Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell
Russell at the premiere of Grindhouse in Austin, Texas, March 2007
Born	Kurt Vogel Russell (1951-03-17) March 17, 1951 Springfield, Massachusetts, U.S.
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1957–present
Spouse	Season Hubley ​ (m. 1979⁠–⁠1983)​
Partner(s)	Goldie Hawn (1983–present; 1 child)
Children	2 sons

Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American television and film actor. His first acting roles were as a child in television series, including a lead role in the Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964). In the 1970s, he signed a ten-year contract with the Walt Disney Company, where he became, according to Robert Osborne, the "studio's top star of the '70s". In 1979, Russell was nominated for an Emmy Award for the made-for-television film Elvis.

In 1983, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for his performance opposite Meryl Streep in the 1984 film, Silkwood. During the 1980s, Russell was cast in several films by director John Carpenter, including anti-hero roles such as former army hero-turned robber Snake Plissken in the futuristic action film Escape from New York and its sequel, Escape from L.A., Antarctic helicopter pilot R.J. MacReady in the horror film The Thing (1982), and truck driver Jack Burton in the dark kung-fu comedy/action film Big Trouble in Little China (1986), all of which have since become cult films.

In 1994, Russell had a starring role in the military/science fiction film Stargate. In the mid-2000s, his portrayal of U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks in Miracle (2004) won the praise of critics. In 2006, he appeared in the disaster-thriller Poseidon, and in 2007 Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof segment from the film Grindhouse.

Early life

Russell was born on March 17, 1951, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Louise Julia (née Crone), a dancer; and Bing Russell, a character actor, best known for playing Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza. In 1969 Russell graduated from Thousand Oaks High School.

Career

Late 1950s–1960s

Russell began his career in the late 1950s with an appearance as a child in the pilot of the ABC western television series Sugarfoot with Will Hutchins. His film career began at the age of eleven in an uncredited part in Elvis Presley's It Happened at the World's Fair and two extra episodes, celebrating the tenth anniversary of the then defunct series 'Rin Tin Tin. On April 24, 1963, Russell guest starred in the ABC series Our Man Higgins, starring Stanley Holloway as an English butler in an American family. He appeared in 1963 as Peter Hall in the episode "Everybody Knows You Left Me" on the NBC medical drama about psychiatry The Eleventh Hour.

Later in 1963, he landed a big part for a juvenile actor: the lead role as Jaimie in the ABC Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964). Based on a book by Robert Lewis Taylor, the series starred Dan O'Herlihy, John Maloney, and the young Osmond Brothers. Charles Bronson became a semi-regular in the series. In 1964, he guest-starred in "Nemesis", an episode of the popular ABC series The Fugitive in which, as the son of police Lt. Phillip Gerard, he is unintentionally kidnapped by his father's quarry, Doctor Richard Kimble. That same year he appeared on The Virginian as a mistaken orphan whose father was an outlaw played by Rory Calhoun who was still alive and recently released from prison looking for his son. He played a similar role as a kid named Packy Kerlin in the 1964 episode "Blue Heaven" of the western series Gunsmoke.

On February 6, 1965, Russell, not quite fourteen, played the role of Jungle Boy on an episode of CBS's Gilligan's Island. He guest starred on ABC's western The Legend of Jesse James. In 1967, he, Jay C. Flippen, and Tom Tryon appeared in the episode "Charade of Justice" of the NBC western series The Road West starring Barry Sullivan. In a March 1966 episode of CBS's Lost in Space entitled "The Challenge", he played Quano, the son of a planetary ruler. In the same year he played a starring role in Disney's Follow Me, Boys!. He then went on to star in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, the latter of which spawned two sequels: Now You See Him, Now You Don't in 1972 and The Strongest Man in the World in 1975.

1970s

In 1971, he co-starred as a young robber released from jail, alongside James Stewart in Fools' Parade. Russell was soon signed to a ten-year contract with the Walt Disney Company, where he became, according to Robert Osborne, the "studio's top star of the '70s". He later auditioned for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars but lost the role to Harrison Ford.

