Six Things To Know About Alan Ruck

Star Trek, to be sure, is our favorite thing in the galaxy, but coming in a close second is Ferris Bueller's Day Off. And today is the birthday of an actor who is the common denominator between Star Trek and Ferris Bueller... namely Alan Ruck. He played the ineffectual, ill-equipped Captain Harriman in Star Trek Generations and Cameron Frye in Ferris Bueller. To celebrate his birthday, StarTrek.com offers up these 6 Things To Know About Alan Ruck.

Ohio Boy

Ruck was born in Cleveland, and he was raised there, too, before heading to the University of Illinois, where he studied drama.

The Broderick Connection

Prior to sharing the screen with Matthew Broderick in the 1986 classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Ruck worked with the actor in Biloxi Blues. The year was 1985, and Ruck made his Broadway debut in the the Neil Simon comedy.

Harriman Lives On

Harriman figured into several Star Trek books, short stories and comics, including The Captain's Daughter, One Constant Star and Captain's Log: Harriman. Also, according to Memory Alpha, "The personnel file created by Michael Okuda for the video game Star Trek: Starship Creator includes several connections to Ruck's role as Cameron Frye in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off, including a wife named Sloane and a son named Ferris who both live in Chicago, as well as an interest in 20th century Italian sports automobiles."

Health Scare

Back in 2001, Ruck collapsed in his apartment. He was quickly hospitalized and soon diagnosed with Streptococcal Type G infection, which causes bacteria in the bloodstream. According to Ruck's comments on Oprah: Where Are They Now?, he nearly died after the illness reached his brain and caused stroke-like symptoms. Fortunately, as he put it, "I came around. Just lucky."

And He Was In...

Ruck has amassed dozens of credits beyond Generations and Ferris Bueller. His film and TV work includes Bad Boys, Speed, Twister, Mad About You, Extraordinary Measures, Fringe, Psych, The Exorcist and the current Netflix film, War Machine, with Brad Pitt. His upcoming projects include the films Gringo, with Charlize Theron, and Sierra Burgess Is a Loser.

The Actor's Life... and Wife

Ruck is married to Mireille Enos and together they have two young children; he has two other children from a previous marriage. Enos is best known for The Killing and, most recently, The Catch, a series on which Ruck twice guest starred.

Please join us in wishing Ruck a happy birthday!