Ruth Cox, a fifth-generation Californian, was born on February 6, 1953, in northern California to a teacher and a forest ranger. Her early aspirations lay in the performing arts, as she began acting at the tender age of 10, starring in school plays and various theater companies in her hometown of Sacramento.
Ruth's formal acting training commenced in high school at the prestigious American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco. She later enrolled at the California Institute of the Arts in the early 1970s, where she had the privilege of studying alongside notable classmates such as Paul Reubens, Ed Harris, and David Hasselhoff.
Upon graduating from Cal Arts, Ruth embarked on a fruitful acting career, working with the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the improvisational comedy troupe The Groundlings in Los Angeles. Her television breakthrough came in the form of a steady stream of guest-starring roles in popular series such as "The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries," "Soap," "Knots Landing," "The Runaways," and "Happy Days."
However, in the 1980s, Ruth's interests shifted towards academia, and she pursued a graduate degree in psychology. She eventually received her Ph.D. and married Milton Chen in 1985. The following year, they welcomed their daughter, Maggie.
Ruth has since remained in San Francisco, where she teaches at San Francisco State University and continues to pursue her passion for acting. In her free time, she enjoys writing, creating botanical art, and actively participating in SAG's BookPals program, which aims to promote literacy in public schools.
