Rene Russo
| Rene Russo | |
|---|---|
| Born | Rene Marie Russo February 17, 1954 Burbank, California, US |
| Years active | 1972–present |
| Spouse | Dan Gilroy (1992–present; one daughter) |
Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954)[1][2] is an American film actress, musician and former model.
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[edit] Early life
Russo was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Shirley (née Balocca), a factory worker and barmaid, and Nino Russo, a sculptor and car mechanic who left the family when Rene was two.[1][3][4] Her father and maternal grandfather were of Italian descent.[5][6][7] Russo grew up with her sister, Toni, and their single mother. She attended Burroughs High School (where her classmates included director Ron Howard), but eventually dropped out in the tenth grade. To help her family, she began taking a variety of part-time jobs including working in an eyeglass factory, and as a movie cashier.
[edit] Modeling
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In 1972, at age 18 when at a Rolling Stones concert Rene was discovered by John Crosby from International Creative Management. Crosby suggested to her that she should be a model. Rene was very shy and insecure at the time, but she took Crosby's advice anyway. She had pictures taken and sent to Ford Modeling Agency who were impressed with her photos and signed her up. Rene went on to appear in magazine covers for Vogue, Mademoiselle, and several covers of Cosmopolitan. She was featured in many ads for perfume and has appeared in commercials for makeup. She officially retired from modeling after turning 30 and took an interest in studying theater.
[edit] Acting
By her 30th birthday, demand for her as a model began to dwindle. She did a few more commercials and then turned her back on modeling and show business for a while. She began to study theater and acting, and began appearing in theater roles at small regional theaters in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California.
Russo made her television series debut in 1987, with a supporting role in the TV series Sable. Two years later, she made her debut in film as the girlfriend of the Tom Berenger character in Major League. Her breakthrough role is generally considered to be her part as internal affairs detective Lorna Cole in Lethal Weapon 3 (and again in Lethal Weapon 4) opposite Mel Gibson.[8]
Throughout the 1990s, Russo appeared in a number of thrillers including In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood, Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman, Ransom (directed by high school classmate Howard and worked again with her Lethal Weapon co-star Gibson) and The Thomas Crown Affair. She attained a certain degree of cult status from her performance in Freejack, alongside of Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger, and Anthony Hopkins.
She also tried her hand at comedy in Tin Cup with Kevin Costner, Get Shorty with John Travolta and as Natasha Fatale in the live-action film version of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. She starred in at least one major studio film per year from 1992 to 2002.
In 2005 Russo co-starred with Al Pacino in Two for the Money and with Dennis Quaid in Yours, Mine and Ours. In 2011, six years after resting from acting, she appeared in the superhero film, Thor, as Frigga, the mother of the titular hero.[9]
[edit] Personal life
Russo has been married to screenwriter Dan Gilroy since 1992. They have one daughter, Rose (born August 31, 1993), and the family currently lives in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Her sister Toni was married to lyricist Bernie Taupin in the 1980s, and Rene appeared alongside her sister in the 1987 video for Taupin's solo song, "Citizen Jane."
[edit] Filmography
| Year | Film | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Major League | Lynn Wells |
| 1990 | Mr. Destiny | Cindy Jo Bumpers/Burrows |
| 1991 | One Good Cop | Rita Lewis |
| 1992 | Freejack | Julie Redlund |
| Lethal Weapon 3 | LAPD Sgt. Lorna Cole | |
| 1993 | In the Line of Fire | Secret Service Agent Lilly Raines |
| 1994 | Major League II | Lynn Wells (cameo) |
| 1995 | Outbreak | Robby Keough |
| Get Shorty | Karen Flores | |
| 1996 | Tin Cup | Dr. Molly Griswold |
| Ransom | Kate Mullen | |
| 1997 | Buddy | Mrs. Gertrude 'Trudy' Lintz |
| 1998 | Lethal Weapon 4 | Lorna Cole-Riggs |
| 1999 | The Thomas Crown Affair | Catherine Olds Banning |
| 2000 | The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle | Natasha Fatale |
| 2002 | Big Trouble | Anna Herk |
| Showtime | Chase Renzi | |
| 2005 | Two for the Money | Toni Morrow |
| Yours, Mine and Ours | Helen North | |
| 2011 | Thor | Frigga |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Rene Russo Biography (1954–)
- ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905–1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
- ^ STAR RENE'S RUNAWAY DAD DIED OF GUILT; Actress refused to speak to him after he dumped young family.(News) – Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) – HighBeam Research
- ^ Date, CINDY PEARLMAN (August 11, 1996). "Chicago Sun-Times:: Search". Chicago Sun-Times. http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=CSTB&p_theme=cstb&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EB422B7B9868B2C&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM.
- ^ Two for the Money Movie – Rene Russo on Two for the Money, Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey
- ^ "A little older, a lot wiser.(Rene Russo)". Good Housekeeping. August 1, 2000. http://www.accessmylibrary.com/coms2/summary_0286-28137579_ITM.
- ^ Magee Coleman, Darlene (1998-08-03). "Then And Now .Shirley Balocca Russo Returns For Reunion .". The Fort Scott Tribune. http://news.google.ca/newspapers?id=HP0fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=av0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=1120,4957436&dq=then+and+now+shirley+balocca+russo+returns+for+reunion&hl=en. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
- ^ "Lethal Weapon 3 Role Brings Stardom To Rene Russo". Chicago Tribune. 1992-05-24. http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-05-24/features/9202160443_1_freejack-with-mick-jagger-throaty-laugh-role. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ Graser, Marc (2009-12-16). "Rene Russo joins cast of 'Thor'". Variety. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012860.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-12-17.
[edit] External links
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