Kurt Russell

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Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell.jpg
Biographical information
Birth name Kurt Vogel Russell
Birth date (1951-03-17) March 17, 1951 (age 73)
Springfield, Massachusetts, USA
Nationality American
Professional information
Occupation Actor
Years active 1957—present
Notable work Escape from New York
Stargate-related information
Related series Stargate
Occupation Actor
Character Colonel Jack O'Neil

Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951)[1] is an American television and film actor. He has portrayed Colonel Jack O'Neil in the first Stargate franchise movie simply entitled Stargate.

Early life[edit | edit source]

Russell was born on March 17, 1951, in Springfield, Massachusetts, the son of Louise Julia (née Crone), a dancer; and Neil Oliver "Bing" Russell, a character actor, best known for playing Deputy Clem Foster on Bonanza.[2] In 1969 Russell graduated from Thousand Oaks High School.[3]

Career[edit | edit source]

Late 1950s–1960s[edit | edit source]

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). 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 appeared in the episode "Charade of Justice" of the NBC western series The Road West. 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.

1970s[edit | edit source]

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".[4] 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.[5] 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[edit | edit source]

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. 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[edit | edit source]

In 1991, Russell was cast alongside William Baldwin as a firefighter in Backdraft. In 1994, he 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 2006, Russell revealed that he was the director of Tombstone, not George P. Cosmatos, as credited.[6] 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.[6] 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.[6]

Russell appeared as villain Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino's segment Death Proof of the film Grindhouse.

Personal life[edit | edit source]

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."[7]

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.[8]

Involvement in the Stargate universe[edit | edit source]

Filmography[edit | edit source]

