Mercedes Ruehl

Actress
Soundtrack

Follows Helen "Nana" Lewis, a feisty chess master, and her grandsons, as they embark on a road trip to support her rise to state championships.

Play trailer2:09

The Nana Project (2023)

Ruehl received her first Academy Award nomination and win for her performance as Anne Napolitano, the emotionally driven girlfriend to fallen radio personality, (played by Jeff Bridges), in Terry Gilliam's masterpiece, The Fisher King (1991). In addition to an Oscar, and a Golden Globe, Ruehl's performance garnered several accolades. Los Angeles Times commended the performance, calling it "a bravura performance that runs from high, bantering comedy to an intense projection of pain and sorrow."

Notable film credits include The Fisher King (1991), Lost in Yonkers (1993) and For Roseanna (1997).

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Won 1 Oscar
- 11 wins & 4 nominations total

Photos79

+ 75

Known for

The Fisher King

7.5

Anne Napolitano

1991

Married to the Mob

6.3

Connie Russo

1988

Big

7.3

Mrs. Baskin

1988

Anthony Quinn, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny DeVito, F. Murray Abraham, Charles Dance, Tom Noonan, Austin O'Brien, and Bridgette Wilson-Sampras in Last Action Hero (1993)

Last Action Hero

6.5

Mom
Irene

1993

Credits

IMDbPro

Actress

The Rose Tattoo
Podcast Series
- Serafina (voice)
- 2025
Accused
7.0
TV Series
- Connie
- 2024
The Nana Project
5.4
- Nana
- 2023
New Amsterdam
7.9
TV Series
- Grace
- 2022
Daniel X: Genesis
7.4
Podcast Series
- Helen (voice)
- 2022
Bull
7.1
TV Series
- Judge Hudson
- Judge Tessa Hudson
- 2018–2020
Hustlers
6.3
- Mom
- 2019
Power
8.1
TV Series
- Connie Teresi
- 2017–2018
Homecoming
7.6
Podcast Series
- Gloria Cruz
- 2017
NCIS
7.8
TV Series
- Marie Quinn
- 2017
Good Business
Short
- Lorraine
- 2016
2 Broke Girls
6.7
TV Series
- Olga
- 2016
The Mysteries of Laura
6.8
TV Series
- Val Santiani
- 2016
Life in Pieces
8.0
TV Series
- Mia
- 2016
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
8.1
TV Series
- Lucia Barba
- 2015

Soundtrack

Videos14

Personal details

Alternative name
- Mercedes Reuhle
Height
- 5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
Born
- February 28, 1948
- Queens, New York City, New York, USA
Spouse
- David Geiser1999 - October 14, 2020 (his death, 1 child)
Parents
Other works
Plays Stevie opposite Bill Pullman in The Goat or Who is Sylvia? on Broadway opened March 10, 2002.
Publicity listings
- 1 Article
- 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Trivia
Her father was of German and Irish descent and her mother was of Cuban and Irish ancestry.

Quotes
[accepting her Best Supporting Actress Oscar for The Fisher King (1991)] I went to New York to study acting the summer I was 21 and like thousands of actors before me and thousands of actors after me, I went through the usual scores of moonlighting jobs and the usual scores of rejection and the usual legions of prophets of doom who were always there and always at the ready to give you the up-to-minute odds against you ever making anything of yourself in this business. And at this moment, all of those doleful memories have suddenly transformed themselves into nothing more than the sort of charming and amusing anecdotes from my memoirs!