---
name: "Saul Rubinek"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/saul-rubinek"
fi1m_id: "saul-rubinek"
imdb_id: "nm0007210"
tmdb_id: 3712
wikidata_id: "Q976176"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "2 July 1948"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 11
average_fi1m_score: 76
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 11
updated: "2026-10-05T02:16:34.924825+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."
---

# Saul Rubinek

## Identity

Saul Rubinek

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/saul-rubinek
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** saul-rubinek
- **IMDb ID:** nm0007210
- **TMDB ID:** 3712
- **Wikidata ID:** Q976176
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Rubinek, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q976176, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007210/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3712

Actor. Born 2 July 1948 in Wolfratshausen, Germany.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 2 July 1948, Wolfratshausen, Germany
- **Active:** 1987–present
- **Also known as:** Saul Hersh Rubinek
- **Average Fi1m score:** 76, as actor, over 11 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1980s 74 (1), 1990s 87 (2), 2000s 71 (4), 2010s 76 (3), 2020s 78 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 76 to 69 across 10 titles
- **Score spread:** 4 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 5 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 6, Comedy 5, Crime 3, Action 2, Western 2, Action & Adventure 1
- **Screen time:** 15 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $588m across 6 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saul_Rubinek, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q976176, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0007210/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/3712

## Streaming the US now

- **Netflix:** [*True Romance*](https://film.one/film/true-romance.md) (82)
- **AMC+:** [*BlackBerry*](https://film.one/film/blackberry.md) (78)
- **Pluto TV:** [*The Contender*](https://film.one/film/the-contender.md) (64)

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

## Fi1m on Saul Rubinek

> Saul Rubinek brings nervous intensity to writers, lawyers and producers, making professional status look less reassuring than it ought to. We rate him highly, with one reservation: familiar casting can leave too little room for anything beyond the fuss.

In *Unforgiven* (1992), Saul Rubinek's W.W. Beauchamp writes about the West and helps to turn its violent men into legends. We found him unsettling because the apparently respectable business of recording events also helps to make violence attractive. Clint Eastwood gives this supporting character a job that matters to the film's questions about gunfighters and their reputations. Rubinek's nervous energy is useful here: it makes the writer more than a convenient way to explain things. Our reservation about the film's own attraction to gunfighter legend makes Beauchamp worth watching particularly closely.

His move from Canadian theatre, radio and television into American films in the 1980s established him as a character actor. Oliver Stone cast him as lawyer Harry Salt in *Wall Street* (1987). Writers, lawyers and producers recur in his work, and we can see the appeal of casting someone who makes such professions feel faintly suspect. The risk is that the job description starts doing too much of the acting.

In Tony Scott's *True Romance* (1993), he plays Lee Donowitz, a cocaine-using film producer. Rubinek is well suited to a character whose professional standing offers no guarantee of decent behaviour. His intensity makes the exaggeration funny, though the disreputable professional is familiar territory for him. We recommend the film for the lovers and the supporting cast, and he earns his place in the latter. The warning about its cruelty still stands; enjoying Rubinek does not require pretending the whole film is harmless.

His first feature as director, *Jerry and Tom* (1998), and his starring role in *Warehouse 13* (2009–2014) took him beyond those supporting assignments. The Frenchman in the Coen brothers' *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* (2018) brought him back to an ensemble Western. We would still start with the two films that give his writers and producers such different uses. Choose *Unforgiven* first; save *True Romance* for an evening when tenderness mixed with cruelty sounds bearable.

## Biography

Saul Rubinek is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright. Born on 2 July 1948 in Föhrenwald, a displaced-persons camp in Germany, to Polish Jewish parents who had been hidden during the Second World War, he moved with his family to Canada shortly after his birth.

He began his career in theatre, appearing in productions with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and co-founding Theatre Passe Muraille. Film roles include W.W. Beauchamp in *Unforgiven* (1992) and Lee Donowitz in *True Romance* (1993). He has also appeared in television series including *Frasier*, *Warehouse 13* and *Lost*.

Rubinek directed the feature *Jerry and Tom* (1998), nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival. He is married to producer Elinor Reid.

