Childhood. First roles
Kurt Russell was born on March 17, 1951 to Bing Russell.
In the late 50s, thirty-year-old Bing, who in his youth was a basketball star and owned a fashionable restaurant in New Port, was able to fulfill his dream of acting in films, after which he became a sought-after actor, and his wife Louise left her career as a dancer and devoted herself entirely to raising three daughters and son. One day, his father brought 6-year-old Kurt to the set of the cowboy series Sugarfoot, and the little actor starred in the popular show for four seasons.
Kurt Russell in his youth
At school, Kurt was not the best student; he often missed classes due to filming, and devoted his free time to sports, dreaming of becoming a professional basketball player.
In 1963, Kurt became a regular participant in the television project “The Travels of Jamie McPheeters”, and in 1965 he played in the Disney film “Follow Me, Boys!”, in which the stars of the Golden Hollywood era Freddie MacMurray and Lillian Gish played.
Kurt Russell in his youth
During this period of his life, Kurt still dreamed of becoming a famous basketball player, but an injury during which he suffered a torn shoulder ligament put an end to his plans.
The contract that the parents concluded on behalf of Kurt with the Disney company provided for the participation of the young actor in shows and series, so from 1966 to 1969 he periodically appeared on television, and after graduating from school he was called up for military service.
After graduating from school, Kurt served 5 years in the National Guard
After serving five years in the National Guard, Kurt returned to acting, landing a role in the dramatic thriller filmed based on real events, Tower of Death, where he played student Charles Whitman. The excellent physical fitness and acting skills of the twenty-four-year-old actor, who managed to show the metamorphosis that occurred with an ordinary American guy who became one of the first mass shooters, became the key to the success of the film and the beginning of the career of Kurt Russell.
Big cinema
In the 1979 film “Elvis,” which was later named one of the best films dedicated to the King of Rock and Roll, the young actor managed to embody the image of a great artist, which earned him recognition of his talent with an Emmy nomination. Film critics noted Kurt’s almost photographic resemblance to his hero, the skillfully conveyed tragedy of the great artist’s life and the energy with which he literally infected his fans.
Elvis Presley (left) and Kurt Russell (right)
The following year, Kurt also demonstrated his talent as a comedic actor, co-starring with Deborah Harmon and Jack Warden in the comedy Used Cars. In the 1981 action fantasy film Escape from New York, the actor saved the world and the American President, played by Donald Pleasence. The film was included in the 100 best science fiction films of all time. The role of Snake Pliskin was originally intended for Tommy Lee Jones, but after seeing Russell at the audition, director John Carpenter realized that only this actor could play the role of the hero. Charles Brosnon was also considered for this role.
Still from the movie “Used Cars”
From 1982 to 1986, his career went uphill, Kurt played in several films, playing the main roles and fully justifying his status as a bright young movie star.
Best films
The comedy “Overboard,” in which Kurt played the role of a rude father of many children who took on the task of re-educating a spoiled lady, is considered one of the best in the actor’s collection. In the comedy, which is firmly included in the golden fund of cinema, Kurt’s partner was Goldie Hawn.
Kurt Russell in the movie Overboard
Together with Mel Gibson, Raul Julia and Michelle Pfeiffer, the actor played in the cult crime thriller Drunken Dawn, playing the role of a police officer forced to make a difficult choice between friendship, love and professional honor.
Still from the film “Drunk Dawn”
The actor played with Sylvester Stallone in the comedy thriller Tango and Cash. Andrei Konchalovsky's hilarious story about cops trying to prove to each other that only one is the best has become one of the funniest police comedies of the decade.
Kurt Russell and Sylvester Stallone
From 1990 to 2000, Russell played in more than twenty films, in each of which he revealed to the audience new facets of his talent. His most significant works of this period are considered to be the role of a fireman in the thriller "Backdraft", in which Robert De Niro also played, the role of Colonel O'Neill in the adventure fantasy "Stargate" and the role of Zmey Pliskin in "Escape from Los Angeles", where the actor again saved the world of the future from moral decay.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, cinema has undergone changes, during which many old-school actors became unclaimed due to the triumphant onset of the era of action films, generously seasoned with special effects, which did not affect Russell’s career.
Young actor Kurt Russell
In the 2004 film about the legendary hockey match between the US and USSR national teams, which took place in 1980, Russell played a coach who managed to set up his players to win a match with the strongest opponent. Kenneth Welsh and Noah Emmerick also starred in the film.
The actor appeared in the 2007 thriller Death Proof as a maniac using his car as a deadly weapon. The role of a psychopath who miscalculated in the choice of victims and became a victim himself surprised the artist’s fans, but proved that Kurt Russell can play any role. The three tough girls who opened the season of hunting bad guys were played by Vanessa Ferlito, Sydney Tamia Poitier and Jordan Ladd, and Rosario Dawson also starred in the film. The director of the film was the master of bloody action, Quentin Tarantino.