Russell, like his father, had a baseball career. In the early 1970s, Russell played second base for the California Angels minor league affiliates, the Bend Rainbows, Walla Walla Islanders, Portland Mavericks and El Paso Sun Kings. During a play, he was hit in the shoulder by a player running to second base; the collision tore the rotator cuff in Russell's right/throwing shoulder. Before his injury, he was leading the Texas League in hitting, with a .563 batting average. The injury forced his retirement from baseball in 1973 and led to his return to acting.

In the autumn of 1976, Russell appeared with Tim Matheson in the 15-episode NBC series The Quest, the story of two young men in the American West seeking the whereabouts of their sister, a captive of the Cheyenne.

In 1979, Russell was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special for the made-for-television film Elvis. This would be his first pairing with John Carpenter, the director of Halloween. Although Russell did not perform the singing vocals in the series—which were provided by country music artist Ronnie McDowell—he would later go on to provide the voice of Elvis Presley in the 1994 film Forrest Gump.

1980s

Over the 1980s, Russell would team with Carpenter several times, helping create some of his best-known roles, usually as anti-heroes, including the infamous Snake Plissken of Escape from New York and its sequel, Escape from L.A.. Among their collaborations was 1982's The Thing, based upon the short story Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell, Jr., which had been interpreted on film before, albeit loosely, in 1951's The Thing from Another World. In 1986, the two made Big Trouble in Little China, a dark kung-fu comedy/action film in which Russell played a truck driver caught in an ancient Chinese war. While the film was a financial failure like The Thing, it has since gained a cult audience.

Elvis Presley connections have run like a thread through his career. Aside from appearing as a child in one of Presley's films and giving a convincing portrayal of the singer in the 1979 television biopic, Russell starred as an Elvis impersonator involved in a Las Vegas robbery in 3000 Miles to Graceland and provided the voice of Elvis for a scene in Forrest Gump.

Russell is one of the very few famous child stars in Hollywood who has been able continue his acting career past his teen years. Russell received award nominations well into middle age. He was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture for his performance opposite Meryl Streep in the 1984 film, Silkwood.

1990s–2000s

In 1994, Russell starred as Colonel Jack O'Neil in the military science fiction film Stargate.

His portrayal of U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks in the 2004 film, Miracle, won the praise of critics. "In many ways," wrote Claudia Puig of USA Today, "Miracle belongs to Kurt Russell." Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times wrote, "Russell does real acting here." Elvis Mitchell of The New York Times wrote, "Mr. Russell's cagey and remote performance gives Miracle its few breezes of fresh, albeit methane-scented, air."

In 2006, Russell revealed that he was the director of Tombstone, not George P. Cosmatos, as credited. According to Russell, Cosmatos was recommended by Sylvester Stallone and was, in effect, a ghost director, much as he had been for Rambo: First Blood Part II. Russell said he promised Cosmatos he would keep it a secret as long as Cosmatos was alive; Cosmatos died in April 2005. Russell owns the rights to the masters and makes reference to possibly re-editing the film, as he was not originally involved in the editing.

Russell appeared as villain Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino's segment Death Proof of the film Grindhouse. After a remake of Escape from New York was announced, Russell was reportedly upset with the casting of Scottish actor Gerard Butler for his signature character, Snake Plissken, as he believed the character 'was quintessentially [...] American.'

Russell in 2005

Personal life

Russell married actress Season Hubley, whom he had met on the set of Elvis in 1979; they had a son, Boston Russell, in 1980. In 1983, in the middle of his divorce from Hubley, Russell re-connected with Goldie Hawn on the set of the film Swing Shift, and they have been in a relationship ever since. They had a son, Wyatt, in 1986. One year later, in 1987, the couple starred in the film Overboard. Hawn's son and daughter with Bill Hudson, actors Oliver and Kate Hudson, consider Russell to be their father.

Russell is a Libertarian. In 1996, he stated: "I was brought up as a Republican. But when I realized that at the end of the day there wasn't much difference between a Democrat and Republican, I became a libertarian."

In February 2003, Russell and Hawn moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, so that their son could play hockey. Russell is an FAA licensed private pilot holding single/multi-engine and instrument ratings and is an Honorary Board Member of the humanitarian aviation organization Wings of Hope. Former Major League Baseball player Matt Franco is his nephew.

