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TL;DR:

  • Alan Ruck made his debut as Jay Rosan in The Dropout Episode 4.
  • Viewers may recognize the actor from several well-known films, as well as HBO’s Succession.
  • Dr. Jay Rosan plays a pivotal role in Theranos’ deal with Walgreens, but it’s unclear if we’ll see him again in the show.
Alan Ruck as Dr. Jay Rosan in 'The Dropout' Episode 4. He's standing in a meeting room and wearing a suit.
Alan Ruck in ‘The Dropout’ | Beth Dubber/Hulu

The Dropout is bringing a fictionalized account of the Theranos scandal to Hulu, and episode 4 introduces Doctor Jay Rosan. Jay Rosan is the Walgreens executive who hears Elizabeth (Amanda Seyfried) and Sunny’s (Naveen Andrews) initial pitch — and pushes for the retailer to embrace it. Fans may recognize the actor who brings Jay to life from other projects. Where have they seen him before?

[Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Dropout Episode 4.]

Alan Ruck plays Jay Rosan in ‘The Dropout’ Episode 4

The Dropout Episode 4 sees Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani pitching Theranos’ technology to retailers, hoping to get the funding to advance their research. Of course, that strategy comes with plenty of ethical concerns. Most notably, it means their half-baked machine would be placed into stores and purchased by customers who don’t know it doesn’t work.

Elizabeth and Sunny’s pitch raises plenty of eyebrows throughout this week’s episode. However, Jay Rosan is on board with their plans. Convinced start-ups are the future and seeing the opportunity to cash in on their blood-testing machine, Jay pushes Walgreens to hear the pair out — and to eventually make a bid.

Actor Alan Ruck brings Jay Rosan to life in The Dropout, and he does an excellent job of capturing another person ensnared by Elizabeth’s dream. With his resume, it’s no surprise the actor nails the role. Where else have fans seen him?

Where you’ve seen Jay Rosan actor Alan Ruck before

Those watching The Dropout may recognize the actor who plays Dr. Jay Rosan, especially if they’ve kept up with HBO’s hit drama, Succession. Alan Ruck also portrays Connor Roy, the eldest of Logan Roy’s (Brian Cox) kids, who wants to become president of the U.S. rather than CEO of his father’s company.

Ruck’s persona in The Dropout is far more charismatic than his Succession character, but that doesn’t prevent Jay Rosan from falling for Elizabeth’s pitch. Despite numerous red flags, Jay only sees the potential of her idea and how it can benefit Walgreens.

In addition to holding a prominent role in Succession, Ruck appears in several other well-known projects. He was involved in Fox’s The Exorcist, and he also held roles in films like Twister, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Freaky, and Star Trek: Generations.

Whether we’ll see Ruck again in The Dropout remains a mystery — but either way, Jay Rosan plays a pivotal role in the series. It’s thanks to him Elizabeth and Sunny land their deal with Walgreens. Of course, it eventually goes south and leads to a lawsuit.

Will we see Alan Ruck again in ‘The Dropout’?

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‘The Dropout’: Elizabeth Holmes and Sunny Balwani’s Extreme Age Gap Will Be Explored

Alan Ruck’s Jay Rosan plays a pivotal role in The Dropout, convincing Walgreens’ CEO to move forward with Elizabeth’s company. This deal is one of the dominoes that eventually leads Elizabeth to be convicted on fraud charges.

As for whether viewers will see Ruck’s character again, it seems possible. Although IMDb has him listed for a single installment, The Dropout Episode 4 suggests the higher-ups at Walgreens will appear again — especially now that they’ve agreed to a deal with Theranos.

Knowing the trajectory of Walgreens and Theranos’ relationship in real life, it also seems likely the series will cover the end of their partnership. Fans will have to wait to see how big of a role Ruck’s character will play in that.

In the meantime, they can watch the first four episodes of The Dropout on Hulu.

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