Alan Ruck

Alan Douglas Ruck (born July 1, 1956) is an American actor. He is best known for portraying Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller’s best friend, in John Hughes’s film Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986); Stuart Bondek, a lecherous, power-hungry member of the mayor’s staff in the ABC sitcom Spin City; and Connor Roy, the eldest son of a media magnate, in the HBO series Succession.

His first film role was in the 1983 drama film Bad Boys, in which he played Carl Brennan, Sean Penn’s friend in the film. The same year he played Roger Jackson in Class. Three years later, he was cast as Cameron Frye, Ferris Bueller’s hypochondriac best friend in John Hughes’ Ferris Bueller’s Day Off after Broderick encouraged him to audition for the role — their real-life friendship was reportedly a factor in his being cast.

He appeared in the 1989 comedy film Three Fugitives. Next, he had a significant role as Hendry William French in Young Guns II, the 1990 sequel to Young Guns, and he also played Captain John Harriman of the USS Enterprise-B in the 1994 film Star Trek Generations, a role that he reprised along with Generations co-star Walter Koenig and other Trek alumni in the fan film Of Gods and Men.

He played an annoying tourist named Doug Stephens on an ill-fated bus in the blockbuster Speed. Another supporting role was of the eccentric storm chaser Robert ‘Rabbit’ Nurick in the 1996 disaster film Twister.

From 1990 to 1991, he starred as Chicago ad man Charlie Davis, on ABC’s Going Places. He starred as Lenny on the series Daddy’s Girls in 1994, which was canceled after three episodes. In 1995, he starred as Dr. Marshall Jones in the series Muscle, From 1996 to 2002, he played Stuart Bondek on the sitcom Spin City.

In 2005, he starred as Leo Bloom in the Broadway version of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, a role also played by his Ferris Bueller co-star, Matthew Broderick. In 2007, he starred as Dean Bowman in the college fraternity drama Greek. In the 2007 comedy Kickin’ It Old Skool, he appears as Dr. Frye, a possible connection to Cameron Frye; he even mentions still trying to pay off an old Ferrari, a reference to Cameron totaling his dad’s Ferrari in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.

In 2008, he played Ghost Dad in the film Ghost Town starring Ricky Gervais, and appeared in the M. Night Shyamalan film The Happening. In 2009, he played Mr. C in the film I Love You, Beth Cooper; and he filmed the medical drama Extraordinary Measures with star Harrison Ford. In 2010, he starred as Charlie Morse on the series Persons Unknown.

In 2012, he had a recurring role in ABC Family’s Bunheads as Hubbell Flowers, the husband to Sutton Foster’s character, Michelle. In fall 2016, he starred on The Exorcist as Henry Rance, the husband of Angela Rance (Geena Davis), better known as the adult Regan MacNeil, the tortured girl (played by Linda Blair) who is possessed by a demon in the 1973 hit film The Exorcist.

Starting in 2018, he co-starred as Connor Roy in the Emmy-award winning HBO series Succession. He co-starred as Mr. Burgess in the film Sierra Burgess is a Loser (20018). He also appeared in the films War Machine (2017), Gringo (2018), My Dinner with Hervé (2018), and Freaky (2020).