“Death Proof” - trailer In the 2011 sports fantasy drama “The Way Back,” the actor worked with Brian Presley and Marc Blucas, and in the 2103 comedy “Black Mark” he worked with Katheryn Winnick and Kenneth Welsh.
In the thriller The Hateful Eight, the actor again collaborated with Quentin Tarantino, playing one of the bounty hunters. Other bad guys in the best thriller of 2020 were played by Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Madsen, Demián Bichir and Tim Roth.
"The Hateful Eight" - trailer Russell played the role of Mr. Nobody, joining the star cast of the "Fast and Furious" franchise in the 2020 and 2020 films, and in the 2018 magical Christmas comedy "The Chronicles of Christmas" the actor appeared as Santa Claus, whom children helped save holiday. The role of Mrs. Santa was played by Goldie Hawn, and Oliver Hudson also played in the kind and beautiful fairy tale.
Latest news about Kurt Russell
In 2020, Kurt appeared in the crime western “The Hateful Eight” by cult director Quentin Tarantino. His hero is a bounty hunter nicknamed "The Hangman".
In the fall of 2020, the premiere of another disaster film directed by Peter Berg took place, in which the actor played. The plot centers on real events that occurred on an American oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico 7 years ago. One of the roles in this film was given to Kurt's adopted daughter, Kate Hudson.
An interesting role went to Russell in the sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy. He played the “living planet” of Ego.
In the spring of 2020, the actor and his wife Goldie Hawn received stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the end of the same year, the television film “The Barbary Coast” was released with the participation of Russell, based on the novel of the same name by Herbert Edsbury.
Personal life of Kurt Russell
The actor’s amazing love story with Goldie Hawn is considered one of Hollywood legends, but Goldie was not the actor’s first choice.
Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell
Russell entered into a marriage with Season Hubley at the very beginning of his ascent to the film Olympus, and although Season gave her husband a son in 1980, the marriage soon broke up. A romantic relationship with Goldie Hawn, whom the actor knew from his youth, began in 1984, and in 1986 the couple had a son, Wyatt. The actor raised the charming Goldie's children from her marriage to musician Billy Hudson as if they were his own children, and they responded with mutual love. Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson always remember their childhood fondly and call Kurt their real father.
Kurt and Goldie with children
Hawn is five years older than Kurt. Despite the fact that they have been together since 1984, the actors never got married. The couple lives on a ranch in California, enjoying visits from their children and grandchildren.
"The Thing" (1982)
Photo: forum.steelfactor.ru
The horror film with elements of science fiction once again reunited the union of director John Carpenter and actor Kurt Russell. In the late 1980s, the film was appreciated and recognized as a cult film. Special effects were created without the use of computer graphics.
Scientists at a research station in Antarctica find a dog from a neighboring station. Having sent the sled husky to the other dogs, the heroes are unaware of the danger. But the dog turns into a monster. Soon scientists find the spaceship crash site and the alien's body.
It turns out that the alien can take any form, now everyone is under suspicion. Pilot RJ MacReady, played by Kurt Russell, is taken to lead the resistance to the invader.
Sharing the set with Kurt were: Wilford Brimley (“Hard Target”), Keith David (“Requiem for a Dream”), Richard Masur (“Shifters”), Norbert Weisser (“Schindler’s List”).
Kurt Russell now
Since 2020, filming has been underway for the film “Crypto,” which tells about the emergence of cryptocurrencies. The actor stars in the company of Luke Hemsworth and Alexis Bledel.
Kurt Russell now
In Quentin Tarantino's thriller Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, which is expected to premiere in mid-2020, the actor collaborates with Leonardo DiCaprio, Damian Lewis, Tim Roth and Margot Robbie. The events of the film are based on the story of the Hollywood butcher Manson, one of whose victims was the wife of Roman Polanski. It is known that the famous Polanski will also take part in his colleague’s film.
"Soldier" (1998)
Photo: fishki.net
The action film from director Paul W. S. Anderson tells about the events of the future. In the new world, soldiers are raised from a young age as killing machines. The main role in the film was played by Kurt Russell. “Soldier” failed at the box office, but audiences liked it.
Humanity is waging interplanetary wars, so young boys are made into hardy soldiers. The military knows only fear and discipline, other feelings are alien to them. Sergeant Todd is one of the soldiers who lost the battle with the new replicant military.
Believing Todd dead, the residents take his body to the planet Arcadia. There he is found by people who managed to survive. They nurse Todd with love and concern. The seasoned soldier encounters such feelings for the first time, but cannot eradicate the cruelty. Therefore, he decides to fight the replicants for freedom.
The project involved: Jason Scott Lee (“Seventh Son”), Jason Isaacs (“A Cure for Wellness”), Gary Busey (“Entourage”), Connie Nielsen (“Wonder Woman”), Sean Pertwee (“Naked Bay”) .