Film, Television and Video Games
Year Title Role Notes
2014 Bone Tomahawk Film (pre-production)
2013 Sweet Spot El Mago Film (pre-production)
???? Good Guys Lt. Cole (rumored) Film (pre-production)
2013 The Black Marks Crunch Calhoun Film (post-production)
2011 Touchback Coach Hand Film
2007 Cutlass Dad Short
2007 Death Proof Stuntman Mike Film
2007 Grindhouse Stuntman Mike (segment "Death Proof") Film
2006 Poseidon Robert Ramsey Film
2005 :Dreamer: Inspired by a True Story Ben Crane Film
2005 Sky High Steve Stronghold / The Commander Film
2004 Miracle Herb Brooks Film
2002 Dark Blue Eldon Perry Film
2002 Interstate 60: Episodes of the Road Captain Ives Film
2001 Vanilla Sky McCabe Film
2001 3000 Miles to Graceland Michael Zane Film
1998 Soldier Todd 3465 Film
1997 Breakdown Jeffrey 'Jeff' Taylor Film
1996 Escape from L.A. Snake Plissken Film
1996 Executive Decision Dr. David Grant Film
1994 Stargate Col. Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil Film
1994 Forrest Gump Elvis Presley Film, voice, uncredited
1993 Tombstone Wyatt Earp Film
1992 Captain Ron Captain Ron Film
1992 Unlawful Entry Michael Carr Film
1991 Backdraft Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey / Dennis McCaffrey Film
1989 Tango & Cash Lt. Gabriel Cash Film
1989 Winter People Wayland Jackson Film
1988 Tequila Sunrise Det. Lt. Nicholas 'Nick' Frescia Film
1987 Overboard Dean Proffitt Film
1986 Big Trouble in Little China Jack Burton Film
1986 The Best of Times Reno Hightower Film
1985 The Mean Season Malcolm Anderson Film
1984 Swing Shift Mike 'Lucky' Lockhart Film
1983 Silkwood Drew Stephens Film
1982 The Thing R.J. MacReady Film
1981 The Fox and the Hound Copper Film (voice)
1981 Escape from New York Snake Plissken Film
1980 Used Cars Rudolph 'Rudy' Russo Film
1980 Amber Waves Laurence Kendall TV movie
1979 Elvis Elvis Presley TV movie
1978 Charlie's Angels Policeman TV series, 1 episode
1977 Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. Johnny TV movie
1977 Hawaii Five-O Peter Valcher TV series, 1 episode
1976 The Quest Morgan Beaudine TV series, 15 episodes
1976 The Quest Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen TV movie
1976 The Quest: The Longest Drive Morgan 'Two Persons' Beaudine TV movie
1976 The Captive: The Longest Drive 2 Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen TV movie
1974-1975 Police Story J.D. Crawford / Officer David Singer TV series, 2 episodes
1975 The Deadly Tower Charles Whitman TV movie
1975 Search for the Gods Shan Mullins TV movie
1975 Harry O Todd Conway TV series, 1 episode
1975 :The Strongest Man in the World Dexter Riley Film
1974 The New Land Bo Larsen TV series, 6 episodes
1974 Hec Ramsey Matthias Kane TV series, 1 episode
1964-1974 Gunsmoke Buck Henry / Packy Kerlin TV series, 2 episodes
1973 Superdad Bart Film
1973 :Love Story Scott TV series, 1 episode
1973 Charley and the Angel Ray Ferris Film
1972 Now You See Him, Now You Don't Dexter Riley Film
1967-1972 Disneyland Rich Evans / Pvt. Willie Prentiss / Narrator TV series, 7 episodes
1971 Fools' Parade Johnny Jesus Film
1971 The Barefoot Executive Steven Post Film
1971 Room 222 Tim TV series, 1 episode
1970 Storefront Lawyers Jerry Patman TV series, 1 episode
1970 Dad... Can I Borrow the Car? Narrator TV short
1970 Love, American Style (segment "Love and the First Nighters") TV series, 1 episode
1970 The High Chaparral Dan Rondo TV series, 1 episode
1969 The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes Dexter Film
1969 Then Came Bronson William P. Lovering TV series, 1 episode
1965-1969 Daniel Boone Jed / Mathew / Nathan / … TV series, 5 episodes
1969 Guns in the Heather Rich Film
1968 The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit Ronnie Gardner Film
1968 The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band Sidney Bower Film
1967 The Road West Jay Baker TV series, 1 episode
1966 Follow Me, Boys! Whitey Film
1964-1966 The Fugitive Eddie / Philip Gerard Jr. TV series, 2 episodes
1966 The F.B.I. Dan Winslow TV series, 1 episode
1966 Lost in Space Quano TV series, 1 episode
1966 Laredo Grey Smoke TV series, 1 episode
1966 The Legend of Jesse James Elick Harte TV series, 1 episode
1964-1965 The Virginian Andy Denning / Toby Shea TV series, 2 episodes
1965 Gilligan's Island Jungle Boy TV series, 1 episode
1965 Guns of Diablo Jamie McPheeters Film
1964 The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Christopher Larson TV series, 1 episode
1963-1964 The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters Jamie McPheeters TV series, 26 episodes
1963 Our Man Higgins Bobby TV series, 1 episode
1963 The Eleventh Hour Peter Hall TV series, 1 episode
1963 It Happened at the World's Fair Boy Who Kicks Mike Film, uncredited
1963 Sam Benedict Knute TV series, 1 episode
1962 The Dick Powell Show Boy / Vernon TV series, 3 episodes
1962 Dennis the Menace Boy TV series, 1 episode, uncredited

Notes[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. "Kurt Russell News, Kurt Russell Bio and Photos". TV Guide Network. http://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/kurt-russell/161054. Retrieved 25 June 2012. 
  2. "Kirk Russell Film Reference bio". Filmreference.com. http://www.filmreference.com/film/39/Kurt-Russell.html. Retrieved August 15, 2010. 
  3. "Kurt Russell Timeline and Biography". http://www.twoop.com/people/kurt_russell.html. 
  4. Introduction by Robert Osborne to the TCM premiere of The Barefoot Executive, April 13, 2007.
  5. "Kurt Russell". Baseball-reference.com. http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=russel001kur. Retrieved February 18, 2011. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Beck, Henry Cabot. "The "Western" Godfather." True West Magazine. October 2006.
  7. Kurt Russell, Advocates for Self-Government
  8. ":.: The Official Wings Of Hope Homepage :.:". Wings-of-hope.org. http://wings-of-hope.org. Retrieved August 15, 2010. 
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