[2][3] After making his debut in Peter Weir's film, Ruggiero had minor roles in movies like 12 Monkeys[4] and The Mirror Has Two Faces.

[10] In 1995, Ruggiero wrote, directed, and acted in a short film entitled "Lost", which screened at the Museum of American Art[which?]

[2][3] During his acting hiatus, Ruggiero ventured into directing and producing, making content for Bain & Company.

[11] Ruggiero and his wife, TV producer Lea Walker [d],[12] opened Aeriform Arts, an aerial and circus arts training facility in Hollywood in 2011.

In 2019, Ruggiero directed Cirque du Giselle, an aerial version of the classic ballet, during the Hollywood Fringe Festival.