Alan Ruck

Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's best friend, in John Hughes's film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' (1986); Stuart Bondek, a lecherous, power-hungry member of the mayor's staff in the ABC sitcom ''Spin City''; and Connor Roy, the eldest son of a media magnate, in the HBO series '' Succession''. His other notable parts include those in '' Bad Boys'' (1983), '' Three Fugitives'' (1989), '' Young Guns II'' (1990), ''Speed'' (1994), and ''Twister'' (1996). In 2016, he co-starred with Geena Davis in an updated Fox TV adaptation of William Peter Blatty's best-selling novel ''The Exorcist.''

Early life

Ruck was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a schoolteacher mother and a father who worked for a pharmaceutical company. He attended Parma Senior High School in Parma, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.F.A. in drama in 1979. He recalled:

Ruck made his Broadway debut in 1985 in Neil Simon's '' Biloxi Blues'' with Matthew Broderick. He was soon a stage actor at theaters around the US, including the Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago. In his initial foray into film, Ruck appeared in '' Class'' and ''Hard Knocks'' as well as some television films.

Career

Ruck's first film role was in the 1983 drama film '' Bad Boys'', in which he played Carl Brennan, Sean Penn's friend in the film. The same year he played Roger Jackson in '' Class''. Three years later, Ruck was cast as Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's hypochondriac best friend in John Hughes' ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' after Broderick encouraged him to audition for the role -- their real-life friendship was reportedly a factor in Ruck's being cast. One of his other film roles was in the 1987 film '' Three for the Road''.

Ruck later appeared in the 1989 comedy film '' Three Fugitives''. Following that, he played a significant role as Hendry William French in '' Young Guns II'', the 1990 sequel to '' Young Guns''. He also played Captain John Harriman of the USS ''Enterprise''-B in the 1994 film ''Star Trek Generations'', a role that he has reprised along with ''Generations'' co-star Walter Koenig and other ''Trek'' alumni in the fan film '' Of Gods and Men''. Alan also played an annoying tourist named Doug Stephens on an ill-fated bus in the blockbuster ''Speed''. Another supporting role was of the eccentric storm chaser Robert 'Rabbit' Nurick in the 1996 disaster film ''Twister''.

From 1990 to 1991, Ruck starred as Chicago ad man Charlie Davis, in the ABC series '' Going Places''. ABC canceled the series after one season (22 episodes). He appeared in the series '' Daddy's Girls'' in 1994, which was canceled after three episodes. From 1996 to 2002, Alan played Stuart Bondek in the sitcom ''Spin City'' alongside Michael J. Fox and later, Charlie Sheen. In 2005, he played Leo Bloom in the Broadway version of Mel Brooks' '' The Producers'', a role also played by his ''Ferris Bueller'' co-star, Matthew Broderick.

Ruck was then cast in the pilot of the Tim Minear-created Fox Network series '' Drive'', but did not appear in the actual series. He also starred in one episode of the Comedy Central sitcom '' Stella'' as Richard, a man looking for work. He later starred in the season two '' Scrubs'' episode "My Lucky Day" as a patient, and played reporter Steve Jacobson on the ESPN miniseries '' The Bronx Is Burning''.

In 1998, Ruck guest starred in the fifth episode of the HBO miniseries ''From the Earth to the Moon'' as the NASA engineer Tom Dolan.

In 2006, Ruck guest starred in a single episode of ''Stargate Atlantis'' called "The Real World" and, in 2007, as unscrupulous property developer Albert Bunford in an episode of '' Medium''.

In the 2007 comedy '' Kickin' It Old Skool'', he appears as Dr. Frye, a possible connection to Cameron Frye; he even mentions still trying to pay off an old Ferrari, a reference to Cameron totaling his dad's Ferrari in ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''.

Ruck played the part of a ghost of a family man in the 2008 film ''Ghost Town'' starring Ricky Gervais. In 2009, he had a minor role as a married man named Frank in an episode of ''Cougar Town''. In his role, he has problems with his marriage due to a crush he had long ago on Jules, played by Courteney Cox.

Ruck also has a small role in the 2008 M. Night Shyamalan film '' The Happening''. He played the role of Dean Bowman in the college fraternity drama ''Greek''. He appeared in a guest role as a manic geologist in an episode of ''Eureka''. Additionally, he plays Mr. Cooverman in the film '' I Love You, Beth Cooper''. In 2009, Ruck filmed the medical drama ''Extraordinary Measures'' in Portland, Oregon, with star Harrison Ford.

Ruck then appeared as a bank robber in a season three episode of the USA Network series '' Psych'', and as a lawyer in season five of the ABC series '' Boston Legal''. He guest starred as Martin, a magazine reporter, on an episode of '' Ruby & the Rockits'' entitled "We Are Family?".

In 2010, Ruck was cast as a lead character in the NBC mystery-drama, '' Persons Unknown''. He also guest-starred on the television show ''Fringe'' as a scientist turned criminal, in the '' NCIS: Los Angeles'' season two episode "Borderline", and guest-starred as ex-money laundering accountant turned dentist on an episode of '' Justified'' entitled "Long in the Tooth". He also appeared in the ''Grey's Anatomy'' season five episode "In The Midnight Hour".

In 2012, Ruck was cast in the ABC Family series ''Bunheads'' as the husband to Sutton Foster's character, Michelle. In 2013, he appeared in ''NCIS'', guest-starring in the season 11 episode, "Gut Check".

In autumn 2016, Ruck began a 10-episode run on ''The Exorcist'' as Henry Rance, the husband (who has suffered mild brain damage in a vaguely explained accident) of Angela Rance (Geena Davis), better known as the adult Regan MacNeil, the tortured girl (played by Linda Blair) who is possessed by a demon in the 1973 hit film ''The Exorcist''. This Fox TV adaptation is "inspired by" the 1971 William Peter Blatty best-selling novel. In this update, the demon that tortured Regan/Angela as a girl did not die as it did at the end of the feature film, and it now inhabits one of Angela and Henry's daughters. Once again, they must turn to exorcism-practicing priests (Alfonso Herrera and Ben Daniels) for help. Regan/Angela's mother, Chris MacNeil (played by recurring guest star Sharon Gless and Ellen Burstyn in the feature film), is welcomed by the rest of the family but utterly scorned by her own daughter.

In 2018, Ruck began in the role of Connor Roy in the Emmy-award winning HBO series '' Succession''.

Personal life

Ruck married Claudia Stefany in 1984. They have two children: a daughter, Emma, and a son, Sam. They divorced in 2005. On January 4, 2008, he married actress Mireille Enos, whom he met in 2005 while co-starring in the Broadway revival of ''Absurd Person Singular''. Mireille gave birth to their daughter Vesper in 2010. Their son Larkin was born in July 2014.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruck, Alan
1956 births
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
American male film actors
American male musical theatre actors
American male television actors
Living people
Male actors from Cleveland
University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts alumni