and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Buffalo State College and Wayne State University.[2][3]

Career

Santiago-Hudson appeared on Broadway in Jelly's Last Jam (1992), written by George C. Wolfe. He received the 1996 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play for his performance in August Wilson's Seven Guitars.[4]

He wrote Lackawanna Blues (2001), an autobiographical play in which he portrayed himself and some twenty different characters from his past, which was produced in New York at the Joseph Papp Theatre in 2001.[5] He adapted it for a highly acclaimed, award-winning 2005 HBO film, in which the parts were played by different people.[6] It won the Humanitas Prize and earned Emmy and Writers Guild of America Award nominations.[7] In 2003, he was the reader in Volume 13 of the HBO film, Unchained Memories: Readings from the Slave Narratives. The series was narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. He played Mayor Joe Starks in Their Eyes Were Watching God.

On television, he has appeared on the daytime soap operas One Life to Live, Another World and All My Children. His work in primetime series has included The Cosby Mysteries, New York Undercover, NYPD Blue, Touched by an Angel, The West Wing, Third Watch, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and five episodes of Law & Order (which coincidentally starred Lackawanna Blues star S. Epatha Merkerson), among others. He starred as New York City Police Captain Roy Montgomery in the ABC series Castle until his character's death occurred in the third-season finale. In 2007, he starred in a PBS Nova documentary about the life of chemist Percy Lavon Julian.

In November 2011, he appeared on Broadway in Lydia R. Diamond's play Stick Fly.[8][9] In 2013, Santiago-Hudson won the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Director,[10] an Obie Award for Direction,[11][12] and was nominated for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play for his work in the Off-Broadway production of August Wilson's The Piano Lesson.[13]

In 2016, he won the Obie Awards Special Citation for Collaboration for his work on Skeleton Crew with Dominique Morisseau and the Atlantic Theater Company.[14]

Santiago-Hudson narrated a number of audiobooks, including James Patterson's Cross Justice which was recognized by the 2017 Audie Award and AudioFile magazine's Earphones Award.[15][16]

Personal life

Santiago-Hudson has four children: Broderick Santiago and Ruben Santiago III from previous relationships, and Trey and Lily from his marriage with Jeannie Brittan.[17]

When he came to New York in 1983, he was known as Ruben Santiago. He tried to get a part at the Puerto Rican Traveling Theater and was asked if he spoke Spanish, which he does not. When he wanted to work at the Negro Ensemble Company, "they laughed and said, 'We don't have Puerto Ricans.'" So he added his mother's name, Hudson, and eventually won a part in A Soldier's Play at the Ensemble Company.[18]

Acting credits

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Coming to America Street Hustler Credited as Ruben Hudson
1994 Blown Away Officer Blanket
Bleeding Hearts Todd
1997 White Lies Bum #2
The Devil's Advocate Leamon Heath
2000 Shaft Detective Jimmy Groves
2001 Domestic Disturbance Sergeant Edgar Stevens
2002 Winning Girls Through Psychic Mind Control Samuel Menendez
2003 Unchained Memories Reader
2006 Brother's Shadow Manny Botero
2007 Mr. Brooks Detective Hawkins
Honeydripper Stokely
American Gangster "Doc"
2009 The Invention of Lying Landlord
2014 Selma Bayard Rustin
2020 Ma Rainey's Black Bottom N/a Screenplay by

