Joseph Ruskin (born Joseph Richard Schlafman; April 14, 1924 – December 28, 2013) was an American character actor. Also appeared in several underworld character roles on the tv series The Untouchables (1959-1963)

Early life

Ruskin was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. After graduating high school in

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, he served in the U.S. Navy and studied drama at

Carnegie Mellon University Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) is a private research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. One of its predecessors was established in 1900 by Andrew Carnegie as the Carnegie Technical Schools; it became the Carnegie Institute of Technology ...

, and began acting at the

Pittsburgh Playhouse Pittsburgh Playhouse is Point Park University's performing arts center located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It houses three performance spaces and is home to The Rep, Point Park's resident professional theatre company, as well as three student co ...

. Although he gained his greatest recognition in television and film, he continued to appear on stage throughout his career.

Career

Ruskin appeared in an episode of '' The Outer Limits'', called "

Production and Decay of Strange Particles "Production and Decay of Strange Particles" is an episode of the original '' The Outer Limits'' television show. It first aired on 20 April 1964, during the first season. In a nuclear research plant, although the workers wear radiation suits, th ...

". He played in ''

The Time Tunnel ''The Time Tunnel'' is an American color science fiction TV series written around a theme of time travel adventure starring James Darren and Robert Colbert. The show was creator-producer Irwin Allen's third science-fiction television series and ...

'' episode, "Revenge of the Gods", as well as two separate, two-part '' Mission: Impossible'' episodes: "Old Man Out" and "The Slave". He had a non-credited role as the voice of the Kanamits in ''

The Twilight Zone ''The Twilight Zone'' is an American media franchise based on the anthology television series created by Rod Serling. The episodes are in various genres, including fantasy, science fiction, absurdism, dystopian fiction, suspense, horror, su ...

'' episode, "

To Serve Man "To Serve Man" is a science fiction short story by American writer Damon Knight. It first appeared in the November 1950 issue of ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' and has been reprinted a number of times, including in ''Frontiers in Space'' (1955), '' ...

", a season after playing the genie in another episode, "

The Man in the Bottle "The Man in the Bottle" is episode 38 of the American television series ''The Twilight Zone''. It originally aired on October 7, 1960 on CBS. Opening narration Plot A poor elderly woman visits Arthur Castle, an unsuccessful antiques dealer, bri ...

". Ruskin also appeared in the ''

Hogan's Heroes ''Hogan's Heroes'' is an American television sitcom set in a Nazi German prisoner-of-war (POW) camp during World War II. It ran for 168 episodes (six seasons) from September 17, 1965, to April 4, 1971, on the CBS network, the longest broadcast ...

'' episode "The Gestapo Takeover". In 1960, Ruskin appeared as Reed Benton in the TV western series '' Lawman'' in the episode titled "The Escape of Joe Killmer". In 1964, he appeared in an episode of the

comedy-drama Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

Kentucky Jones ''Kentucky Jones'' is an American comedy-drama television series starring Dennis Weaver which centers around a widowed Southern California veterinarian and rancher raising an adopted Chinese boy. Original episodes aired from September 19, 1964, un ...

''. His film appearances include ''

The Magnificent Seven ''The Magnificent Seven'' is a 1960 American Western film directed by John Sturges. The screenplay by William Roberts is a remake – in an Old West–style – of Akira Kurosawa's 1954 Japanese film '' Seven Samurai'' (itself initially relea ...

'' (1960), ''

Prizzi's Honor ''Prizzi's Honor'' is a 1985 American black comedy crime film directed by John Huston, starring Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner as two highly-skilled mob assassins who, after falling in love, are hired to kill each other. The screenplay co-w ...

'' (1985), ''

Indecent Proposal ''Indecent Proposal'' is a 1993 American erotic drama film directed by Adrian Lyne and written by Amy Holden Jones. It is based on the 1988 novel by Jack Engelhard, in which a couple's marriage is disrupted by a stranger's offer of a million d ...

