Joseph Ruskin obit

Actor Joseph Ruskin Dies at 89

He was not on the list.

The star also served as a SAG board member from 1976 to 1999.

Joseph Ruskin, a character actor and long-serving SAG board member, died Dec. 28 from natural causes at UCLA Medical Center, Santa Monica. He was 89.

As an actor, he appeared in 25 films and 124 television shows. His notable film appearances included The Magnificent Seven and Prizzi's Honor. His television credits include appearances on The Twilight Zone, Star Trek and Alias.

Ruskin served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild from 1976 to 1999, with eight of those years as the First National Vice President. In 1979, he became the first Western Regional Vice President of Actors Equity Association (AEA). Ruskin also was honored for his service to SAG with the organization's Ralph Morgan Award in 2011, and by AEA with the Lucy Jordan Award in 2003 and the Patrick Quinn Award in 2013.

The actor studied drama at Carnegie Tech (now Carnegie-Mellon University) and began his acting career at the Pittsburg Playhouse and the Rochester Arena Stage. He returned to theater with performances at the Mark Taper Forum, UCLA’s Freud Playhouse and Theater 40. His final appearance was at the Antaeus Theater Company this year.

He was born in Haverhill, Mass., graduated from high school in Cleveland, Ohio, and served in the Navy during World War II.

Ruskin is survived by his wife, Barbara Greene Ruskin; daughter, Alicia Ruskin, and son-in-law, Larry Bucklan; step-daughters Rachel Greene, Martha Greene and Liza Page.

 

Partial filmography

 

    Mission Impossible "The Puppet"

    The Untouchables (1959, Episode: "Mexican Stake-out") – Fred Metcalf (uncredited)

    Hell Bent for Leather (1960) – Shad

    The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) – Matt Moran

    The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Flynn (uncredited)

    The Untouchables (1961, Episode: "The Seventh Vote")

    Diary of a Madman (1963) – The Horla (voice)

    The Dakotas (TV series) (1963, Episode: "Feud at Snake River") - The Rider

    Robin and the 7 Hoods (1964) – Twitch

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

    The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966, Episode: "The Her Master's Voice Affair") – Jason Sutro

    The Wild Wild West (1965–1967, TV Series) – Felice Munez / Viper Black

    Star Trek: The Original Series (1968, Episode: "The Gamesters of Triskelion") – Galt

    Mission Impossible (1969, Episode: "The Brothers") – Colonel Hatafis

    Hogan's Heroes (1970, Episode: The Gestapo Takeover) – Major Strauss

    Bogard (1974) – Scarletti

    The Six Million Dollar Man (1974–1975, TV Series) – Markos / Le Duc

    The Magician (1974, Episode: "The Illusion Of The Cat's Eye") – Hassid

    The Bionic Woman (1977, episode: "Jaime and the King") – Prime Minister Hassan

    The Gypsy Warriors (1978) – Grenault

    The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982) – Malcolm

    The Man Who Wasn't There (1983) – Hassan Khaffiri

    Prizzi's Honor (1985) – Marxie Heller

    The Longshot (1986) – Fusco

    Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988) – Kharis

    Indecent Proposal (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: "The House of Quark" (1994), "Improbable Cause" (1995) and "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", TV Series) – Tumek / Informant

    Star Trek: Insurrection (1998) – Son'a Officer #3

    Star Trek: Voyager (1999, Episode: "Gravity") – Vulcan Master

    Star Trek: Enterprise (2001, Episode: "Broken Bow") – Suliban Doctor

    Wishcraft (2002) – Taxidermist

    The Scorpion King (2002) – Tribal Leader

    The Streetsweeper (2002)

    Diamond Zero (2005) – Quentin Leeds

    Smokin' Aces (2006) – Primo Sparazz