Joseph Ruskin

American actor (1924–2013)

Joseph Ruskin
Ruskin and Barbara Feldon in an episode of Get Smart
Born	Joseph Richard Schlafman (1924-04-14)April 14, 1924 Haverhill, Massachusetts, U.S.
Died	December 28, 2013(2013-12-28) (aged 89) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1955–2013

Joseph Ruskin (born Joseph Richard Schlafman; April 14, 1924 – December 28, 2013) was an American character actor.

Early life

Ruskin was born in Haverhill, Massachusetts. After graduating high school in Cleveland, he served in the U.S. Navy and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University, and began acting at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Although he gained his greatest recognition in television and film, he continued to appear on stage throughout his career.^[1]

Career

Ruskin appeared in an episode of The Outer Limits, called "Production and Decay of Strange Particles". He played in The Time Tunnel 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 episode, "To Serve Man", a season after playing the genie in another episode, "The Man in the Bottle". Ruskin also appeared in the Hogan's Heroes episode "The Gestapo Takeover". He played the gun-slinging troublemaker Gus Vogel in "Wanted: Dead or Alive" S2 E10 "Reckless" which aired 11/6/1959. 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 Kentucky Jones.

His film appearances include The Magnificent Seven (1960), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Indecent Proposal (1993) and Smokin' Aces (2006).^[2]

Star Trek

In Star Trek: The Original Series, Ruskin played the part of Galt in "The Gamesters of Triskelion", an episode of the second season, originally aired on January 5, 1968.^[3]

He appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, portraying the Klingon Tumek in two episodes, "The House of Quark" and "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places", which aired in October 1994 and October 1996 respectively. In between these episodes, he was cast as a Cardassian informant in the third-season episode "Improbable Cause".^[3]

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 master.^[3]

Ruskin's final Star Trek appearance was in Star Trek: Enterprise. He appeared as a Suliban doctor in the pilot episode "Broken Bow", which aired on September 26, 2001.^[3]

Union activity

Ruskin became a board member of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) in 1976, and served on its board until 1999. He also became the first Western Regional Vice President of Actors' Equity Association 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 on him its Ralph Morgan Award in 2011.^[2]

Death

Ruskin died on December 28, 2013, at a hospital in Santa Monica, California.^[1]

Partial filmography

Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1958) (Season 3 Episode 25: "Flight to the East") - Man Entering Shop (uncredited)
The Untouchables (1959, Episode: "Mexican Stake-out") – Fred Metcalf (uncredited)
Hell Bent for Leather (1960) – Shad
The Twilight Zone (1960, Episode: "The Man in the Bottle") - Genie
The Rise and Fall of Legs Diamond (1960) – Matt Moran
The Magnificent Seven (1960) – Flynn (uncredited)
The Untouchables (1961, Episode: "The Seventh Vote")
The Twilight Zone (1962, Episode "To Serve Man" - Kanamit (voice, uncredited)
Gunsmoke (1962) "The Gallows" Season 7, Episode 22 - The Judge
Diary of a Madman (1963) – The Horla (voice)
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1963) (Season 1 Episode 32: "Death of a Cop") - Gabby Donovan
The Dakotas (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
Gunsmoke (1966, Episode: "Stage Stop") – Outlaw Curt Hansen
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1966, Episode: "The Her Master's Voice Affair") – Jason Sutro
The Time Tunnel (1966, Episode: “Revenge Of The Gods”) - Sardis Ulysses’ aide
The Wild Wild West (1965–1967, TV Series) – Felice Munez / Viper Black
Mission Impossible (1967, Episodes: "The Slave" Pt.I/II) – The Monarch Bakrah
Star Trek: The Original Series (1968, Episode: "The Gamesters of Triskelion") – Galt
Mission Impossible (1969, Episode: "The Brothers") – Colonel Hatafis
Land of the Giants (1970, Episode: “The Secret City Of Limbo” – General Aza
Hogan's Heroes (1970, Episode: The Gestapo Takeover) – Major Strauss
Mission Impossible (1972, Episode: "The Puppet")
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
Wonder Woman (1978, Episode: "The Man Who Wouldn't Tell") - Dr. Black (uncredited)
The Gypsy Warriors (1978) – Grenault
The Sword and the Sorcerer (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")
Prizzi's Honor (1985) – Marxie Heller
The Longshot (1986) – Fusco
The Smurfs (1986) - Additional voices
DuckTales (1987, episode: "Sphinx for the Memories") - (voice)
Snorks (1987) - Additional voices
Saturday the 14th Strikes Back (1988) – Kharis
The Adventures of Don Coyote and Sancho Panda (1990) - Additional voices
L.A. Law (episode: "Badfellas" (1991) – Pappas
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
Spider-Man (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") – 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 Sparazza

References

^ ^a ^b "Actor Joseph Ruskin Dies at 89". The Hollywood Reporter. December 30, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "R.I.P. Joseph Ruskin". Deadline Hollywood. December 30, 2013. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Laurie Ulster (March 11, 2021). "13 Original Series Actors Who Couldn't Get Enough Trek". StarTrek.com. Star Trek fans have seen Joseph Ruskin play five different characters in four Star Trek series