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

## On Fi1m (11)

- *BlackBerry* (2023), Fi1m 78, as John Woodman — [page](https://film.one/film/blackberry.md)
- *For All Mankind* (2019), Fi1m 66, as Rep. Charles Sandman — [page](https://film.one/tv/for-all-mankind-2019.md)
- *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* (2018), Fi1m 79, as Frenchman (segment "The Mortal Remains") — [page](https://film.one/film/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs.md)
- *Schitt's Creek* (2015), Fi1m 82, as Tippy Bernstein — [page](https://film.one/tv/schitts-creek.md)
- *Santa's Slay* (2005), Fi1m 77, as Mr. Green — [page](https://film.one/film/santas-slay.md)
- *Lost* (2004), Fi1m 81, as Clark Finney — [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *Rush Hour 2* (2001), Fi1m 61, as Red Dragon Box Man — [page](https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2.md)
- *The Contender* (2000), Fi1m 64, as Jerry Tolliver — [page](https://film.one/film/the-contender.md)
- *True Romance* (1993), Fi1m 82, as Lee Donowitz — [page](https://film.one/film/true-romance.md)
- *Unforgiven* (1992), Fi1m 92, as W.W. Beauchamp — [page](https://film.one/film/unforgiven.md)
- *Wall Street* (1987), Fi1m 74, as Harry Salt — [page](https://film.one/film/wall-street.md)