'' (1993) and ''

Smokin' Aces ''Smokin' Aces'' is a 2006 American action comedy film written and directed by Joe Carnahan. The film centers on the chase for Las Vegas magician turned mafia informant Robert 'Buddy Aces' Israel (Jeremy Piven), on whom a one-million-dollar bounty ...

'' (2006).

''Star Trek''

In ''

Star Trek: The Original Series ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...

'', Ruskin played the part of Galt in "

The Gamesters of Triskelion "The Gamesters of Triskelion" is the sixteenth episode of the Star Trek: The Original Series (season 2), second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek''. Written by Margaret Armen and d ...

", an episode of the second season, originally aired on January 5, 1968. He appeared in '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', portraying the

Klingon The Klingons ( ; Klingon: ''tlhIngan'' ) are a fictional species in the science fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. Developed by screenwriter Gene L. Coon in 1967 for the original ''Star Trek'' (''TOS'') series, Klingons were swarthy humanoids c ...

Tumek in two episodes, "

The House of Quark "The House of Quark" is the 49th episode of the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', the third episode of the third season. Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures on the space station Deep Spac ...

" and "

Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places" is the third episode of the fifth season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', originally airing on October 14, 1996 in broadcast syndication. The s ...

", which aired in October 1994 and October 1996 respectively. In between these episodes, he was cast as a

Cardassian The Cardassians () are a fictional extraterrestrial species in the American science fiction franchise '' Star Trek''. They were devised in 1991 for the series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' before being used in the subsequent series '' S ...

informant in the third-season episode "

Improbable Cause "Improbable Cause" is the 66th episode of the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', the 20th episode of the third season. It is the first half of a two-part episode, concluded in the following episode, " The Die is Cast". Set in th ...

". Following this, Ruskin appeared in his only ''Star Trek'' film role, cast as a Son'a officer in '' Star Trek: Insurrection''. He made an appearance in '' Star Trek: Voyager'' in the episode "Gravity", first airing on February 3, 1999, in which he played a

Vulcan Vulcan may refer to: Mythology * Vulcan (mythology), the god of fire, volcanoes, metalworking, and the forge in Roman mythology Arts, entertainment and media Film and television * Vulcan (''Star Trek''), name of a fictional race and their home p ...

master. Ruskin's final ''

Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...

'' appearance was in ''

Star Trek: Enterprise ''Star Trek: Enterprise'', titled simply ''Enterprise'' for its first two seasons, is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Brannon Braga. It originally aired from September 26, 2001, to May 13, 2005 on Uni ...

''. He appeared as a "Suliban" doctor in the pilot episode "Broken Bow", which aired on September 26, 2001.

Union activity

Ruskin became a board member of the

Screen Actors Guild The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) was an American labor union which represented over 100,000 film and television principal and background performers worldwide. On March 30, 2012, the union leadership announced that the SAG membership voted to m ...

(SAG) in 1976 and served on its board until 1999. He also became the first Western Regional Vice President of

Actors' Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a boo ...

in 1979. For his dedication and service Actors Equity gave him its Lucy Jordan Award in 2003 and Patrick Quinn Award in 2013. SAG bestowed its Ralph Morgan Award in 2011.

Death

Ruskin died on December 28, 2013, at a hospital in Santa Monica, California. He is survived by his wife Barbara, daughter and three step-daughters.

Partial filmography

* ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

'' (1959, Episode: "Mexican Stake-out") – Fred Metcalf (uncredited) * '' Hell Bent for Leather'' (1960) – Shad * ''

'' (1960, Episode: "

") - Genie * ''

The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond ''The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond'' is a 1960 neo-noir crime film directed by Budd Boetticher and starring Ray Danton, Karen Steele and Elaine Stewart. The supporting cast features Warren Oates, Jesse White and Robert Lowery. The picture mar ...

