
Ron Ruffin, played by Jonathan Slavin, is a fictional character in the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet. Ron is a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who becomes obsessed with the paranormal and the undead. He first appears in season 2, episode 2, No Family is Perfect, and makes six appearances in total. Ron is known for his enthusiasm for being undead and his desire to turn others into zombies. He plays a pivotal role in the series, leading a Cult of Sheila to rescue Joel and Sheila Hammond from a Serbian businessman. Ron's character has been described as hilarious and amazing by viewers, with many praising the actor's performance.
Explore related products
What You'll Learn

Ron Ruffin is a fictional mental patient and zombie
Ron Ruffin is a fictional character in the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet, played by Jonathan Slavin. He is a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who suffered a breakdown following his wife's death from a terminal illness. Admitted to a mental health facility, he meets Joel Hammond and confides in him about his problems, including his obsession with the paranormal and the undead. He is also known for his belief in the mythical Asparagus People, going so far as to seal his ears with peanut butter to prevent them from controlling his brain.
Ron becomes undead by forcing the severed head of Gary West to bite him. He embraces his new existence as a zombie, even joining a subreddit dedicated to the paranormal. Unlike other zombies, Ron adapts well to his new state and is eager to share his "gift" with others, indiscriminately biting people. This behaviour causes concern for Joel and Sheila, who try to talk to him about it, to no avail.
Ron is introduced in season two of the show and appears six times in total, including the series finale. His character is known for his eccentricities and peculiar behaviour, adding a layer of humour and intrigue to the show's narrative.
Overall, Ron Ruffin is a memorable and unique character, whose mental health struggles and subsequent transformation into an undead being provide an interesting storyline within the Santa Clarita Diet series.
Diet's Role in Prostate Cancer: Cure or Myth?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
$7.99

Ron is played by actor Jonathan Slavin
Slavin's character is introduced in season 2, episode 2 of the Netflix series, titled "No Family is Perfect". He made two appearances in season 2 and four appearances in season 3, including the series finale.
In the show, Ron becomes a zombie by forcing the severed head of Gary West to bite him, found in the Hammonds' basement. He then becomes proud of his metamorphosis and has no difficulty living the un-life of a zombie. He also has no qualms about sharing his "gift" with others and starts biting people indiscriminately.
Ron is first introduced as a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who suffered a mental breakdown after his wife passed away from a terminal illness. He is admitted to a mental health facility, where he meets Joel Hammond, who has been admitted for a mandatory 48-hour observation. Joel, believing Ron to be crazy, feels secure enough to tell him about his problems, specifically that his wife, Sheila, has become a zombie.
Overeating One Night: Will It Affect My Diet?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Ron has an obsession with the paranormal and undead
The character Ron Ruffin from the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet is known for his obsession with the paranormal and the undead. He is a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who suffered a mental breakdown after his wife passed away.
The term "paranormal" refers to purported phenomena that are beyond the scope of normal scientific understanding. Paranormal beliefs include those related to extrasensory perception, spiritualism, and the pseudosciences of ghost hunting, cryptozoology, and ufology. The term "undead", on the other hand, typically refers to supernatural beings that were once alive but continue to display aspects of life after death, such as vampires, mummies, and zombies.
Ron's obsession with the undead leads him to actively participate in a subreddit dedicated to the paranormal and the undead. He even takes actions to become a member of the undead himself. In the show, Ron discovers the undead head of Gary West in a basement and tricks him into biting him, turning himself into a zombie. He embraces his undead state and actively shares his "gift" with others, turning them into zombies as well.
Ron's obsession with the paranormal and the undead is a central aspect of his character in the series. It is not uncommon for fictional characters to have such obsessions, and they are often portrayed as having a deep interest in the supernatural, which can sometimes lead to dangerous or unusual situations, as seen with Ron's transformation into a zombie.
Ketosis Diet: What to Eat and Avoid to Achieve Ketosis
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Ron becomes undead by forcing Gary West to bite him
In the Netflix series *Santa Clarita Diet*, Ron Ruffin is a fictional mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who is obsessed with the paranormal and undead. Played by Jonathan Slavin, the character is introduced in the season two episode "No Family is Perfect".
Ron becomes undead by forcing the severed head of Gary West—who was killed by Sheila Hammond—to bite him. After his wife passes away from a terminal illness, Ron is admitted to a mental health facility, where he meets Joel Hammond. Believing that Ron is crazy, Joel feels comfortable disclosing the truth about his wife's undead condition.
Ron finds the undead head of Gary West in the Hammonds' basement and tricks him into biting him. Unlike others, Ron easily adapts to his new life as a zombie and begins spreading his "gift" by biting others indiscriminately. Joel and Sheila, concerned about Ron's behaviour, try to talk to him, but to no avail.
Ron's transformation into an undead being fuels his fascination with the paranormal and the undead. His obsession leads him to participate in a subreddit dedicated to the supernatural, and he becomes enamoured with his metamorphosis.
Calorie Counting: Is 1,200 Starvation or Sustainable?
You may want to see also
Explore related products

Ron is a member of the Cult of Sheila
Ron Ruffin is a fictional character in the Netflix horror-comedy series Santa Clarita Diet. He is played by Jonathan Slavin and is known for his obsession with the paranormal and undead. Ron is a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who suffered a breakdown after his wife passed away.
Ron becomes undead by forcing the severed head of Gary West to bite him. Unlike others, he takes to zombie life with ease and is proud of his metamorphosis. He also has no qualms about sharing his "gift" with others and starts biting people indiscriminately.
Joel and Sheila Hammond, the main characters of the series, realize that this is a problem and try to talk to him, but Ron ignores their concerns. Joel and Sheila are later abducted by a Serbian businessman named Dobrivoje Poplovic, who wants the valuable black blood coursing through Sheila's body that made her immortal.
Ron Ruffin leads a group called the "Cult of Sheila" on a rescue operation to save Joel and Sheila. The group includes a newly made zombie named Jean and a former Knight of Serbia named Tommy. Together, they successfully rescue Joel and Sheila from their abductors.
Ron's leadership of the Cult of Sheila demonstrates his commitment to Sheila and his belief in her cause. He sees her as a figure worthy of worship and adoration, and his devotion to her is unwavering. The cult likely formed around the idea of venerating Sheila, embracing the undead lifestyle she represents, and perhaps even seeking to spread her unique form of immortality to others. Ron's willingness to lead the cult and put himself at risk for Sheila underscores his fervent belief in her and the undead community he now considers himself a part of.
Meat-Free Diets: Reversing Chronic Kidney Disease?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Ron Ruffin, played by Jonathan Slavin, is a recurring character in the Netflix series Santa Clarita Diet. He is a mental patient from Santa Clarita, California, who becomes obsessed with the paranormal and undead. After finding the undead head of Gary West, he tricks him into biting him, which turns him into a zombie.
Ron desires to become a zombie, so when he finds the undead head of Gary West in the Hammonds' basement, he forces Gary to bite him.
Ron embraces his new un-life as a zombie and is proud to be a member of the undead. He has no qualms about sharing his "gift" with others and starts turning people indiscriminately. This causes concern for Joel and Sheila Hammond, who try to talk to him about it, but he ignores them.




































