Peter Strauss has focused on theater for the last few years. He recently performed the role of Leonardo da Vinci in "Divine Rivalry" at Hartford Stage, Ben Bradlee in "Top Secret: The Battle for the Pentagon Papers" for the New York Theater Workshop, Sigmund Freud in "Sabina" for Primary Stages and in "The Outgoing Tide" as an Alzheimer's patient for the Delaware Theater and Primary Stages in NY. Recent film roles are Warner Brothers' feature "License to Wed" with Robin Williams and as the U.S. President in Columbia's "XXX: State of the Union," and two independent films "Drawing Home" and "Sugar Baby." He completed the English voiceover for Albert Lamorisse's 1953 French film "White Mane" and as the narrator for Tracey Ullman's "State of the Union" series for Showtime.
Strauss is well known for his long list of starring roles in motion pictures-for-television, including "The Jericho Mile" for which he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or Special. Strauss has also received Emmy Award nominations for his roles in the mini-series "Rich Man, Poor Man" and "Masada" as well as five Golden Globe Nominations.
Strauss was born in New York City and grew up in Croton-on-Hudson, New
York, where he was introduced to the theatre via the Croton Shakespeare
Festival. His summers were spent with stock companies including the
Pocono Playhouse in Pennsylvania and Ogunquit Playhouse in Maine. He
attended the Hackley School for Boys in Tarrytown, New York and
graduated from Northwestern University in 1969, committed to an acting
career.
He made his Broadway debut in
Tom Griffin's "Einstein and the
Polar Bear" in 1981. His other theatrical credits include the plays
"The Dance Next Door", "The Mind with the Dirty Man" and "The Trial of
the Catonsville Nine" at the Mark Taper Forum
in Los Angeles and "A Cry of Players" at Baltimore's Center Stage.
His feature film credits include
Das Wiegenlied vom Totschlag (1970),
The Trial of the Catonsville Nine (1972),
Der letzte Tycoon (1976),
Mrs. Brisby und das Geheimnis von NIMH (1982),
Codename Black Angel (1991)
and Gegen die Zeit (1995).
Strauss' many television credits include starring in the TV films
Der vergessene Kennedy (1977),
Ein Engel auf meiner Schulter (1980),
Walmord (1981),
Die letzte Schicht (1983),
Goodbye America (1986),
_ Penalty Phase (1986) (TV),
Ein Mann aus Stahl (1987),
83 Stunden - Nervenkrieg gegen die Zeit (1990),
Erbitterte Jagd (1992),
Der geschlagene Mann (1993),
Thicker Than Blood (1994),
Reunion (1980),
The Yearling (1994),
In the Lake of the Woods (1996),
Dr. Sam Sheppard: Unschuldig verurteilt (1998),
A Father's Choice (2000)
and
Mord im Orient Express (2001),
as well as the miniseries
Zärtlich ist die Nacht (1985),
Kane & Abel (1985),
Geheimbund der Rose (1989),
Bitterer Triumph (1992)
and Der Mörder in ihrem Bett (1995).
His latest mini-series appearances were
Seasons of Love (1999),
with Rachel Ward and
Hume Cronyn, (which he executive-produced)
and as La Hire in the CBS four-hour mini-series
Joan of Arc (2005).
Strauss starred for one season in the CBS drama series
Moloney (1996) and the PAX drama
series Body & Soul (2002).
Strauss is married to actress
Rachel Ticotin and lives in Ojai,
California, where he also operates a commercial citrus enterprise that
produces 440 tons of citrus per year.
