Rey Curtis
Encyclopedia
Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis is a fictional character
on the TV drama Law & Order
, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt
from 1995 to 1999.
's 27th Detective Squad. While his predecessor, Mike Logan
, was unpredictable and sometimes crossed into legal and ethical gray areas, the conservative
, devoutly Catholic
Curtis does his job strictly by the book, and views it in strictly black and white terms: He believes that if someone breaks the law, they deserve to go to jail, regardless of circumstances. This unwavering, moralistic work ethic initially causes a lot of friction with his partner, Lennie Briscoe
.
After about a year on the job, however, Curtis' values are tested by a series of personal tragedies. Distraught after witnessing the execution of a man he helped prosecute, Curtis, who is married and has three children, cheats on his wife, Deborah, with a college student (played by Jennifer Garner
). For the next few years, their marriage teeters on the edge of ruin as they undergo marriage counseling. Just as they are in the process of reconciling, Deborah is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
. This throws his life into further disarray; he feels responsible, as if God
is punishing her for his sin
s. It is then that he really bonds with Briscoe, a veteran of two failed marriages, and begins to soften his worldview.
By 1999, Deborah's MS has worsened considerably, to the point that she can hardly hold a toothbrush on her own. Curtis takes early retirement
to care for her, and is succeeded by Det. Ed Green
.
He returns for a brief guest appearance on the December 11, 2009 episode, "FED.", 10 years after his departure from the precinct. The episode reveals that Deborah has died due to complications of MS, and he and his daughters have returned to bury her on Long Island
, where she and her family are from. The Curtis family had moved to California
some years before. Curtis tells Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
that Deborah died at home in his arms.
violence, and especially affirmative action
. Curtis, who is of mestizo
origin (Peruvian
on his mother's side) feels he has made it on his own merits and resents what he sees as the suggestion that minorities need an added advantage. He is a supporter of former New York Governor George Pataki
. However, Curtis in a 1996 episode says that he likes Bob Dole
, because he "guarantees four more years of Clinton
".
He is also considerably more computer-literate than Briscoe; his familiarity with the Internet
is the linchpin in solving several cases.
While sifting through compact disc
s at an outdoor store, Curtis mentions that he likes the band Oasis
.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
on the TV drama 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,...
, created by Ed Zuckerman and played by Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt
Benjamin Bratt is an American actor. He is most famous for his role as Rey Curtis on the TV series Law & Order; and his appearances in the movies Blood in Blood Out, Miss Congeniality, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Traffic, and Piñero.-Early life:Bratt was born in San Francisco, California,...
from 1995 to 1999.
Character overview
Curtis is introduced as homicide detective in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
's 27th Detective Squad. While his predecessor, Mike Logan
Mike Logan (Law & Order)
Michael "Mike" Logan is a fictional character in the police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order franchise, played by Chris Noth.-History in the franchise:...
, was unpredictable and sometimes crossed into legal and ethical gray areas, the conservative
Social conservatism
Social Conservatism is primarily a political, and usually morally influenced, ideology that focuses on the preservation of what are seen as traditional values. Social conservatism is a form of authoritarianism often associated with the position that the federal government should have a greater role...
, devoutly Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
Curtis does his job strictly by the book, and views it in strictly black and white terms: He believes that if someone breaks the law, they deserve to go to jail, regardless of circumstances. This unwavering, moralistic work ethic initially causes a lot of friction with his partner, Lennie Briscoe
Lennie Briscoe
Leonard W. "Lennie" Briscoe is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order. He was featured on the show for 12 seasons, from 1992 to 2004. He was created by Walon Green and René Balcer, and was portrayed by Jerry Orbach...
.
After about a year on the job, however, Curtis' values are tested by a series of personal tragedies. Distraught after witnessing the execution of a man he helped prosecute, Curtis, who is married and has three children, cheats on his wife, Deborah, with a college student (played by Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Garner
Jennifer Anne Affleck , better known as Jennifer Garner, is an American actress and film producer. Garner gained recognition on television for her performance as CIA agent Sydney Bristow in the thriller drama series Alias, which aired on ABC for five seasons from 2001 to 2006...
). For the next few years, their marriage teeters on the edge of ruin as they undergo marriage counseling. Just as they are in the process of reconciling, Deborah is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis
Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease in which the fatty myelin sheaths around the axons of the brain and spinal cord are damaged, leading to demyelination and scarring as well as a broad spectrum of signs and symptoms...
. This throws his life into further disarray; he feels responsible, as if God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
is punishing her for his sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
s. It is then that he really bonds with Briscoe, a veteran of two failed marriages, and begins to soften his worldview.
By 1999, Deborah's MS has worsened considerably, to the point that she can hardly hold a toothbrush on her own. Curtis takes early retirement
Retirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
to care for her, and is succeeded by Det. Ed Green
Ed Green
Edward "Ed" Green is a fictional character on the NBC crime drama Law & Order, created by Rene Balcer and portrayed by Jesse L. Martin.-Character overview:...
.
He returns for a brief guest appearance on the December 11, 2009 episode, "FED.", 10 years after his departure from the precinct. The episode reveals that Deborah has died due to complications of MS, and he and his daughters have returned to bury her on Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
, where she and her family are from. The Curtis family had moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
some years before. Curtis tells Lieutenant Anita Van Buren
Anita Van Buren
Lt. Anita Van Buren is a fictional character on NBC's long running police procedural and legal drama television series Law & Order, portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson. By episode count, she is the longest-running character on the show...
that Deborah died at home in his arms.
Personality
Curtis is politically conservative, disapproving of in vitro fertilization, mediaMass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
violence, and especially affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
. Curtis, who is of mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
origin (Peruvian
Demographics of Peru
This article is about the demographic features of the population of Peru, including population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population....
on his mother's side) feels he has made it on his own merits and resents what he sees as the suggestion that minorities need an added advantage. He is a supporter of former New York Governor George Pataki
George Pataki
George Elmer Pataki is an American politician who was the 53rd Governor of New York. A member of the Republican Party, Pataki served three consecutive four-year terms from January 1, 1995 until December 31, 2006.- Early life :...
. However, Curtis in a 1996 episode says that he likes Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
, because he "guarantees four more years of Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
".
He is also considerably more computer-literate than Briscoe; his familiarity with the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
is the linchpin in solving several cases.
While sifting through compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s at an outdoor store, Curtis mentions that he likes the band Oasis
Oasis (band)
Oasis were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as The Rain, the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul "Bonehead" Arthurs , Paul "Guigsy" McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher...
.