Josh Ruben

Joshua Benjamin Ruben (born June 30, 1983, in Washington, D.C.) is an American actor, comedian, writer, director, and producer known for his work in sketch comedy, horror films, and television.^[1][2] Ruben began his career as a founding member of CollegeHumor's Originals department, where he directed and starred in numerous comedic shorts that garnered millions of views.^[2] His transition to feature filmmaking marked a significant achievement with the 2020 debut Scare Me, a horror-comedy he wrote, produced, directed, and starred in alongside Aya Cash and Chris Redd, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.^[3] In subsequent years, Ruben expanded his directorial portfolio to include the horror-comedy Werewolves Within (2021), which won the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Award for Best Indie Film, Netflix's mockumentary Death to 2021 (2021), and episodes of the truTV series Adam Ruins Everything (2015–2018), while also taking on acting roles in films such as A Wounded Fawn (2022).^[3][4] He has also appeared in Shudder's anthology series The Creep Tapes (2024) and hosted the podcast Mindhouse.^[3] Recent projects include the romantic horror film Heart Eyes (2025) and the upcoming sci-fi thriller Green Bank.^[3][5]

Early years

Family background and childhood

Josh Ruben was born on June 30, 1983, in Washington, D.C., and spent much of his early years being raised primarily in Woodstock, New York.^[2][6] He grew up in a family with two half-siblings, including his half-sister Rachael Yamagata, a singer-songwriter known for her husky-voiced indie rock and piano-driven compositions.^[6] The siblings shared a close familial bond, with Ruben later reflecting on being raised around "incredibly strong women," including Yamagata, whose artistic pursuits may have contributed to a creative household environment.^[7] From a young age, Ruben was immersed in the performing arts through his active involvement in the Woodstock Youth Theater, where he participated as a somewhat wild child exploring dramatic and comedic roles.^[7] This early exposure fostered his aspiration to become a comedic actor, inspired in part by performers like Robin Williams, though he has credited his parents' unwavering support as a foundational influence on his path toward comedy and acting.^[7] These formative experiences in Woodstock's artistic community shaped his initial interests before transitioning to formal education in the area.^[7]

Education and initial pursuits

Ruben graduated from Onteora High School in Boiceville, New York, in 2001, where his mother served as principal.^[7][8] During his youth, family encouragement played a key role in nurturing his interest in performance, with his parents supporting his acting ambitions over traditional college attendance.^[7][8] Following high school, Ruben applied to prestigious acting programs including Juilliard, Boston University, SUNY Purchase, and NYU but was not accepted to any.^[7] Instead, at age 18 shortly after the September 11 attacks, he was accepted into the two-year conservatory program at the New Actors Workshop in New York City, co-founded by Mike Nichols, Paul Sills, and George Morrison.^[7][9][10] The program emphasized practical training in theater games developed by Viola Spolin, improvisation techniques from Paul Sills, and scene work, with occasional instruction from Mike Nichols himself.^[9][10] Ruben drove to Manhattan with support from his parents, who provided him a car to pursue this opportunity.^[7] Before moving to New York, Ruben worked at a Mobil gas station in Woodstock on September 11, 2001; once in the city, he supported himself with entry-level jobs such as a retail employee at Best Buy while serving as a film extra.^[7] During his time at the New Actors Workshop, he participated in an improv group, engaging in performance-based exercises that honed his comedic timing and collaborative skills through round-robin style scene creation.^[9] These initial semi-professional efforts focused on foundational acting techniques rather than formal productions, building his experience in spontaneous performance and voice work.^[9][10]

Career

Comedy beginnings and CollegeHumor

Ruben co-founded the sketch comedy troupe Dutch West in New York City around 2003 with five friends, including Sam Reich and Elaine Carroll, drawing from their shared background in summer theater and acting school.^[11] The group produced short films and sketches in a collaborative round-robin style, where members rotated roles in directing, writing, and performing, primarily for fun and early internet distribution before the widespread adoption of YouTube.^[7] These efforts honed Ruben's skills in self-generated content and improvisational comedy, establishing a foundation for his online video work.^[11] In 2010, CollegeHumor recruited Ruben as a staffer after discovering Dutch West's videos, leading him to become a founding member of its "Originals" department.^[7] Over the next several years, he wrote, directed, and starred in hundreds of short comedic videos, contributing to a catalog that amassed billions of views across platforms.^[7] His work emphasized sketch and improvisational formats, often exploring absurd scenarios and character-driven humor, which helped define CollegeHumor's signature style during the early 2010s online comedy boom.^[11] Among Ruben's notable contributions was the creation of the series Josh's Mindhouse, a collection of surreal, character-based sketches that delved into his improvisational persona, such as the 2010 episode "Super Punch," where he portrayed exaggerated mental states through physical comedy. Another highlight included the 2014 voice-over sketch "Most Insane VO Booth Ever – 'Fatter'," featuring Ruben as a voice actor attempting increasingly ridiculous vocal adjustments, showcasing his talent for escalating absurdity in short-form content.^[12] These pieces exemplified his ability to blend quick wit with visual gags, influencing CollegeHumor's approach to viral internet sketches.^[7] In 2016, Ruben relocated to Los Angeles, marking his departure from full-time involvement with CollegeHumor and the conclusion of his primary phase in New York-based online sketch comedy.^[7] This move shifted his focus toward independent projects, though his earlier contributions continued to resonate in the evolving landscape of digital humor.^[11]

