Ray Aranha was an American actor

Actor

An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...

, playwright

Playwright

A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...

, and stage director.

Career

Born in Miami, Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, Aranha appeared in and written numerous stage productions. In 1974, he won a Drama Desk Award

Drama Desk Award

The Drama Desk Awards, which are given annually in a number of categories, are the only major New York theater honors for which productions on Broadway, Off-Broadway, Off-Off-Broadway compete against each other in the same category...

 for Outstanding New Playwright for My Sister, My Sister. Aranha also wrote and toured in a one-man show, I Am Black, and later appeared as "Jim Bono" in Fences.

In addition to stage work, Aranha appeared in various film and television roles. In 1990, he co-starred in the short-lived ABC

American Broadcasting Company

The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

 series Married People

Married People

Married People is an American television situation comedy that aired on ABC as part of its 1990-91 schedule.-Synopsis:The series follows three couples in different stages of their relationships who lived in the same building in New York City...

. After the series was canceled in 1991, he appeared in yet another short-lived series The Heights

The Heights (TV series)

The Heights is an American musical drama series that aired on the Fox network from August to November 1992.-Synopsis:The Heights centers on a fictional band made up of mostly middle-class young adults...

in 1992. Aranha has since had roles in Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...

, New York Undercover

New York Undercover

New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...

, and Law & Order

Law & Order

Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...

, and has roles in Dead Man Walking

Dead Man Walking (film)

Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American drama film directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name...

(1995), Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry is a black comedy film by Woody Allen released in 1997. This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to...

(1997), and Maid in Manhattan

Maid in Manhattan

Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Wang about a hotel maid and a high profile politician who fall in love starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. It is based on a story by John Hughes who is credited using a pseudonym. The original music score...

(2002).

Filmography

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1982	A Stranger Is Watching	Cop in Bathroom
1987	Five Corners	Arthur
1990 to 1991	Married People Married People Married People is an American television situation comedy that aired on ABC as part of its 1990-91 schedule.-Synopsis:The series follows three couples in different stages of their relationships who lived in the same building in New York City...	Nick Williams	18 episodes
1991	City of Hope City of Hope (film) City of Hope is an American drama film written and directed by John Sayles.The film features Vincent Spano, Stephen Mendillo and Chris Cooper....	Errol
1992	The Heights The Heights (TV series) The Heights is an American musical drama series that aired on the Fox network from August to November 1992.-Synopsis:The Heights centers on a fictional band made up of mostly middle-class young adults...	Mr. Mike	12 episodes
1994	Drop Squad	Bruford Jamison, Sr
1993	American Playhouse American Playhouse American Playhouse is an anthology television series periodically broadcast by Public Broadcasting Service in the United States.It premiered on January 12, 1982 with The Shady Hill Kidnapping, written and narrated by John Cheever and directed by Paul Bogart...	Reverend Foy	Episode: "Hallelujah"
1994	Lifestories: Families in Crisis Lifestories: Families in Crisis Lifestories: Families in Crisis is an American drama television series that premiered on HBO on August 1, 1992.-The show:Lifestories: Families in Crisis deals with major issues involving individuals, mostly teenagers and young adults. The stories usually ended with the real person on which the...	Victor	Episode: "POWER: The Eddie Matos Story"
1994 to 1997	New York Undercover New York Undercover New York Undercover is an American police drama that aired on the FOX television network from 1994 to 1998. The series starred Malik Yoba as Detective J.C. Williams and Michael DeLorenzo as Detective Eddie Torres, two undercover detectives in New York City's 4th Precinct who were assigned to...	Jamell Johnson Mel Dunston	2 episodes
1994 to 1999	Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,...	Dr. Henry "Papa Doc" Doirnell Judge	2 episodes
1995	Are You Afraid of the Dark? Are You Afraid of the Dark? Are You Afraid of the Dark? may refer to:* Are You Afraid of the Dark?, a 1992 television series* Are You Afraid of the Dark? , a 2004 novel by Sidney Sheldon...	Cap Anderson	Episode: "The Tale of Train Magic"
1995	Die Hard with a Vengeance	Janitor	Credited as Ray Arahna
1995	Dead Man Walking Dead Man Walking (film) Dead Man Walking is a 1995 American drama film directed by Tim Robbins, who adapted the screenplay from the non-fiction book of the same name...	Luis Montoya
1996	City Hall City Hall (film) City Hall is a 1996 film directed by Harold Becker. Al Pacino and John Cusack star as the Mayor of New York and his idealistic deputy mayor....	James Bone
1996	Box of Moon Light Box of Moon Light Box of Moonlight is a 1996 comedy-drama film starring John Turturro and Sam Rockwell. It was written and directed by Tom DiCillo.-Plot:An engineer, on the way home from work at a construction site, takes a side trip for nostalgia's sake and meets an eccentric character who gives him...	Soapy
1996	Twisted Twisted (1996 film) The film Twisted was written and directed by Seth Michael Donsky and released in 1997. It is a retelling of Charles Dickens' classic novel Oliver Twist set in a New York City contemporary underground populated by drag queens, drug abuse and prostitution. The film debuted at the 1997 Berlin...	Can Man
1997	The Kid	Cappy Dover
1997	Deconstructing Harry Deconstructing Harry Deconstructing Harry is a black comedy film by Woody Allen released in 1997. This film tells the story of a successful writer called Harry Block, played by Allen himself, who draws inspiration from people he knows in real-life, and from events that happened to him, sometimes causing these people to...	Professor Aranha
1998	Cosby Cosby Cosby is a situation comedy television series broadcast on CBS from September 16, 1996 to April 28, 2000, loosely based on the British sitcom One Foot in the Grave. The program starred Bill Cosby, Phylicia Rashād...	James	Episode: "Chemistry"
2000	Third Watch Third Watch Third Watch is an American television drama series which first aired on NBC from 1999 to 2005 for a total of 132 episodes, broadcast in 6 seasons of 22 episodes each....	Barnett Freeman	Episode: "Journey to the Himalayas"
2001	Good Advice Good Advice Good Advice is a 2001 comedy film starring Charlie Sheen, Angie Harmon and Denise Richards. Includes support roles by Jon Lovitz and Rosanna Arquette as a married couple.- Plot summary:...	Man in Central Park
2001	Ed Ed (TV series) Ed is an NBC television program co-produced by David Letterman's Worldwide Pants Incorporated, NBC Productions, and Viacom Productions that aired from 2000 to 2004....	Harry Lockemather	2 episodes
2002	Maid in Manhattan Maid in Manhattan Maid in Manhattan is a 2002 romantic comedy film directed by Wayne Wang about a hotel maid and a high profile politician who fall in love starring Jennifer Lopez, Ralph Fiennes, and Natasha Richardson. It is based on a story by John Hughes who is credited using a pseudonym. The original music score...	Bus driver

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