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1987–1993 Another World Gus / Billy Cooper Recurring role, 12 episodes
1987 Leg Work Orderly Episode: "Mystery Woman"
1990 Amen Fireman Episode: "Moving In"
Life Goes On Mr. Serno Episode: "Corky Rebels"
1990–1992 Dear John Larry / Orlando / Curtis Recurring role, 6 episodes
1990–2025 Law & Order Various roles Guest role, 7 episodes
1991 Which Way Home Jim Waters Miniseries
1994 The Cosby Mysteries Police Officer Episode: "Expert Witness"
1994–1995 NYPD Blue Otis 2 episodes
1994–1996 New York Undercover Johnny / Walter Perry 2 episodes
1995 Solomon & Sheba Tamrin Television film
The Return of Hunter: Everyone Walks in L.A. Det. Stan Lewis Television film
1995–1996 Gargoyles Gabriel (voice) 3 episodes
1996 ABC Afterschool Specials Kevin Episode: "Daddy's Girl"
1997–1998 Michael Hayes Eddie Diaz Main role, 21 episodes
1997–1999 Spawn Jess Chapel (voice) Recurring role, 7 episodes
1998 Rear Window Antonio Fredericks Television film
1999 Early Edition Emmett Brown 2 episodes
The Hunt for the Unicorn Killer Detective Newhouse Television film
Touched by an Angel Dr. Joe Acot Episode: "Such a Time as This"
The West Wing Morris Tolliver Episode: "Post Hoc, Ergo Propter Hoc"
Third Watch Detective Wolfort, NYPD Episode: "History of the World"
2000 American Tragedy Christopher Darden Television film
2001, 2002 All My Children Dr. Zeke McMillan #1 Unknown episodes
2002 The Red Sneakers Uncle Joe Television film
Little John Steven Television film
2003 Whoopi Marshall Episode: "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes"
2004 Wild Card Bennett Graham Episode: "Sniper Shot, Intern Hot"
2005 Lackawanna Blues Freddie Combs Television film; also writer and executive producer
Their Eyes Were Watching God Joe Starks Television film
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Carlos Guzman Episode: "Name"
2007 Nova Percy Julian Episode: "Forgotten Genius"
2008 Canterbury's Law Judge Joe Stanley Episode: "Pilot"
2009–2014 Castle Captain Roy Montgomery Main role, 59 episodes
2011 Person of Interest Sam Latimer Episode: "Mission Creep"
2013 Low Winter Sun Charles Dawson Main role, 10 episodes
2015 The Good Wife Charles Jinks Episode: "Loser Edit"
Public Morals Lieutenant King Main role, 10 episodes
2016 The Family Chief of Police Len Bucksey 3 episodes
2016–2023 Billions Raul Gomez Recurring role, 9 episodes
2017 Designated Survivor General Contreras Episode: "Commander-in-Chief"
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Dr. Roland Pattillo Television film
2017–2018 The Quad Cecil Diamond Main role, 18 episodes
2019 David Makes Man Dr. Bree 5 episodes
2022–2023 East New York Officer Marvin Sandeford Main role, 21 episodes

Theater

Year Title Role Playwright Venue notes Ref.
1992 Jelly's Last Jam Buddy Bolden George C. Wolfe Virginia Theatre, Broadway [19]
1993 Measure for Measure Lucio William Shakespeare Delacorte Theater
1994 East Texas Hot Links Roy Eugene Lee The Public Theater
1996 Seven Guitars Canewell August Wilson Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway [20]
1997 Henry VIII King Henry VIII William Shakespeare Delacorte Theater
2001 Lackawanna Blues Performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson The Public Theater
2004 Gem of the Ocean Caesar August Wilson Walter Kerr Theatre, Broadway [21]
2006 Seven Guitars N/a August Wilson Peter Norton Space Director only
2008 The First Breeze of Summer N/a Leslie Lee Peter Norton Space Director only
2009 Things of Dry Hours N/a Naomi Wallace New York Theatre Workshop Director only
2010 The Winter's Tale Leontes William Shakespeare Delacorte Theater
2011 Stick Fly Joe Levay Lydia R. Diamond Cort Theatre, Broadway [22]
2012 My Children! My Africa! N/a Athol Fugard Pershing Square Signature Center Director only [23]
2012 The Piano Lesson N/a August Wilson Pershing Square Signature Center Director only [24]
2013 How I Learned What I Learned Performer August Wilson Pershing Square Signature Center
2014 The Happiest Song Plays Last N/a Quiara Alegría Hudes Second Stage Theater Director only [25]
2016 Skeleton Crew N/a Dominique Morisseau Linda Gross Theater Director only [26]
2017 Jitney N/a August Wilson Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway Director only [27]
2018 Paradise Blue N/a Dominique Morisseau Pershing Square Signature Center Director only [28]
2018 Othello N/a William Shakespeare Delacorte Theater Director only [29]
2021 Lackawanna Blues Performer Ruben Santiago-Hudson Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway Also director [30]
2022 Skeleton Crew N/a Dominique Morisseau Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, Broadway Director only [31]
2026 Joe Turner's Come and Gone Bynum Walker August Wilson Ethel Barrymore Theatre, Broadway [32]

Awards and nominations

Organizations Year Category Work Result Ref.
Dorian Award 2026 Outstanding Featured Performance in a Broadway Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated [33][34]
Drama Desk Awards 1996 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Seven Guitars Nominated
2001 Outstanding Solo Performance Lackawanna Blues Nominated
2013 Outstanding Direction of a Play The Piano Lesson Nominated
2014 Outstanding Solo Performance How I Learned What I Learned Nominated
2017 Outstanding Direction of a Play Jitney Won
2022 Outstanding Actor in a Play Lackawanna Blues Won
2026 Outstanding Featured Performance in a Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Won
Drama League Award 2022 Distinguished Performance Lackawanna Blues Nominated
2026 Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated [35]
Humanitas Award 2005 90 Minute or Longer Network or Syndicated Television Lackawanna Blues Won [36]
Los Angeles NAACP Theatre Awards 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award Himself Honored [36]
Lucille Lortel Award 2024 Lifetime Achievement Himself Honored
Obie Awards 2014 Outstanding Performance How I Learned What I Learned Nominated
2022 Outstanding Director of a Play Skeleton Crew Nominated
Special Achievement Award Himself Honored
2026 Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated
Primetime Emmy Award 2005 Outstanding Television Movie Lackawanna Blues Nominated [37]
Producers Guild Award 2005 Best Long-Form Television Lackawanna Blues Nominated
Tony Award 1996 Best Featured Actor in a Play Seven Guitars Won [38]
2017 Best Direction of a Play Jitney Nominated [39]
2022 Best Actor in a Play Lackawanna Blues Nominated [40]
2026 Best Featured Actor in a Play Joe Turner's Come and Gone Nominated [41]
Wayne State University 2022 Apple Award Won [42]
Writers Guild Award 2005 Long Form – Adapted Lackawanna Blues Nominated
2021 Best Adapted Screenplay Ma Rainey's Black Bottom Nominated

