Jan Ladislav Rubeš CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czech-Canadian bass opera singer and actor.
Life and career
Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kellnerová) and Jan Rubeš. Not long after World War II, he graduated from the Prague Conservatoire and joined the Prague Opera House as a bass singer. In 1948, he won first prize at the Geneva International Music Festival and emigrated to Canada at the end of the year to pursue a career in a wider sphere. Beginning as a singer with the Canadian Opera Company, he subsequently directed and became director of touring, before switching to radio and television, where he became well known as an actor and presenter in Canada. He is noted for his portrayal of Amish patriarch Eli Lapp in Peter Weir's major-market film Witness and Jan in D2: The Mighty Ducks.
Family
On 22 September 1950, Rubeš married actress Susan Douglas. The couple had three sons: Christopher (died 1996), Jonathan, and Anthony. They remained married until his death in 2009. He is the great-uncle of Czech YouTuber Janek Rubeš.
Death
On 29 June 2009, Rubeš died following a stroke at Toronto General Hospital.
Awards and recognition
1989: nominee, 10th Genie Awards, Best Actor, Something About Love
1990: winner, Earle Grey Award
1995: appointed Member, Order of Canada
Television movies
1975: Deadly Harvest
1977: The Day My Granddad Died
1978: Catsplay
1985: Charlie Grant's War - Jacob
1985: Murder by Reason of Insanity - Giorgi Denerenko
1986: The Marriage Bed - Max Ehrlich
1988: No Blame - Dr. Bloomer
1988: Two Men - Michael Barna
1990: Descending Angel - Bishop Dancu
1992: Devlin - Vittorio Di Fabrizi
1993: Coming of Age - Tomas Havel
1994: The Birds II: Land's End - Karl
1994: Lamb Chop in the Haunted Studio - Phantom
1995: Serving in Silence: The Margarethe Cammermeyer Story - Far
1997: Flood: A River's Rampage
1999: What Katy Did - Dr. Reinhart
2000: The Christmas Secret - Andree
2005: Our Fathers - Pope John Paul
Television series
1963: The Forest Rangers - Jaworski / Gregor Kowalski
1970: Castle Zaremba - Col. Kazimir Zaremba
1970: The Barbara McNair Show - Himself
1983: Vandenberg - Lewis Vanderberg
1975–1983: Guess What (host)
1985: Kane & Abel (miniseries) - The Polish Consul
1985: Murder in Space - Gregory Denarenko
1986: Kay O'Brien - Dr. Josef Wallach
1986: Crossings (miniseries) - Isaac Zimmerman
1988: Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show (as a special guest) - Jan Rubes
1989: War of the Worlds - (Episode, "Choirs of Angels") - Dr. Erik von Deer
1990: Street Legal (season 4, Episode 4X13 "Leon's Story") - Arthur Robinovitch
1990: Max Glick - Augustus Glick
1992–1993: By Way of the Stars (miniseries) - Hausierer Nathan
1996: The X-Files (Episodes Tunguska [uncredited] and Terma) - Vassily Peskow
1996–1998: Due South - Dr. Mort Gustafson
1997: The Third Twin (miniseries)
1999: The Beachcombers (Episode, "A Bearish Market") - Brink
1999: The Outer Limits (Episode, "Tribunal") - Robert Greene / Older Karl Rademacher
2000: Stargate SG-1 (season 3, Episode 21 "Crystal Skull") - Nicholas Ballard