Biography
Joseph Ruskin (born Joseph Richard Schlafman) was an American character actor. He was born on 14 April 1924 in Haverhill, Massachusetts, and died on 28 December 2013 in Santa Monica, California. After serving in the US Navy, he studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University and began acting at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.
Ruskin appeared in numerous television series and films from the 1950s onwards. His credits include the role of Flynn in The Magnificent Seven (1960), Galt in the original Star Trek series (1966), Malcolm in The Sword and the Sorcerer (1982), a Son'a officer in Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Primo Sparazza in Smokin' Aces (2006). He also had roles in The Twilight Zone, Mission: Impossible and The Scorpion King (2002).
He served on the board of the Screen Actors Guild from 1976 to 1999. Ruskin was married to actress Patricia Herd from 1959 until their divorce in 1976.
