Ian Ruskin trained as an actor in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and then worked for the next 15 years in England in repertory companies, London’s West End, and in television and film. Highlights included working in the Laurence Olivier “King Lear” for Granada Television, playing Jack in “Jack the Ripper” at the Players Theatre, London and performing the one-man play "The Man Himself," written by Alan Drury, at the Duke’s Playhouse, Lancaster (a repertory theatre), the Soho Poly in London and at Stages Theater in Hollywood, where it was Critics Choice in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly and other magazines.
He came to Los Angeles in 1985. A pattern developed of guest star roles, usually playing the intelligent bad guy, in shows such as “Murder She Wrote”, “Scarecrow and Mrs. King”, and “MacGyver.” While this work paid the rent, it did not in any way fulfill his dream as a student at RADA – to be involved in work that would affect an audience. As a student and young actor in repertory theatre he performed in great plays – Shakespeare, Ibsen, Chekhov, Coward, Pinter, Miller – and the work of the most exciting new playwrights – plays that could not only move audiences but could shine a light on their shared humanity and give them something to reflect on as they went home. This was not happening on the sound stage of “MacGyver.“affect”.
In 1994 he was cast to play a real-life character by the name of Harry Bridges and his life changed. He discovered that Bridges was an extraordinary labor leader and social visionary, a man whose beliefs and values inspired him. The cast performed a reading for Bridges’ union, the ILWU, and received a ten-minute standing ovation. Ian realized that he had found a way to “affect” again. The play with its twelve actors was too expensive to mount as a production, but as a one-man play….So Ian wrote his one-man play "From Wharf Rats to Lords of the Docks", which had its world premieres at the University of Washington Summer Arts Festival and at the Warner Grand Theatre, San Pedro. He has since performed it nearly 200 times to approximately 50,000 people. This led to a film of a live performance, directed by legendary filmmaker Haskell Wexler, which aired across America on PBS last year, making it available to 150 million Americans.
Then, on a trip to the East Coast performing "From Wharf Rats…" he discovered Thomas Paine….