## Complete filmography (149)

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

- *The Copenhagen Test* (2025), series, as Victor Simonek
- *SHTTL* (2023), as Rebbe Weitsenzang
- *Clock* (2023), as Joseph
- *BlackBerry* (2023), as John Woodman — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/blackberry.md)
- *I Am Normal* (2021), as Rosenhan
- *Hunters* (2020), series, as Murray Markowitz
- *The Song of Names* (2019), as Mr. Feinman, Feinman
- *For All Mankind* (2019), series, as Rep. Charles Sandman — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/for-all-mankind-2019.md)
- *A Magical Journey* (2019), as Saul · Writer
- *The Ballad of Buster Scruggs* (2018), as Frenchman (segment "The Mortal Remains") — Fi1m 79, [page](https://film.one/film/the-ballad-of-buster-scruggs.md)
- *FBI* (2018), series, as Senator David Becker
- *The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel* (2017), series, as Pauly Auerbach — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-marvelous-mrs-maisel.md)
- *Gridlocked* (2016), as Marty
- *Billions* (2016), series, as Hap Halloran
- *Angie Tribeca* (2016), series, as Pfoopa — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/angie-tribeca.md)
- *Schitt's Creek* (2015), series, as Tippy Bernstein — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/schitts-creek.md)
- *Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt* (2012), as Hasty Hathaway
- *Person of Interest* (2011), series, as Arthur Claypool — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/person-of-interest.md)
- *Jesse Stone: Innocents Lost* (2011), as Hasty Hathaway
- *Kill Me Please* (2010), as M. Breiman
- *Barney's Version* (2010), as Charnofsky
- *Knucklehead* (2010), as Rabbi
- *Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!* (2010), as Martin Hirsch
- *Jesse Stone: No Remorse* (2010), as Hasty Hathaway
- *The Trotsky* (2010), as David Bronstein
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Judge Thomas Treem — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *Warehouse 13* (2009), series, as Arthur "Artie" Nielsen
- *Leverage* (2008), series, as Victor Dubenich
- *The Express* (2008), as Art Modell
- *The Trojan Horse* (2008), series, as Rafe Kott
- *Julia* (2008), as Mitch
- *Blackout* (2007), as Sol
- *A Broken Life* (2007), as The Boss
- *War* (2007), as Dr. Sherman
- *Jesse Stone: Sea Change* (2007), as Hasty Hathaway
- *The Washingtonians* (2007), as Professor Harkinson
- *Behind the Camera: The Unauthorized Story of 'Diff'rent Strokes'* (2006), as Fred Silverman
- *Eureka* (2006), series, as Dr. Carl Carlson
- *Psych* (2006), series, as Lance
- *Jesse Stone: Night Passage* (2006), as Hasty Hathaway
- *Masters of Horror* (2005), series, Actor
- *Santa's Slay* (2005), as Mr. Green — Fi1m 77, [page](https://film.one/film/santas-slay.md)
- *Partner(s)* (2005), as Matthew
- *Cruel But Necessary* (2005), Director
- *Trump Unauthorized* (2005), as Peter Wennik
- *Grey's Anatomy* (2005), series, as Eli Rigler — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/tv/greys-anatomy.md)
- *Blind Justice* (2005), series, as Dr. Alan Galloway
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, as Donald Feldcamp — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *Lost* (2004), series, as Clark Finney — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/lost.md)
- *Jack & Bobby* (2004), series, Actor
- *Baadasssss!* (2004), as Howard Kaufman
- *White Coats* (2004), as Dr. Sam Bonnert
- *Coast to Coast* (2004), as Gary Pereira
- *Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss* (2004), as Dr. Paul Fleiss
- *Hollywood North* (2004), as Paul Linder
- *The Singing Detective* (2003), as Skin Specialist
- *Threat Matrix* (2003), series, as Peter Tomashevski
- *And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself* (2003), as Eli Morton
- *The Brady Bunch in the White House* (2002), as Sal Astor
- *Gleason* (2002), as George 'Bullets' Durgom
- *Triggermen* (2002), as Jazzer
- *Bleacher Bums* (2001), as Reid (uncredited) · Director
- *Rush Hour 2* (2001), as Red Dragon Box Man — Fi1m 61, [page](https://film.one/film/rush-hour-2.md)
- *Laughter on the 23rd Floor* (2001), as Ira
- *A Nero Wolfe Mystery* (2001), series, as Lon Cohen
- *Club Land* (2001), Director
- *The Family Man* (2000), as Alan Mintz
- *Curb Your Enthusiasm* (2000), series, as Dr. Saul Funkhouser — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/curb-your-enthusiasm.md)
- *The Contender* (2000), as Jerry Tolliver — Fi1m 64, [page](https://film.one/film/the-contender.md)
- *Lakeboat* (2000), as Cuthman
- *The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery* (2000), as Saul Panzer
- *The Bookfair Murders* (2000), as Martin P. Barrett
- *Once and Again* (1999), series, Actor
- *Law & Order: Special Victims Unit* (1999), series, as Mr. Price
- *Dick* (1999), as Henry Kissinger
- *Mentors* (1999), series, as Napoleon Bonaparte
- *36 Hours to Die* (1999), as Morano
- *Jerry and Tom* (1998), as Dogtrack Victim · Director, Producer
- *Bad Manners* (1998), as Matt Carroll
- *Blackjack* (1998), as Thomas
- *Color of Justice* (1997), as Norm
- *Pale Saints* (1997), as Whitey
- *Hostile Intent* (1997), as Kendall
- *Stargate SG-1* (1997), series, as Emmett Bregman
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Arnold Hunter
- *Ink* (1996), series, as Alan Mesnick
- *Past Perfect* (1996), as Bookkeeper
- *Rainbow* (1996), as Sam Cohen
- *Toe Tags* (1996), as Lou Griffith
- *Nixon* (1995), as Herb Klein
- *Memory Run* (1995), as Dr. Munger
- *The Android Affair* (1995), as Fiedler
- *The Outer Limits* (1995), series, as Professor Hugaro, Aaron Zgierski
- *Open Season* (1995), as Eric Schlockmeister
- *I Love Trouble* (1994), as Sam Smotherman
- *Getting Even with Dad* (1994), as Bobby
- *Death Wish V: The Face of Death* (1994), as Brian Hoyle