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Ruben Santiago-Hudson profile, FilmReference.com; accessed October 14, 2010.
  2. 1 2 Ruben Santiago-Hudson profile, DanaRoc.com; accessed April 19, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Ruben Santiago-Hudson's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
  4. ↑ Gerard, Jeremy (June 2, 2017). "Tony Watch: Ruben Santiago-Hudson On His August Wilson Passion Project, 'Jitney'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  5. ↑ Gordon, Eric A. (March 15, 2019). "'Lackawanna Blues' a theatrical triumph for Ruben Santiago-Hudson". www.peoplesworld.org. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ↑ "The Many Lives of 'Lackawanna Blues'". centertheatregroup.org. February 25, 2019. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  7. ↑ "Ruben Santiago-Hudson". sdcfoundation.org. Stage Directors and Choreographers Workshop Foundation. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  8. ↑ "All that you wanted to know about the Broadway production 'Stick Fly'". StickFlyBroadway.com. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  9. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (September 7, 2011). "Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Dulé Hill and Tracie Thoms to Star in Stick Fly on Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
  10. ↑ Healy, Patrick (2013-05-05). "'Piano Lesson' and 'The Whale' Win Lortel Awards". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-05-06.
  11. ↑ Gans, Andrew (2013-05-20). "Detroit, Grimly Handsome, Eisa Davis, John Rando, Shuler Hensley and More Are Obie Winners". Playbill. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  12. ↑ Healy, Patrick (2013-05-20). "Obie Awards Honor 'Detroit' and 'Grimly Handsome'". The New York Times. Retrieved 2013-05-21.
  13. ↑ Hetrick, Adam (2013-05-19). "Billy Porter, Andrea Martin, Pippin, Matilda, Vanya and Sonia Win Drama Desk Awards". Playbill. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2013-05-20.
  14. ↑ Village Voice Staff, "The Complete List of 2016 Obie Award Honorees", The Village Voice, May 24th, 2016.
  15. ↑ "2017 Audie Awards". Audio Publishers Association. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  16. ↑ "Audiobook Reviews: Read by Ruben Santiago-Hudson, Earphones Award Winner". AudioFile Magazine. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  17. ↑ "Ruben Santiago-Hudson | The HistoryMakers". www.thehistorymakers.org. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  18. ↑ Smith, Dinitia (14 May 1996). "A Performance Shaped by Life". The New York Times. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  19. ↑ "Jelly's Last Jam (Broadway, 1992)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  20. ↑ "Seven Guitars (Broadway, 1996)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  21. ↑ "Gem of the Ocean (Broadway, 2004)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  22. ↑ "Stick Fly (Broadway, 2011)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  23. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  24. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  27. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  28. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  30. ↑ "Lackawana Blues (Broadway, 2021)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Jitney (Broadway, 2017)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  32. ↑ "Joe Turner's Come and Gone (Broadway, 2026)". Playbill. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
  33. ↑ Mandell, Jonathan (May 13, 2026). "2026 Dorian Theater Award Nominations: Schmigadoon, Lost Boys lead". New York Theater. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  34. ↑ Mandell, Jonathan (June 1, 2026). "2026 Dorian Theater Award winners: Schmigadoon. Prince Faggot. Ragtime: Joshua. Junior. Quincy. Qween". New York Theater. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  35. ↑ Hipes, Patrick (April 20, 2026). "Daniel Radcliffe, Luke Evans Among Drama League Award Nominees". Deadline. Retrieved 2026-04-20.
  36. 1 2 "ABC's Castle "Ruben Santiago- Hudson" aka Det.Montgomery". Stardish Radio. Archived from the original on November 30, 2024.
  37. ↑ "Outstanding TV Movie - 2005". Television Academy. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  38. ↑ "1996 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  39. ↑ "2017 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  40. ↑ "2022 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  41. ↑ "2026 Tony Award Nominations". Tony Awards. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
  42. ↑ "Apple Award". Wayne State University.
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