Remembering Prolific Trek Guest Joseph Ruskin, 1924-2013

StarTrek.com is saddened to report the passing of Joseph Ruskin, who died of natural causes on December 28 at UCLA Medical Center in Santa Monica, California. Ruskin was 89 years old. The prolific film, television and stage actor's career spanned from 1955 to 2013 and encompassed such memorable credits as The Honeymooners, The Twilight Zone, The Untouchables, The Outer Limits, Mission: Impossible, The Six Million Dollar Man, Charlie's Angels, Hill Street Blues, Prizzi's Honor, ER, The Scorpion King, Alias, Smokin' Aces and Bones, not to mention numerous appearances across the Star Trek franchise. As recently as this past summer he co-starred in The Antaeus Company's production of The Crucible, directed by Deep Space Nine's Armin Shimerman.

As noted, Ruskin was something of a go-to Star Trek guest. He played Galt in The Original Series episode "The Gamesters of Triskelion," the Klingon Tumek in the DS9 episodes "The House of Quark" and "Looking for par'Mach in All the Wrong Places," a Cardassian informant in DS9's "Improbable Cause," a Vulcan master in the Voyager hour "Gravity" and a Suliban doctor in the Enterprise series opener, "Broken Bow." Ruskin also played a Son'a officer in Star Trek: Insurrection and provided voices for the Star Trek video games Hidden Evil and Away Team. In what turned out to be his final feature, Smokin' Aces, Ruskin shared scenes with Star Trek's future Captain Kirk, Chris Pine.

Ruskin was a World War II veteran, having served in the Navy, and he served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild from 1976 to 1999. According to the Hollywood Reporter, 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. StarTrek.com offers our condolences to Ruskin's family, friends and many fans.