Filmography

Film and television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1963	It Happened at the World's Fair	Boy who kicks Mike	Uncredited
1964	The Man From U.N.C.L.E.	Christopher Larson	Episode 1.10, "The Finny Foot Affair"
1964	The Fugitive (TV series)	Philip Gerard Jr.	Episode 2.5, "Nemesis"
1964	Gunsmoke	Packy	Episode 1.10, "Blue Heaven"
1964	Guns of Diablo	Jamie McPheeters	Lead role
1964	The Virginian	Toby Shea	Episode 3.8, "A Father For Toby"
1965	Gilligan's Island	Jungle boy	Episode 1.19, "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy"
1965	The Virginian	Andy Denning	Episode 4.1, "The Brothers"
1965–1969	Daniel Boone (TV series)	Various	Five episodes ("The First Stone", "The Price of Friendship", "The Young Ones", "Bickford's Bridge", "Target Boone")
1966	Follow Me, Boys!	Whitey
1966	Lost In Space	Quano	Episode 1.22, "The Challenge"
1966	Laredo	Grey Smoke	Episode 1.20, "Meanwhile Back at the Reservation"
1968	The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band	Sidney Bower
1968	The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit	Ronnie Gardner
1969	Guns in the Heather	Rich
1969	The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes	Dexter Riley
1970	Men at Law	Jerry Patman	Episode 1.10, "This is Jerry, See Jerry Run"
1971	The Barefoot Executive	Steven Post
1971	Fools' Parade	Johnny Jesus
1972	Now You See Him, Now You Don't	Dexter Riley
1973	Charley and the Angel	Ray Ferris
1973	Superdad	Bart
1974	Gunsmoke	Buck Henry Woolfe	Episode "Trail of Bloodshed"
1975	The Strongest Man in the World	Dexter Riley
1975	The Deadly Tower	Charles Whitman	television film
1975	Search for the Gods	Shan Mullins	television film
1979	Elvis	Elvis Presley	Nominated—Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie
1980	Used Cars	Rudolph "Rudy" Russo
1981	Escape from New York	Snake Plissken
1981	The Fox and the Hound	Adult Copper	Voice Only
1982	The Thing	R.J. MacReady
1983	Silkwood	Drew Stephens	Nominated—Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
1984	Swing Shift	Mike "Lucky" Lockhart
1984	Terror in the Aisles	R.J. MacReady	archival footage
1985	The Mean Season	Malcolm Anderson
1986	Big Trouble in Little China	Jack Burton
1986	The Best of Times	Reno Hightower
1987	Overboard	Dean Proffitt
1988	Tequila Sunrise	Det. Lt. Nicholas 'Nick' Frescia
1989	Winter People	Wayland Jackson
1989	Tango & Cash	Detective Gabriel "Gabe" Cash
1991	Backdraft	Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey / Dennis McCaffrey
1992	Unlawful Entry	Michael Carr
1992	Captain Ron	Captain Ron
1993	Tombstone	Wyatt Earp	Also (Uncredited) Director
1994	Stargate	Col. Jonathan "Jack" O'Neil
1994	Forrest Gump	Elvis Presley	Voice only, uncredited
1996	Executive Decision	Dr. David Grant
1996	Escape from L.A.	Snake Plissken	Sequel to Escape from New York Also Writer/Producer
1997	Breakdown	Jeffrey "Jeff" Taylor
1998	Soldier	Todd
2001	3000 Miles to Graceland	Michael Zane	Nominated - Razzie Award for Worst Screen Couple (with either Kevin Costner or Courteney Cox)
2001	Vanilla Sky	McCabe
2002	Interstate 60	Capt. Ives
2003	Dark Blue	Eldon Perry
2004	Miracle	Herb Brooks
2005	Sky High	Steve Stronghold / The Commander
2005	Dreamer	Ben Crane
2006	Poseidon	Robert Ramsey
2007	Death Proof	Stuntman Mike
2007	Cutlass	Dad
2011	Touchback	Coach Hand

External links

• Kurt Russell at IMDb
• Kurt Russell at AllMovie