Saul Rubinek has nabbed a role in S. Craig Zahler’s gangster thriller The Bookie & The Bruiser, which recently completed production in Canada.

The Copenhagen Test actor plays the role of Eli Hirschbaum, the owner and operator of Hirschbaum’s Drugstore, an old-fashioned “soda jerk” and pharmacist in 1959-era New York City. Hirschbaum is a father figure for Rivner, a Jewish veteran played by Theo James, and Boscolo, a tough Italian-American from the Lower East Side played by Vince Vaughn.

Both Rivner and Boscolo struggle to return to civilian life after the Second World War and build a thriving underground gambling operation that attracts dangerous attention from organized crime groups. The Bookie & The Bruiser is produced by Anthony Katagas of Keep Your Head Productions and Dave Caplan. C2 Motion Picture Group is financing the project.

Rubinek over a four decade career has credits like Ethan Coen’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Clint Eastwood’s Unforgiven, Tony Scott and Quentin Tarantino’s True Romance, Oliver Stone’s Wall Street and over 60 other feature films. 

His TV credits include series regular roles in Hunters, Frasier and Warehouse 13, as well as guest-starring roles in Billions, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Grey’s Anatomy. Rubinek also directed two films produced by his wife and producing partner Elinor Reid — Jerry and Tom, starring Joe Mantegna and Sam Rockwell, and the indie film Cruel But Necessary.

He also directed two films for Paramount and Showtime, Bleacher Bums, a film adaptation of the play about Chicago Cubs baseball fans, and Club Land, starring Alan Alda. Rubinek is repped by Artists & Representatives, Noble Caplan Abrams, Opus Entertainment and Wallman PR.

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