Richard RUSKIN

Richard Ruskin (born February 25, 1963, Englewood, New Jersey) is an American actor whose career in film, television, and commercial work spans more than four decades. He grew up the middle son of a successful stockbroker and a mother who became the first female sales representative hired by Talon Zippers in the 1980s, earning multiple national sales awards. Ruskin first discovered acting in third grade, playing the Scarecrow in The Wizard of Oz, an experience that gave him his earliest positive recognition and set the direction for his life. At eighteen, he toured briefly with an international children’s theater company before the production closed in Phoenix, Arizona, where he stayed, worked at Angel’s Hardware, and became SAG-eligible. After recovering from an emergency appendectomy, he returned to New Jersey and college. His path has never been traditional. Alongside acting, Ruskin worked as a certified flight instructor, commercial pilot, banker, financial adviser, restaurant employee, and long-time day trader—jobs he considers “part-time work” during periods when he was either supporting his acting career or finding his way back to it. He later spent fifteen years in Los Angeles, followed by more than a decade living and working in Alaska, Oregon, Missouri, New York City, and Florida. Known for directness, discipline, and a grounded on-camera presence, Ruskin describes acting as “a ridiculous thing to pursue, but a phenomenal thing to do.” He continues to work in front of the camera while developing long-form material based on his experiences.