Eric Ruff

Growing up as the youngest of eight boys, Eric Ruff was surrounded by creativity in his Chicago home. His early interest and passion for acting was sparked by exposure to his brothers’ talent show performances and his mother’s choir singing. During his younger years, Eric performed in numerous school plays, talent shows, and even sang in the school choir, always demonstrating a unique ability to engage an audience.

Eric’s first paid acting role was playing   Prince Escalus in “Romeo and Juliet,” which led him to be cast in 30 stage productions, including “You Can’t Take It With You,” “Gertrude Stein,” and the “Fantastic Fantasy Factory” at Chicago’s legendary sketch comedy and improv theater The Second City Improv. He made his screen debut in the romantic comedy “Since You’ve Been Gone,” directed by “Friends” actor David Schwimmer, and has also ventured into the digital realm playing Tombstone, a villain in Insomniac Games “Spiderman,”, one of Sony PlayStation’s highest-grossing video games.

In 2022, Eric opened his own film production company, Ruff Productions while continuing his commitment to serve underprivileged individuals in his community. We are proud to feature Eric, a talented entertainer and entrepreneur in our Member Stories. Meet Eric now.

How would you compare your experiences with First Entertainment with other financial institutions that you have banked with?

“Superior. I’ve banked with big banks who ignored explaining the process of opening a business bank account to me while First Entertainment bankers made sure I thoroughly understood the process and even followed up the next day.”

What has your experience been like using our digital banking? 

“I like being able to open the app and get a snapshot before going all the way in. I like the ability to have multiple checking and savings accounts to allocate funds for certain expenses as well.”

Tell us something about yourself you would like the entertainment community and First Entertainment CU family to know.

“First Entertainment has seen me as an infant Angeleno with $100 to open my first account to opening my business bank account in preparation for a launch! Thank you for understanding me each step of the way, I am truly grateful.”

First Entertainment Credit Union membership is comprised of the people in entertainment whose individual stories are as unique as they are inspiring. Our Member Stories series* highlights these extraordinary stories. Building a network of supportive partnerships contributes to your story and can make all the difference in feeling a sense of genuinely belonging. At First Entertainment, you belong here and Your Story Matters^™.