'' (1960) – Matt Moran * ''

'' (1960) – Flynn (uncredited) * ''

'' (1961, Episode: "The Seventh Vote") * ''

'' (1962, Episode "

" - Kanamit (voice, uncredited) * ''

Gunsmoke ''Gunsmoke'' is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston. It centers on Dodge City, Kansas, in the 1870s, during the settlement of the American West. The central character ...

'' (1962) "The Gallows" Season 7, Episode 22 - The Judge * '' Diary of a Madman'' (1963) – The Horla (voice) * ''

The Dakotas The Dakotas is a collective term for the U.S. states of North Dakota and South Dakota. It has been used historically to describe the Dakota Territory, and is still used for the collective heritage, culture, geography, fauna, sociology, econom ...

'' (1963, Episode: "Feud at Snake River") - The Rider * ''

Robin and the 7 Hoods ''Robin and the 7 Hoods'' is a 1964 American musical film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., and Bing Crosby. The picture features Peter Falk, Barbara Rush, and an uncredited Edward G. Rob ...

'' (1964) – Twitch * ''

Get Smart ''Get Smart'' is an American comedy television series parodying the secret agent genre that had become widely popular in the first half of the 1960s, with the release of the ''James Bond'' films. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry, an ...

'' (1965, Episode: "Now You See Him ... Now You Don't") – Ehrlich * ''

'' (1966, Episode: "Stage Stop") – Outlaw Curt Hansen * ''

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ''The Man from U.N.C.L.E.'' is an American spy fiction television series produced by MGM Television, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television and first broadcast on NBC. The series follows secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who wo ...

'' (1966, Episode: "The Her Master's Voice Affair") – Jason Sutro * ''

'' (1966, Episode: “Revenge Of The Gods”) - Sardis Ulysses’ aide * ''

The Wild Wild West ''The Wild Wild West'' is an American Western, espionage, and science fiction television series that ran on the CBS television network for four seasons from September 17, 1965, to April 11, 1969. Two satirical comedy television film sequels w ...

'' (1965–1967, TV Series) – Felice Munez / Viper Black * ''

Mission Impossible ''Mission: Impossible'' is a multimedia franchise based on a fictional secret espionage agency known as the Impossible Missions Force (IMF). The 1966 TV series ran for seven seasons and was revived in 1988 for two seasons. It inspired a serie ...

'' (1967, Episodes: "The Slave" Pt.I/II) – The

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

Bakrah * ''

'' (1968, Episode: "

") – Galt * ''

'' (1969, Episode: "The Brothers") – Colonel Hatafis * ''

Land of the Giants ''Land of the Giants'' is a one-hour American science fiction television series that aired on ABC for two seasons, beginning on September 22, 1968 and ending on March 22, 1970. The show was created and produced by Irwin Allen. ''Land of the Gia ...

'' (1970, Episode: “The Secret City Of Limbo” – General Aza * ''

'' (1970, Episode: ''The Gestapo Takeover'') – Major Strauss * ''Mission Impossible'' (1972, Episode: "The Puppet") * ''Bogard'' (1974) – Scarletti * ''

The Six Million Dollar Man ''The Six Million Dollar Man'' is an American science fiction and action television series, running from 1973 to 1978, about a former astronaut, USAF Colonel Steve Austin, portrayed by Lee Majors. After a NASA test flight accident, Austin is reb ...

'' (1974–1975, TV Series) – Markos / Le Duc * '' The Magician'' (1974, Episode: "The Illusion of the Cat's Eye") – Hassid * ''

The Bionic Woman ''The Bionic Woman'' is an American science fiction action-adventure television series created by Kenneth Johnson based on the 1972 novel ''Cyborg'' by Martin Caidin, starring Lindsay Wagner that aired from January 14, 1976, to May 13, 1978. ' ...

'' (1977, Episode: "Jaime and the King") – Prime Minister Hassan * ''

Wonder Woman Wonder Woman is a superhero created by the American psychologist and writer William Moulton Marston (pen name: Charles Moulton), and artist Harry G. Peter. Marston's wife, Elizabeth Holloway Marston, Elizabeth, and their life partner, Olive Byr ...

