Jack Rudolph (character)

Jack Rudolph is a fictional character on the U.S. television series Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, played by Steven Weber.

Personal history

Tough and ambitious, Jack Rudolph is chairman of the National Broadcasting System and says in "Nevada Day 1" that he already has his eyes on the top job in the Tunney Media Group. He was responsible for the firing of Matt Albie in 2002, and resents having to hire Matt and Danny (who are equally resentful of him) in the pilot episode. They are hired solely due to Jordan's persuasion. Jack admires Jordan's risk taking but when agreeing to hire Matt and Danny, he warns Jordan that it's now her responsibility to look after them. In "Nevada Day 2", he says that he is a lawyer.

While he has an antagonistic relationship with Jordan and most of the cast and crew of Studio 60, he does respect them to an extent, occasionally rising to defend them against others who question their character. For example, in the final episode he tells the story of how Danny and Matt were fired, and after he breaks down to Simon Stiles, you are led to believe that he was on their side and did not feel it was necessary to apologize for the 'movie pitch sketch' that Danny and Matt quit over.

In "The Christmas Show", references are made to a live interview by the NBS news department in which a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at an NBS news reporter and a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan, who both narrowly missed being hit. The soldier yelled an expletive, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) declared intentions to fine NBS approximately $73 million for the obscenity. Jack becomes enraged and, with his boss (TMG president Wilson White), he leads an effort against the fine.

He is currently separated from his wife, Marylyn.