Jesse Joseph Ruda was born on January 18 in Baker City, Oregon. His father, Benny Ruda, was a former professional rodeo rider turned rancher and horse trainer, while his mother, Belinda, was a model, salon owner, and artist.
At the age of three, Jesse suffered a severe car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down and the right side of his body. After months of rehabilitation, he miraculously regained feeling and movement in his lower body. His parents divorced, and Jesse was raised by his mother and older sister, Camie, in Atascadero, California. His mother later remarried Steve Pybrum and moved to Santa Barbara, California.
As a child, Jesse idolized actors like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal, and Michael Keaton. At the age of 11, he experienced his first theatre experience in "How The West Was Won."
Due to his injuries, Jesse was forced to choose a less physical sport. His stepfather introduced him to golf, and he first "broke par" at the age of 13 playing with actor Jason Gedrick. He went on to become a member of the high school state championship golf team and the NCAA National Championship team at UC Berkeley.
Jesse won numerous titles from junior golf to the professional level and holds the course record at Glen Annie GC in Santa Barbara, California. In 2008, he turned away from golf and began taking acting classes and auditioning.
Jesse made his film debut in the feature film "10-20" in 2008. He joined the prestigious Playhouse West in 2010, where he studied dramatic writing and the Meisner Acting Technique for four years. During that time, he was cast in numerous theatre plays.
In 2014, Jesse joined the Imagined Life Studio to study with Diana Castle. In 2015, he appeared in AMC's "Turn: Washington's Spies" as George Washington's most influential brother, Lawrence Washington, and wrote, produced, and starred as Luke Johnson in the TV pilot "Luke: The Series."
In 2017, he appeared in PBS's "Mercy Street," and in 2018, he appeared in CBS's hit show "S.W.A.T." as Jimmy Street's Father. Jesse is currently working as an actor, writer, and producer.
