Ruby Cruz

Ruby Cruz was born to actor and musician Brandon Cruz and Liz Cruz, an entrepreneur.^[1][4][5] Cruz grew up in Los Angeles, California, and began auditioning for film and television roles in high school.^[6] She studied theater at DePaul University before dropping out to pursue her acting career.^[6]

In 2018, Cruz played the younger version of Lizzy Caplan's character, Annie Wilkes, in Castle Rock. Cruz received praise from TVLine for the way she captured Caplan's physicality.^[7] In 2020, Cruz appeared in season 10 of Blue Bloods.^[8]

In 2021, Cruz appeared as Jess Riley in the HBO drama series Mare of Easttown.^[9] Later that year, Cruz was cast as Kit Tanthalos, the first openly lesbian Disney princess, in the television series Willow.^[10] She took over the role from friend and Mare of Easttown costar Cailee Spaeny, who dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.^[11] The show, which premiered in November 2022, acts as a sequel to the 1988 film of the same title.^[12][13][14]

In 2023, she appeared alongside Rachel Sennott and Ayo Edebiri in Bottoms as Hazel Callahan, a co-founder of a high school fight club for girls.^[15][16] In 2024, she joined the cast for the third season of The Sex Lives of College Girls as Ash.^[17] In 2025, she starred in The Threesome, a romantic comedy film.^[18]

Cruz is queer and of Mexican heritage.^[19][20] Her father is American former actor and punk musician Brandon Cruz.^[21] Her mother, Elizabeth "Liz" Cruz (née Finkelstein), is an entrepreneur, whom her father married in 1994 and later divorced. She has one older brother, Lincoln, born 1995.^[22]