Film directing and production

Ruben made his feature film directorial debut with Scare Me (2020), which he also wrote, produced, starred in, and self-financed on a low budget as an independent project.^[13] The film follows two strangers, aspiring horror writer Fred (Ruben) and successful author Fanny (Aya Cash), who are snowed in at a remote Catskills cabin during a power outage and challenge each other to tell increasingly terrifying stories that begin to blur with reality.^[14] Supporting roles include comedian Chris Redd as a delivery driver and Rebecca Drysdale as a caretaker.^[15] Premiering in the Midnight section at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, Scare Me was acquired by Shudder for distribution ahead of the event.^[16] Critics praised its inventive low-fi horror-comedy style and meta storytelling, with reviews highlighting Ruben's confident direction and the chemistry between leads.^[17] The film earned a nomination for Best Independent Film at the 2020 Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards.^[18] Building on this success, Ruben directed Werewolves Within (2021), an adaptation of the Ubisoft social deduction video game, produced in collaboration with the studio and distributed by IFC Films.^[19] Written by Mishna Wolff, the film centers on park ranger Blake (Sam Richardson) investigating suspicious deaths in a small town amid rumors of werewolves, blending ensemble whodunit elements with creature-feature humor in a style Ruben described as evoking Arachnophobia and Fargo.^[20] The cast features Milana Vayntrub, George Basil, Sarah Burns, and Michael Chernus.^[21] It premiered at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival, where Ruben emphasized maintaining the game's communal paranoia while expanding it into a feature-length narrative.^[4] Receiving widespread critical acclaim for its witty script, strong ensemble, and balanced scares and laughs, the film became the highest-rated video game adaptation on Rotten Tomatoes at the time.^[22] Ruben continued exploring horror-comedy hybrids in subsequent projects, co-directing segments of the Netflix mockumentary special Death to 2021 (2021) with Jack Clough, featuring satirical sketches starring Hugh Grant, Lucy Liu, and Joe Keery.^[23] He served as a producer on the vampire road-trip comedy Blood Relatives (2022), directed by Noah Segan and released on Shudder, which follows a man (Segan) and his estranged sister (Victoria Moroles) evading undead pursuers.^[24] In 2025, Ruben directed the romantic slasher Heart Eyes, produced by the team behind Scream and distributed by Sony Pictures, about two coworkers (Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding) targeted by a Valentine's Day killer who mistakes them for a couple.^[25] The film, written by Phillip Murphy, Christopher Landon, and Michael Kennedy, was released theatrically on February 7, 2025, earning praise for its fun blend of romance and horror tropes.^[26] Ruben is attached to direct the upcoming sci-fi horror thriller Green Bank, starring Tatiana Maslany and Jasmin Savoy Brown, set in a radio-free zone where residents contend with mysterious signals and isolation.^[5] Produced by Big Swell Entertainment and Protagonist Pictures, the project draws from real scientific constraints in Green Bank, West Virginia, to build tension.^[27]

Television appearances and recent ventures

Ruben has established himself as a prominent figure on the Dropout streaming service through recurring appearances on the improv game shows Game Changer and its spin-off Make Some Noise, both hosted by Sam Reich. In Game Changer, a panel competition where contestants deduce and adapt to ever-changing rules across unique challenges, Ruben frequently participates as a contestant, bringing his comedic timing to episodes that emphasize quick thinking and absurdity.^[28] His standout performance in the 2019 episode "Make Some Noise" helped spawn the dedicated series, where players, including Ruben alongside regulars Brennan Lee Mulligan and Zac Oyama—collectively known as the "Noise Boys"—improvise comedic scenes using only vocal sound effects and dialogue based on whimsical prompts, such as reimagining classic movie moments or everyday scenarios in unexpected ways.^[29][30] Ruben is credited as an executive producer on Make Some Noise, contributing to its production since its 2022 premiere, with notable episodes highlighting his improvisational flair, including season four's 2025 opener featuring guest interactions that amplify the show's chaotic energy. Beyond Dropout, Ruben has ventured into scripted television with roles in anthology horror formats. In 2024, he starred as Brad in The Creep Tapes, a Shudder series created by the Duplass Brothers, portraying a character in one of its self-contained episodes that blend psychological thriller elements with dark comedy.^[31] This appearance aligns with his broader interest in genre storytelling, seen in his hosting duties for the 2025 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards, which aired live on Shudder on October 19, 2025. Co-hosting alongside horror veteran Barbara Crampton, the event adopted a space-horror theme to honor outstanding achievements in the genre, including awards for films like Heart Eyes—a project Ruben directed earlier that year—featuring celebrity presenters and tributes to influential creators.^[32][33] Concurrently, Ruben participated in promotional interviews for Heart Eyes throughout early 2025, discussing its blend of slasher tropes and romantic comedy in outlets like Forbes and TheWrap, while tying his awards hosting role to ongoing genre engagements.^[34][35]

