Ronen Rubinstein is a man of many talents. As an actor he has gained fame on the hit show 9-1-1: Lone Star. When he is not in front of the camera he can be found onstage rocking with his band Nights in Stereo. Beyond performing, Rubinstein is an environmental activist and proud board member of EMA (Environmental Media Association).
Coming out publicly as bisexual in 2021, Rubinstein is a proud supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community. He was born in Israel and moved to New York with his family when he was 5 and has been married to his wife Jessica Parker Kennedy since 2022. He exudes gentleness and kindness and it’s his mission to pass that on.
Rubinstein sat down with Gurus Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Derek Warburton, to talk about truth, passion and authenticity for the magazine’s #30voices30days program, which celebrates PRIDE for the entire month of June.
Who is the true Ronen Rubinstein?
That is a loaded question! I am very proud to have been an open book for quite a while now. I have embraced having a platform to share my voice and my journey. Sometimes personal moments, sometimes scary moments – I don’t hide much. I take great pleasure in knowing I have a community who supports and loves me, and I try to reciprocate that back to them. It’s beautiful to know there is an impact being made. We are losing kindness and respect in the world, and I am a big believer in that what you give out comes back to you, so I always try to be kind, respectful and full of love. It’s simple but it’s impactful.
What is your passion?
In general, I am a very passionate person – when I lock in on something I am all in. That could be my friends, my dogs, my wife – whom I could talk about for days – or my career. The fact that I can call my career a job is amazing, and I remind myself daily how lucky I am to be doing what I am doing. Walk the walk and talk the talk, that’s my motto. Talking is great, and step one, but showing your passion by walking the walk is what I aim to do.
When do you feel the most authentic?
This has come from a lot of work, but hopefully I am the most authentic every second of the day. I was not allowed to be my true self growing up, so finding communities as an adult, who have supported me and didn’t make me feel shame or embarrassment has taught me to appreciate who I am and be that person as often as I possibly can. I put that into everything I do – anything I put my hands on or my mind to. It took a long time to get here, but I hope to be here for the rest of my life.
Why is it important for your voice to be heard?
I don’t think I can allow myself to say my voice is important, but I think people will be surprised to see how much they can relate to me, where I come from and my life experiences. I appreciate the support and love I have felt the last several years, and maybe my voice can help someone else in their journey, because mine has truly been incredible so far.
Rubinstein is not only an advocate for his own community, but for our planet and everyone who lives on it. The simplest things in life can make the biggest difference. Derek and Ronen agreed about how much more energy it takes to be mean and rude, and if more people were kind, they would feel better, and that energy in turn could be passed on to the next person.
As Rubinstein shared, caring for one another is the most important thing in life – no matter what color you are or who you love, we are all human beings. We have a planet to care for and need to do the same with one another. Still very early in his career, it is obvious Ronen Rubinstein will be a guiding light and an example to us all for years to come.
