Alan Ruck

Alan Ruck

At the 2006 Dallas Comic Con.
Born Alan Douglas Ruck
July 1, 1956
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation Actor
Years active 1983–present
Spouse(s) Claudia Stefany (m. 1984–2005)
Mireille Enos (m. 2008)
Children 4

Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American film, stage and television actor, perhaps best known for his roles as Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Stuart Bondek on Spin City.

Early life

Ruck was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to a schoolteacher mother and a father who worked for a pharmaceutical company.[1] He attended Parma Senior High School located in Parma, Ohio, and graduated from the University of Illinois with a B.F.A. in drama in 1979.[2] He recalled:

After school, I went up to Chicago, because I didn't really know anybody in New York or Los Angeles, and I knew people who were doing plays in Chicago. So I went up there, and I knocked around a little bit. And I guess about a year after I was out of school, I got my first job.

Ruck made his Broadway debut in 1985 in Neil Simon's Biloxi Blues with Matthew Broderick. Early on, Ruck was a prominent stage actor at many theaters around the country, including Wisdom Bridge Theatre in Chicago. In his initial foray into film acting, Ruck appeared in Class and Hard Knocks as well as some television films.[2]

Career

Ruck is perhaps best known for his role as Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller's hypochondriac best friend, in John Hughes' Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Ruck was actually 29 when he portrayed the 17-year-old Cameron), and as Stuart Bondek, the lecherous, power-hungry member of the mayor's staff on the hit ABC sitcom Spin City, which ran from 1996-2002.

His first film role was in the 1983 drama film Bad Boys, where he played Carl Brennan, Sean Penn's friend in the film. The same year he played Roger Jackson in Class. One of his other film roles was in the 1987 film Three for the Road.

Ruck later appeared in the 1989 comedy film Three Fugitives. Following that, he played a significant role as Hendry William French in Young Guns II, the 1990 sequel to Young Guns. He also played Captain John Harriman of the USS Enterprise-B in the 1994 film, Star Trek Generations, a role which he has reprised along with Generations co-star Walter Koenig and other Trek alumni in the fan film Of Gods and Men.[3] Alan also played an annoying tourist named Doug Stephens on an ill-fated bus in the blockbuster Speed. Another supporting role was of the eccentric storm chaser Robert 'Rabbit' Nurick in the 1996 disaster film Twister.

In 1990–1991, Ruck starred as Chicago ad man Charlie Davis, in the ABC series Going Places. ABC canceled Going Places after only one season (and 22 episodes). He appeared in the series Daddy's Girls in 1994, which was canceled after three episodes. From 1996–2002, Alan played Stuart Bondek in the sitcom Spin City alongside Michael J. Fox and later, Charlie Sheen. In 2005, he played Leo Bloom in the Broadway version of Mel Brooks' The Producers, a role also played by his Ferris Bueller co-star, Matthew Broderick.

Ruck was then cast in the pilot of the Tim Minear-created Fox Network series Drive, but did not appear in the actual series. He also starred in one episode of the Comedy Central sitcom Stella as Richard, a man looking for work. He later starred in Episode 9 of the second season of Scrubs as a patient, and played reporter Steve Jacobson on the ESPN miniseries The Bronx Is Burning.

In 1998, Ruck guest starred in the fifth episode of the 1998 HBO miniseries From the Earth to the Moon as the NASA engineer Tom Dolan.

In 2006, Ruck guest starred in a single episode of Stargate Atlantis called "The Real World" and, in 2007, as unscrupulous property developer Albert Bunford in an episode of Medium.

In the 2007 comedy Kickin' It Old Skool, he appears as Dr. Frye, a possible connection to Cameron Frye; he even mentions still trying to pay off an old Ferrari, a reference to Cameron totaling his dad's Ferrari in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

In 2009, Ruck had a minor role as a married man named Frank in an episode of Cougar Town. In his role, he has problems with his marriage due to a crush he had long ago on Jules, played by Courteney Cox.

He also played the part of a ghost of a family man in the 2008 film Ghost Town starring Ricky Gervais.

