Josh Ruben

Joshua Benjamin Ruben (born June 30, 1983) is an American actor, comedian, director, and producer. He has directed the comedy horror films Scare Me (2020) and Werewolves Within (2021), both of which were filmed near his hometown in the Hudson Valley in New York. He formerly worked for CollegeHumor and continues to appear in Dropout original shows.

Early life and education
Ruben was born in Washington, D.C. He grew up in Woodstock, New York, with two half-siblings, one of whom is the singer-songwriter Rachael Yamagata. He acted in youth theatre and aspired to become a comic actor. He graduated from Onteora High School in 2001. He worked at a gas station before being accepted into the New Actors Workshop in New York City at age 19.

Career
Unable to get an agent in his first years in New York City, Ruben worked as a film extra and at Best Buy. With childhood friend Sam Reich and others, he formed the comedy group Dutch West, which made sketch comedy videos for the internet. Thanks to his work with the group, CollegeHumor hired him as a staffer, and he wrote and directed hundreds of its "Originals" short videos. He has appeared on the Dropout game show Game Changer and its spinoff Make Some Noise, both hosted by Reich, and is credited as an executive producer on the latter series.

Ruben moved to Los Angeles in 2016. He drew from his CollegeHumor 401(k) to write, produce, and direct Scare Me, a comedy horror film shot at Cooper Lake outside of Woodstock. Starring Ruben as an aspiring writer staying in a cabin in the woods, it premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival. His next film, Werewolves Within, based on the video game, was also shot in the area in the Hudson Valley. It premiered to critical acclaim at the Tribeca Festival in June 2021. He is set to direct the sci-fi horror film Green Bank.