- *Frasier* (1993), series, as Donny Douglas — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/frasier.md)
- *And the Band Played On* (1993), as Dr. Jim Curran
- *Undercover Blues* (1993), as Mr. Ferderber
- *True Romance* (1993), as Lee Donowitz — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/true-romance.md)
- *Woman on Trial: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story* (1993), as Bill Bryson
- *Woman on the Run: The Lawrencia Bembenek Story* (1993), series, as Bill Bryson
- *Unforgiven* (1992), as W.W. Beauchamp — Fi1m 92, [page](https://film.one/film/unforgiven.md)
- *Man Trouble* (1992), as Laurence Moncrief
- *The Quarrel* (1991), as Hersh Rasseyner
- *The Bonfire of the Vanities* (1990), as Jed Kramer
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Professor Ira Simpkis — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/law-and-order.md)
- *Falling Over Backwards* (1990), as Mel
- *Men* (1989), series, as Paul Armas
- *Liberace: Behind the Music* (1988), as Seymour Heller
- *The Outside Chance of Maximilian Glick* (1988), as Rabbi Teitelman
- *Hitting Home* (1988), as Owen Hughes
- *Wall Street* (1987), as Harry Salt — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/film/wall-street.md)
- *Star Trek: The Next Generation* (1987), series, as Kivas Fajo — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-the-next-generation.md)
- *So Many Miracles* (1987), Narrator, Writer
- *Taking Care* (1987), Actor
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Harold Schoen
- *Half a Lifetime* (1986), as Sam
- *Sweet Liberty* (1986), as Bo Hodges
- *Murder Sees the Light* (1986), as Benny Cooperman
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, as Jason Masur
- *The Ray Bradbury Theater* (1985), series, as John Griffths
- *Martin's Day* (1985), as Hitchhiker
- *The Suicide Murders* (1985), as Benny Cooperman
- *Highpoint* (1984), as Centino
- *Against All Odds* (1984), as Steve Kirsch
- *The Terry Fox Story* (1983), as Dan Grey
- *Young Doctors in Love* (1982), as Floyd Kurtzman
- *By Design* (1982), as Terry
- *Soup for One* (1982), as Allan
- *American Playhouse* (1982), series, as Hersh Rasseyner
- *Ticket to Heaven* (1981), as Larry
- *Clown White* (1981), as Mr. Freed
- *Hill Street Blues* (1981), series, Actor — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/hill-street-blues.md)
- *Nothing Personal* (1980), as Peter Braden (uncredited)
- *Death Ship* (1980), as Jackie
- *Agency* (1980), as Sam Goldstein
- *The Wordsmith* (1979), as Mervyn Kaplansky
- *Sanctuary of Fear* (1979), as Jerry Stone
- *Seer Was Here* (1978), Actor
- *Friday Night Adventure* (1976), Actor
- *Teleplay* (1976), series, Actor
- *For the Record* (1976), series, Actor
- *Slow Run* (1968), as Narrator
- *First Shift: Redemption*, Actor
- *The Bookie & the Bruiser*, as Eli Hirschbaum
- *Grierson and Gouzenko*, as Gouzenko
- *First Shift: Vengeance*, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-77d103918ef4.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/81/Saul_Rubinek_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg/1280px-Saul_Rubinek_by_Gage_Skidmore.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Actor/director Saul Rubinek at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan. Photographed by Luigi Novi. This photo may only be used if the photographer is properly cr (2009)](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-2c80661ff4cd.jpg) Actor/director Saul Rubinek at the Big Apple Convention in Manhattan. Photographed by Luigi Novi. This photo may only be used if the photographer is properly cr (2009) — Nightscream, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5b/10.17.09SaulRubinekByLuigiNovi.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Actor Saul Rubinek (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-4b1c2c2f41de.jpg) Actor Saul Rubinek (2010) — Saul_Rubinek_&_Eddie_McClintock.jpg: Bill Spears from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada
derivative work: RanZag (talk), CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Saul_Rubinek.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Saul Rubinek and Eddie McClintock (2010)](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-eac3b52512b2.jpg) Saul Rubinek and Eddie McClintock (2010) — Bill Spears from Stouffville, Ontario, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/af/Saul_Rubinek_%26_Eddie_McClintock.jpg/1280px-Saul_Rubinek_%26_Eddie_McClintock.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-7d7a51cf41e4.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-73b903fe7d41.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-6fe297640c35.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB
- ![Saul Rubinek speaking at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-0464117296fb.jpg) Saul Rubinek speaking at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e1/Saul_Rubinek_%287600020634%29.jpg/1280px-Saul_Rubinek_%287600020634%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Saul Rubinek speaking at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere.](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-ef57dcea9afe.jpg) Saul Rubinek speaking at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. Please attribute to Gage Skidmore if used elsewhere. — Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Saul_Rubinek_%287600028588%29.jpg/1280px-Saul_Rubinek_%287600028588%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-8065eb9323f7.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-5da63ebf61d4.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB
- ![Saul Rubinek](https://film.one/media/person/79896/gallery-d1d8183caf3e.jpg) Saul Rubinek — Image via TMDB

---
© 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/saul-rubinek