Biography
Jan Rubeš (also credited as Jan Rubes) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor. Born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, he graduated from the Prague Conservatory of Music in 1945 and joined the Prague Opera House as a bass singer. In 1948 he won first prize at the Geneva International Music Festival and emigrated to Canada later that year.
He performed extensively with the Canadian Opera Company, later serving as its director of touring and programme development. Rubeš became known as a television presenter and actor in Canada, hosting TVOntario’s Guess What? (1975–83) and receiving the Earle Grey Award for lifetime achievement in Canadian television. His film roles included Eli Lapp in Witness (1985) and Jan in D2: The Mighty Ducks (1994). He was married to actress Susan Douglas from 1950 until his death in Toronto in 2009.
