A theater star from a diverse background, Ruben Santiago-Hudson was born in Lackawanna, NY, in 1956. Growing up with a combination of Puerto Rican and African American descent yielded many life-shaping experiences for Santiago-Hudson, and after studying at Binghamton University, he went on to write, direct, and star in the acclaimed play Lackawanna Blues, in which he portrayed over 20 characters from his past. The thespian would continue to work on-stage, appearing in plays like Jelly's Last Jam and Seven Guitars -- for which he won a Tony -- and additionally transitioned to the screen, appearing in a large number of films like The Devil's Advocate and Honeydripper. In 2005, Santiago-Hudson adapted Lackawanna Blues into a miniseries produced by HBO, which met with critical acclaim and garnered several major awards for star S. Epatha Merkerson. In the following years, Santiago-Hudson would find success on the popular series Castle.
Ruben Santiago-Hudson
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- Was raised by his mother's landlady in an Upstate New York boarding house after his parents were unable to care for him, an experience he wrote about in his autobiographical one-man play Lackawanna Blues.
- Decided he wanted to be an actor after playing Huck Finn in a grade school production of Tom Sawyer.
- Made his Broadway debut as Buddy Bolden in Jelly's Last Jam.
- Made his directorial debut with a production of August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean at the McCarter Theater in Princeton.
- Is friends with Halle Berry, a producer of Lackawanna Blues and his costar in Their Eyes Were Watching God.
- Wrote the adaptation for the film version of Lackawanna Blues and appears in the film in a supporting role. His twins, Lily and Trey, also have cameos.
- Gives lectures on theater at colleges and has worked as a private acting coach.