oscars_66_Mercedes Ruehl

Sure, Mercedes Ruehl’s performance in Married to the Mob earned her rave reviews. But it was her critically acclaimed work in the dramedy The Fisher King that earned the part-Cuban American actress an Academy Award. Ruehl, a multiple Tony Award winner, won the coveted Oscar in her first and only nomination – for her portraying Jeff Bridges’ character’s girlfriend, Anne, in the film that "sweeps you up on waves of humor, heartbreak and ravishing romance," according to one critic. Ruehl remains the only U.S.-born Hispanic actor to win an Academy Award.

Best Supporting Actress, The Fisher King, 64th Academy Awards, Won

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