Ruck also has a small role in the 2008 M. Night Shyamalan film, The Happening. He recently played the role of Dean Bowman in the college fraternity drama, Greek. He appeared in a guest role as a manic geologist in an episode of Eureka. Additionally, he plays Mr. Cooverman in the film I Love You, Beth Cooper. In 2009, Ruck filmed the medical drama Extraordinary Measures[4][5] in Portland, Oregon, with star Harrison Ford.

Ruck then appeared as a bank robber in an episode from the third season of the USA Network series Psych and as a lawyer in the fifth season of the ABC series Boston Legal. He recently guest starred as Martin, a magazine reporter, on an episode of Ruby & The Rockits entitled "We Are Family?". In 2010, he guest starred as ex-money laundering accountant turned dentist, on an episode of Justified entitled "Long in the Tooth".

He also appeared in a "Grey's Anatomy" episode "In The Midnight Hour" for season 5.

In 2010 Ruck was cast as a lead character in the NBC mystery-drama, Persons Unknown. He also guest starred on the television show Fringe as a scientist turned criminal.

Ruck was also cast in the ABC Family series Bunheads as the husband to Sutton Foster's character, Michelle.

Personal life

Ruck married Claudia Stefany in 1984, and had two children with her—a daughter, Emma, and a son, Sam. They divorced in 2005. He married actress Mireille Enos on January 4, 2008. They met in 2005 while co-starring in the Broadway revival of Absurd Person Singular. Mireille gave birth to their daughter Vesper Vivienne on September 23, 2010. On February 12, 2014, the couple announced their second child was on the way and their son Larkin Zouey was born Wednesday, July 23 of that year. [6]

Filmography

Year Film Role Notes
1983 Class Roger Jackson
Bad Boys Carl Brennan
1986 Ferris Bueller's Day Off Cameron Frye
1987 Three for the Road T.S.
1988 Shooter Stork O'Connor
1989 Bloodhounds of Broadway John Wangle
1989 Three Fugitives Tener
1990 Young Guns II Hendry William French
1990–1991 Going Places Charlie Davis TV Show
1994 Star Trek Generations John Harriman
Daddy's Girls Lenny TV Show
Speed Doug Stephens
1995 Born to Be Wild Dan Woodley
Muscle Dr. Marshall Gold TV Show
1996–1997 Mad About You Lance Brockwell
1996–2002 Spin City Stewart Bondek
1996 Twister Robert "Rabbit" Nurick
1998 Walking to the Waterline Duane Hopwood
2003 Cheaper by the Dozen Bill Shenk
2005 Scrubs Mr. Bragin TV Show
2006 Stargate Atlantis Dr. Fletcher TV Show, 1 episode
2007 Medium Albert Bunford TV Show, 1 episode
2007 Kickin' It Old Skool Dr. Frye
2007–2011 Greek Dean Bowman TV Show, 6 episodes
2008 Ghost Town Ghost of a family man
Eavesdrop Casper
Eureka Dr. Hood Best In Faux
The Happening School Principal Cameo appearance
InAlienable Dr. Proway
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men John Harriman
2008–2009 Psych Phil Stubbins TV Show
2009 I Love You, Beth Cooper Mr. Cooverman
Don't You Forget About Me Himself
2010 Pop My Culture Podcast TV Show
Episode: Alan Ruck
Rules of Engagement Dr. Greenblatt TV Show
Persons Unknown Charlie Morse
Extraordinary Measures Pete Sutphen
Justified Roland Pike TV Show
Episode: Long in the Tooth
2011 Fringe Dr. Krick TV Show
Five Sam Jarente TV Movie
2012 Bunheads Hubbell Flowers TV Show
Ben and Kate School Principal TV Show
Episode: Bad Cop/Bad Cop
Goats Dr. Eldridge
Hawaii Five-0 Brian Slater TV Show
Episode: Ohuna
2013 Burn Notice Max Lyster TV Show
Episode: Reckoning
NCIS Ward Davis TV Show
Episode: Gut Check
2014 Intelligence Jonathan Cain TV Show
Episode: Cain and Gabriel
Psych Ruben Leonard TV Show
2015 Hindsight Lolly's Father TV Show
Episode: … Then I’ll Know

References

External links

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