Saul Rubinek

Saul Hersh Rubinek (born July 2, 1948) is a Canadian actor, director, producer and playwright whose career spans over five decades across stage, screen and television. Born in the displaced‑persons camp Föhrenwald in Allied‑occupied Germany to Polish‑Jewish parents who survived the Holocaust, Rubinek immigrated with his family to Ottawa shortly after his birth, absorbing Yiddish, French and a heavily accented English that later fueled his early experiences of bullying and resilience. Encouraged by his parents, he entered the Ottawa Little Theatre in 1965 and by 1969 was performing at the Stratford Festival, laying the groundwork for a prolific theatre career that included co‑founding the Toronto Free Theatre (now the Canadian Stage Company) and working with Theatre Passe Muraille. Transitioning to film and television in the 1980s, Rubinek quickly became a recognizable character actor, delivering memorable performances as lawyer Bob in Wall Street (1987), pulp‑fiction writer in Unforgiven (1992), and the flamboyant producer Lee Donowitz in True Romance (1993). His television repertoire is equally extensive, featuring roles such as Artie Nielsen in Warehouse 13, Donny Douglas in Frasier, and Lon Cohen in A Nero Wolfe Mystery. A five‑time Genie Award nominee, he won Best Supporting Actor for Ticket to Heaven (1981) and has received Gemini nominations, while his directorial debut Jerry and Tom (1998) was shortlisted for the Sundance Grand Jury Prize. Rubinek’s commitment to storytelling also extends to writing, with his memoir So Many Miracles chronicling his parents’ wartime survival, and to developing original stage works like Terrible Advice (2011). Married to Elinor Reid since 1990, he continues to be an influential presence in North American entertainment, admired for his versatility, intellectual curiosity and unwavering dedication to his craft.