Ruffin Prentiss III - Actor and Writer
Ruffin Prentiss III (class of 2010) is a NYC based actor. Some of his notable credits include playing the lead character, Marcus Holloway, of the Ubisoft video game "Watch Dogs 2" as well as recurring roles on the following television shows: Seal Team (CBS), The Arrangement (E!), Elementary (CBS), and Power (Starz). Ruffin has performed on stager in New York City as well as regionally in Minneapolis, Philadelphia, and New Jersey. He also is a voiceover artist, recording numerous television and radio commercials, most recently finishing up a year long campaign as the voice of Verizon.
Information about Ruffin -
I originally came to Pitt with the intention to be a dentist but I promised myself I would be a theater minor during the process. That minor slowly turned into my true passion and my major because of the wonderful teachers I had and the great productions that I was lucky enough to be cast in there. From Pitt, I auditioned for MFA acting programs and I received 6 offers and ended up choosing Rutgers University. Graduating from there in 2013, I was able to get representation with Abrams Artists Agency, now A3 Artists Agency in both New York and Los Angeles.
A few things are in the mix for the future: I just attached myself to an independent feature film that is looking to shoot in early spring next year. My wife and I were recently commissioned to create a piece by People's Light and Theater in Malvern, Pa. We created a short film called "Black Joy" that can be found on the People's Light website. I recently recorded a few radio spots for Discover and some new television and radio commercials for Dunkin Donuts. Finally, the industry is starting to open back up, so I am excited to audition for roles as my agent sends the appointments my way. Each audition is a new chance to play and sharpen your craft, not to mention a new potential job!
What is "Quarantine, I Love You" and how did you get involved with the project?
"Quarantine, I Love You" is a collection of short, interconnected stories captured on video chat. The series was created and written by Nitzan Mager, an alum of my graduate acting program, Mason Gross School of the Arts. Nitzan is an actress, producer, and writer. She wanted to create a project that accurately captured the shift in our lives as Covid-19 began to spread and the country began to shut down in reaction. Each episode is a short conversation between different characters tackling topics from job security to health and safety protocols to politics to dating during quarantine to Black Lives Matter.
Nitzan reached out to me in March asking if I would be interested in playing the role of Nate in the series. At the time, the entertainment industry had come to a complete standstill so I was simply excited for the chance to act. My character Nate is a young man who is a nurse forced to quarantine at the plaza hotel between shifts at the hospital. He is in a serious relationship with his girlfriend Heather, played by Sarah Steele known from the CBS shows "The Good Wife" and "The Good Fight." He had big plans on how their relationship would move forward before the pandemic began and between the stress from work at the hospital, he now has to juggle whether it is still the right time to pursue more in his relationship.
My role in the series expanded after the death of George Floyd. Nitzan reached out and asked if I would co-write the finale of the series which we called "No Justice, No Peace!" This is the first piece I have written that has been filmed and presented to the public and I couldn't be prouder of the work that we did. I act in 3 of the 8 episodes and the cast is simply stellar.
What was the best part of being involved in "Quarantine, I Love You" ?
Best part about being involved with "Quarantine, I Love You" was being able to fill an empty creative void when I least expected it. The industry shut down in the middle of "Pilot Season" when the television networks are casting their potential new tv shows for the upcoming fall season. Not being able to finish pilot season left an empty feeling creatively and being given the opportunity to act when all other opportunities had come to a halt was a sigh of relief.
Did you learn anything or experience something new that helped you grow as an artist through this project?
In watching a video clip about the late and great Chadwick Boseman, I heard a quote from him. He would say, "I'm an artist. Artists don't need permission to work. Regardless of whether I'm acting or not, I write." This quote speaks exactly to my experience on this project. The entertainment industry had shut down, there were no acting opportunities. I got the chance to write my first piece during this quarantine and it truly was freeing. From that moment you realize you don't have to wait on someone else to give you the opportunity to create or to act. You can create it yourself!
Do you have any advice to current and incoming students about a career in theatre arts after school?
If you are pursing a career in the arts, remember there is no formula, no right way to achieve your goals. You look at all your favorite artists and they all arrived to where they are at different times in life and through different means and ways. So trust the journey. My advice for actors, is to continue to study and sharpen yourself. Acting to me is like being an athlete. You perform your best when you are in great shape, and taking classes/doing shows/studying your favorite performances all keep you in tip top shape for the next role or audition that comes your way. And if you aren't sure you want to pursue a career in the arts after graduation, your degree still goes a long way! The Theater Arts teach you the skill of communication and connection that a lot of people don't get to hone, so know that you have a talent that you bring to the table for whatever your future career path will be!
What do you wish you knew when you attended U of Pitt, that you know now?
This is a great question because hindsight is always 20/20. I wish I wouldn't have been so hard on myself for waiting until my junior year to commit to being a Theater Major. When I made the decision, I felt like I had wasted my time studying other things and I regretted the fact that I could have learned more about my craft. The truth is, the more you learn, the more life you live, the more you bring to your artistry. So for anyone who is unsure about their future career, its ok to be unsure. Pitt has so much to offer, take a class in Information Sciences, or take a physics class, or an American Politics class. It may not seem like it can aid your acting career, but one day when you book the role of a computer programmer, or a NASA physicist, or an up and coming candidate running for Senate, those roles won't seem all that foreign to you! Soak it all up and know that your journey is leading you to great things. All of these great things are working out for YOUR GOOD!
Watch "Quarantine, I Love You"