After graduating high school in Cleveland, he served in the U.S. Navy and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University, and began acting at the Pittsburgh Playhouse.

He played the gun-slinging troublemaker Gus Vogel in the Wanted: Dead or Alive season 2 "Reckless."

In 1960, Ruskin appeared as Reed Benton in the TV western series Lawman in the episode titled "The Escape of Joe Killmer".

His film appearances include The Magnificent Seven (1960), Prizzi's Honor (1985), Indecent Proposal (1993) and Smokin' Aces (2006).

He made an appearance in Star Trek: Voyager in the episode "Gravity", first airing on February 3, 1999, in which he played a Vulcan master.