'' (1978, Episode: "The Man Who Wouldn't Tell") - Dr. Black (uncredited) * ''The Gypsy Warriors'' (1978) – Grenault * ''

The Sword and the Sorcerer ''The Sword and the Sorcerer'' is a 1982 American sword and sorcery fantasy film co-written and directed by Albert Pyun, and starring Lee Horsley, Kathleen Beller, Simon MacCorkindale, George Maharis, Richard Lynch, and Richard Moll. The plot ...

'' (1982) – Malcolm * '' The Man Who Wasn't There'' (1983) – Hassan Khaffiri * '' The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible'' (1985) - (voice, episode: "Joseph and his Brother") * ''

'' (1985) – Marxie Heller * '' The Longshot'' (1986) – Fusco * ''

The Smurfs ''The Smurfs'' (french: Les Schtroumpfs; nl, De Smurfen) is a Belgian comic franchise centered on a fictional colony of small, blue, humanoid creatures who live in mushroom-shaped houses in the forest. ''The Smurfs'' was first created and in ...

'' (1986) - Additional voices * ''

DuckTales ''DuckTales'' is an American animated television series produced by Disney Television Animation. The original cartoon series premiered on syndication and on Disney Channel on September 18, 1987 and ran for a total of 100 episodes over four seas ...

'' (1987, episode: "Sphinx for the Memories") - (voice) * ''

Snorks ''Snorks'' is an animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera and ran for a total of four seasons (consisting of 65 episodes) on NBC from September 15, 1984, to May 13, 1989. The program continued to be available in syndication from 1987 ...

'' (1987) - Additional voices * '' Saturday the 14th Strikes Back'' (1988) – Kharis * ''

The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1990) - Additional voices * ''

'' (1993) – Pit Boss * ''Deadly Exposure'' (1993) – Abe * ''The Criminal Mind'' (1993) – Manny Kohen * ''Firepower'' (1993) – Drexal * '' CyberTracker'' (1994) – Rounds * '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' (episodes: "

" (1994), "

" (1995) and "

", TV Series) – Tumek / Informant * ''

Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...

'' (1995, episodes: "Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 4: The Mutant Agenda," "Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 5: Mutants Revenge," "Neogenic Nightmare Chapter 13: Shriek of the Vulture") - Lewald (voice) * '' Star Trek: Insurrection'' (1998) – Son'a Officer #3 * '' Star Trek: Voyager'' (1999, Episode: "

Gravity In physics, gravity () is a fundamental interaction which causes mutual attraction between all things with mass or energy. Gravity is, by far, the weakest of the four fundamental interactions, approximately 1038 times weaker than the stro ...

") – Vulcan Master * ''

'' (2001, Episode: " Broken Bow") – Suliban Doctor * ''

Wishcraft ''Wishcraft'' is a 2002 American slasher film directed by Richard Wenk (credited as Danny Graves) and starring Michael Weston and Alexandra Holden. The screenplay concerns a teenager who receives a talisman that gives him three wishes. Plot A hi ...

'' (2002) – Taxidermist * ''

The Scorpion King ''The Scorpion King'' is a 2002 American sword and sorcery action adventure film directed by Chuck Russell, starring Dwayne Johnson, Steven Brand, Kelly Hu, Grant Heslov and Michael Clarke Duncan. It is both a prequel and spin-off of ''The ...

'' (2002) – Tribal Leader * ''The Streetsweeper'' (2002) * ''Diamond Zero'' (2005) – Quentin Leeds * ''

'' (2006) – Primo Sparazza

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ruskin, Joseph 1924 births 2013 deaths 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American male actors American male television actors Male actors from Massachusetts People from Haverhill, Massachusetts Jewish American male actors United States Navy personnel of World War II Carnegie Mellon University alumni