Rey Curtis
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| Law & Order character | |
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| Det. Reynaldo "Rey" Curtis | |
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| Time on show | 1995—1999 |
| Preceded by | Mike Logan |
| Succeeded by | Ed Green |
| First appearance | "Bitter Fruit" |
| Last appearance | "Refuge: Part 2" |
| Portrayed by | Benjamin Bratt |
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.
Curtis is introduced in the episode "Bitter Fruit" as homicide detective in Manhattan's 27th Precinct. His character is a stark contrast to his predecessor, Mike Logan: while Logan was unpredictable and sometimes crossed into legal and ethical gray areas, the conservative, devoutly Catholic Curtis did his job strictly by the book, and viewed it in strictly black and white terms: if someone breaks a 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. Much has been suggested about Curtis' attractiveness to women. He transferred into homicide from OCCB (Organized Crime Control Bureau) partly because his female boss there was hitting on him.
In the 1996 episode "Aftershock", Curtis, who is married with three children, cheats on his wife with a college student, Jaime (played by Jennifer Garner), after witnessing the execution of a man he helped prosecute. For the next season, their marriage teeters on the edge of ruin as they underwent marriage counseling. In the 1997 episode "Thrill", Curtis' wife, Deborah, is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This throws his life into further disarray; he feels responsible, as if God is punishing her for his sins. It is then that he really bonds with Briscoe, a veteran of two failed marriages, and begins to soften his strict, two-dimensional worldview. He remains politically conservative, however, disapproving of in vitro fertilization, media violence, and especially affirmative action; Curtis, who is of mestizo origin (Peruvian on his mother's side mentioned in the 1996 episode "Corruption"), 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, in the episode Aftershock Curtis says to a grad student he is flirting with 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.
Also in the episode Aftershock, while sifting through CDs at an outdoor store, Curtis mentions that he likes the band Oasis.
By the 1999 season, Deborah's MS has worsened considerably, to the point that she can hardly hold a toothbrush on her own. In the episode "Refuge Part 2," Curtis takes early retirement to take care of her. He is succeeded by Det. Ed Green.
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