Ruben Fleischer

Ruben Fleischer
Fleischer at the Zombieland premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2009
Born	Ruben Samuel Fleischer (1974-10-31) October 31, 1974 (age 42) Washington, D.C., United States
Occupation	Film director, film producer, television producer, music video director, commercial director
Years active	2001–present
Spouse(s)	Holly Shakoor (m. 2012)

Ruben Samuel Fleischer (born October 31, 1974) is an American film director, film producer, television producer, music video director, and commercial director who lives in Los Angeles. He is best known as the director of the critically acclaimed and financially successful Zombieland, his first feature film. He followed it by making the films 30 Minutes or Less and Gangster Squad, both of which opened to mixed reviews. Prior to directing feature films, Fleischer was a prolific director of television commercials and music videos, working for such brands as Cisco, Eurostar, ESPN, and Burger King, as well as such artists as M.I.A., Electric Six, DJ Format, and Gold Chains.

Ruben Fleischer was born and raised in Washington, D.C, the son of Karen Lee (née Samuel) and David Elliot Fleischer, who is a medical school professor at Georgetown, as well as a physician. His brother, Lucas, works in new media. His father was born to a Jewish family, while his mother converted to Judaism. Fleischer was raised in Reform Judaism.

After graduating with a major in history from Wesleyan University, Fleischer moved to San Francisco, unsure of what he wanted to do with his life. He found himself working as a freelance HTML programmer in San Francisco. Taking the advice of close friend Mike White (also a Wesleyan graduate), Fleischer worked as a PA in the writer's office of Dawson's Creek. He eventually turned to directing and worked his way through the industry, tackling music videos and television commercials before landing his first feature film, Zombieland, in 2009. His second feature film, 30 Minutes or Less, opened in theaters on August 12, 2011.