---
name: "Jan Rubeš"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/jan-rubes"
fi1m_id: "jan-rubes"
imdb_id: "nm0747962"
tmdb_id: 37422
wikidata_id: "Q187884"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 June 1920"
died: "29 June 2009"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-17T23:39:41.391326+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Jan Rubeš

## Identity

Jan Rubeš

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/jan-rubes
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** jan-rubes
- **IMDb ID:** nm0747962
- **TMDB ID:** 37422
- **Wikidata ID:** Q187884
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Rube%C5%A1, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187884, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0747962/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/37422

Actor. Born 6 June 1920 in Volyně, Czechoslovakia. Died 29 June 2009.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 June 1920, Volyně, Czechoslovakia
- **Died:** 29 June 2009
- **Also known as:** Jan Rubes
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Rube%C5%A1, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q187884, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0747962/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/37422

## Streaming the US now

- **Tubi:** [*Witness*](https://film.one/film/witness.md) (84)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## 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.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *Witness* (1985), Fi1m 84, as Eli Lapp — [page](https://film.one/film/witness.md)

## Complete filmography (68)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Our Fathers* (2005), as Pope John Paul
- *Tilt* (2005), series, as Frank Modeste
- *Daniel and the Superdogs* (2004), as The Colonel
- *The Burial Society* (2002), as Marvin Telekunsky
- *Anthrax* (2001), as Arthur Kowalski
- *The Christmas Secret* (2000), as Andree
- *Believe* (2000), as Jason Stiles
- *Snow Falling on Cedars* (1999), as Ole Jurgensen
- *What Katy Did* (1999), as Dr. Reinhart
- *Nightmare Man* (1999), as Evan Hannibal
- *The White Raven* (1998), as Markus Strand
- *Rescuers: Stories of Courage - Two Couples* (1998), as Hendrick de Vries
- *Music from Another Room* (1998), as Louis Klammer
- *Flood: A River's Rampage* (1997), as Jacob
- *The Third Twin* (1997), series, as Mr. Oliver
- *Sarabande* (1997), as Dr. Kassovitz
- *Stargate SG-1* (1997), series, as Nicholas Ballard
- *Never Too Late* (1996), as Joseph
- *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Robert Greene / Older Karl Rademacher
- *Roommates* (1995), as Bolek Krupa
- *Serving in Silence - The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story* (1995), as Far
- *Boozecan* (1994), as Pops
- *Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio* (1994), as Phantom
- *Due South* (1994), series, as Dr. Mort Gustafson
- *ER* (1994), series, as Mr. Duzak — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Mesmer* (1994), as Professor Stoerk
- *D2: The Mighty Ducks* (1994), as Jan
- *The Birds II: Land's End* (1994), as Karl
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Vassily Peskow (uncredited), Vassily Peskow — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *On My Own* (1993), as The Colonel
- *By Way of the Stars* (1992), series, as Hausierer Nathan
- *Devlin* (1992), as Vittorio Di Fabrizi
- *The Witches of Eastwick* (1992), as Fidel
- *Deceived* (1991), as Tomasz
- *Class Action* (1991), as Pavel
- *Descending Angel* (1990), as Bishop Dancu
- *The Amityville Curse* (1990), as The Priest
- *F-E-D-A* (1990), Actor
- *Courage Mountain* (1990), as Grandfather
- *Divided Loyalties* (1990), Actor
- *Cold Front* (1989), as Zoubov
- *The Experts* (1989), as Illyich
- *Blind Fear* (1989), as Lasky
- *No Blame* (1988), Actor
- *Something About Love* (1988), Actor
- *The Kiss* (1988), as Gordon Tobin
- *War of the Worlds* (1988), series, as Dr. Von Deer
- *The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick* (1988), as Augustus Glick
- *Blood Relations* (1988), as Andreas
- *Two Men* (1988), as Michael Barra
- *Dead of Winter* (1987), as Dr. Joseph Lewis
- *The Marriage Bed* (1986), as Max Ehrlich
- *Kay O'Brien* (1986), series, Actor
- *One Magic Christmas* (1985), as Santa Claus
- *Kane & Abel* (1985), series, as The Polish Consul
- *Murder: By Reason of Insanity* (1985), as Giorgi Denerenko (uncredited)
- *Murder in Space* (1985), as Gregory Denarenko
- *Witness* (1985), as Eli Lapp — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/witness.md)
- *Charlie Grant's War* (1985), as Jacob
- *Little Gloria... Happy at Last* (1982), series, Actor
- *The Amateur* (1981), as Kaplan
- *Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid* (1981), as Psychiatrist
- *Mr. Patman* (1981), as Vrakettas
- *Deadly Harvest* (1977), as Swenson
- *The New Avengers* (1976), series, as Patlenko
- *Lions for Breakfast* (1975), as Ivan
- *The Incredible Journey* (1963), as Carl Nurmi
- *Festival* (1960), series, as Guardian

## Gallery

- ![Jan Rubeš](https://film.one/media/person/118347/gallery-64d71a068b25.jpg) Jan Rubeš — Photographer not credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Susan_Douglas_and_Jan_Rube%C5%A1_singing_Czech_folk_songs%2C_1953_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Susan Douglas and her husband Jan Rubeš reading the papers, 1953](https://film.one/media/person/118347/gallery-10e374c61846.jpg) Susan Douglas and her husband Jan Rubeš reading the papers, 1953 — Photographer not credited, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/78/Susan_Douglas_and_her_husband_Jan_Rube%C5%A1_reading_the_papers%2C_1953.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Jan Rubeš](https://film.one/media/person/118347/gallery-a020155f8ced.jpg) Jan Rubeš — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Other awards — 1 won

- Earle Grey Award 1990: Earle Grey Award (won)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/jan-rubes