Filmography

Feature films

Josh Ruben has appeared in a variety of supporting and cameo roles in independent feature films, often in comedies and horror genres, showcasing his comedic timing and versatility as an actor.^[11] His notable acting credits in feature films, organized chronologically, are as follows:

• For a Good Time, Call... (2012): Ruben portrayed Lamp Guy, a minor role in this romantic comedy about two women starting a phone sex line, co-starring Ari Graynor and Justin Long.^[36]
• Coffee Town (2013): He played Devin in this comedy about friends trying to save their favorite coffee shop from becoming a bank, starring Jack Black and Steve Little.^[37]
• Worst Friends (2014): He played Marky in this indie comedy-drama following lifelong friends navigating adulthood, alongside Richard Tanne and Noah Barrow.
• What Children Do (2017): Ruben acted as Pat, a supporting character in this ensemble comedy-drama exploring adult friendships during a holiday gathering, featuring Nicole Rodenburg and Grace Rex.
• Scare Me (2020): He starred as Fred, the lead role in this horror-comedy he also wrote, directed, and produced, alongside Aya Cash and Chris Redd.^[38]
• Unlovable (2018): In this comedy-drama musical about a woman confronting her sex and love addiction, Ruben played Sam, a friend of the protagonist, with co-stars Charlene deGuzman and John Hawkes.
• Greener Grass (2019): He appeared as Swim Coach in this surreal dark comedy exploring suburban conformity, directed by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe.^[39]
• Plan B (2021): Ruben appeared as Philip Peterson in this coming-of-age comedy about two teens on a quest for emergency contraception, starring Victoria Moroles and Kuhoo Verma.
• A Wounded Fawn (2022): He portrayed Bruce Ernst, the antagonist in this psychological horror film inspired by Greek mythology, opposite Sarah Lind and directed by Travis Stevens.
• Heart Eyes (2025): Ruben had a cameo as Movie Goer in this Valentine's Day-themed horror rom-com, directed by himself but focusing on his acting contribution alongside Olivia Holt and Mason Gooding.

No significant production or writing credits for Ruben in feature films outside his directing projects were identified in available sources.^[3]

Television and other media

Josh Ruben has made notable appearances in television series, web series, and other media, often leveraging his comedy and improv background in episodic formats. His roles span guest spots in scripted shows, voice acting, and recurring performances in improvisational game shows on platforms like Dropout. In voice work, Ruben provided the English voice for Lewis, a character in the Pokémon: Black & White series episode "Stopping the Rage of Legends! Part 1" (2011), where Lewis assists in resolving a legendary Pokémon conflict at a festival.^[40][41] Early in his career, Ruben appeared in web series tied to CollegeHumor, including multiple episodes of Jake and Amir (2007–2015), where he played various supporting characters and himself, contributing to the show's sketch comedy style focused on office absurdities.^[42] He also featured as a cast member in The CollegeHumor Show (2009), a MTV series adapting online sketches into live-action segments with ensemble humor.^[43] Ruben's guest role on Royal Pains came in the episode "Lama Trauma" (2015), portraying Nate, a quirky patient navigating the Hamptons' medical scene amid personal drama.^[44] Transitioning to Dropout content post-CollegeHumor, Ruben served as a recurring contestant on the improvisational game show Game Changer, notably in the 2019 episode "Make Some Noise," where he, alongside Brennan Lee Mulligan and Zac Oyama, competed in sound-based challenges that inspired the spinoff series.^[29] He has been a prominent performer on Make Some Noise (2022–present), appearing in 10 episodes as a contestant, delivering improvised scenes from prompts like sound impressions and character revamps, often highlighting his quick-witted horror-comedy flair in group dynamics with hosts Sam Reich and fellow players.^[45] Ruben starred in the Dropout web series Josh's Mindhouse (2023), a four-episode anthology of short-form sketches he created and performed, featuring absurd scenarios such as "Learon Gives Back" and "Goblin," blending surreal humor with character-driven bits.^[46] In recent television, Ruben played Brad Branson in episode 4 of The Creep Tapes (2024), a Shudder horror anthology series, depicting a videographer stumbling into a true-crime nightmare inspired by real found-footage tropes.^[31] Beyond visual media, Ruben directed and provided cameo voice acting across all 10 episodes of the narrative podcast The Last Degree of Kevin Bacon (2023), a Funny or Die and Spotify production starring Rob Reiner and Lamorne Morris in a comedic quest tying into the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon game.^[2]