Kurt Russell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kurt Russell
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Russell at the 2016 San Diego Comic-Con
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| Born |
Kurt Vogel Russell
March 17, 1951 |
| Education | Thousand Oaks High School |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Season Hubley
(m. 1979; div. 1983) |
| Partner(s) | Goldie Hawn (1983–present) |
| Children | 2, including Wyatt |
| Parent(s) | Bing Russell (father) |
| Relatives | Matt Franco (nephew) |
Kurt Vogel Russell (born March 17, 1951) is an American actor. He started acting when he was just 12 years old. His first big role was in a TV Western series called The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters (1963–1964).
Later, in the 1960s, he signed a special ten-year contract with The Walt Disney Company. He became a popular star in Disney movies like The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975).
Kurt Russell was nominated for an Emmy Award for playing the famous rock and roll singer Elvis Presley in the TV movie Elvis (1979). He also received a Golden Globe Award nomination for his role in the movie Silkwood (1983).
Throughout the 1980s, Russell starred in many action and adventure films. He often played tough, rebellious characters. Some of his well-known movies include Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982), and Big Trouble in Little China (1986).
More recently, he has appeared in the Fast & Furious movies and played Ego in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017). He also played Santa Claus in The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and its sequel The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020).
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Early Life and Family
Kurt Vogel Russell was born on March 17, 1951, in Springfield, Massachusetts. His father, Bing Russell, was also an actor. His mother, Louise Julia Russell, was a dancer. Kurt has English, Irish, German, and Scottish family roots. He has three sisters named Jill, Jamie, and Jody.
When Kurt was a child, his family moved to Thousand Oaks, California. He loved playing little league baseball and continued playing as a second baseman on his high school team. He graduated from Thousand Oaks High School in 1969. His father also played professional baseball, and his sister Jill is the mother of baseball player Matt Franco.
From 1969 to 1975, Russell served in the California Air National Guard.
Acting Career Highlights
Starting as a Child Actor
Kurt Russell's very first movie role was a small, uncredited part in It Happened at the World's Fair (1963). In this movie, he played a boy who kicked Elvis Presley in the leg!
In 1963, he got the main role in the TV Western series The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. He also made guest appearances on other popular TV shows. These included The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Fugitive, and Gunsmoke. When he was 13, he even played "Jungle Boy" on an episode of Gilligan's Island.
Becoming a Disney Star
In 1966, Kurt Russell signed a ten-year contract with Walt Disney Productions. He quickly became one of the studio's most popular young stars. His first Disney film was Follow Me, Boys! (1966). Interestingly, Walt Disney himself said that Kurt had "a great acting future." One of the last things Walt Disney ever wrote was Kurt Russell's name.
While working for Disney, Russell also appeared in other TV shows. He met his future partner, Goldie Hawn, while filming the musical The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968). He continued to star in many Disney movies, including The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968) and The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), which was a big success.
From Baseball to Hollywood Stardom
Like his father, Kurt Russell also had a career in baseball. In the early 1970s, he played as a second baseman for minor league teams like the Bend Rainbows and Walla Walla Islanders. He then moved up to a higher league with the El Paso Sun Kings in 1973.
However, his baseball career ended due to an injury. During a game, another player collided with him and hurt his right shoulder. This injury forced him to retire from baseball in 1973. This event led him back to acting full-time.
After his baseball career, Russell starred in the TV series The New Land (1974). He then returned to Disney for The Strongest Man in the World (1975).
His role as Elvis Presley in the 1979 TV movie Elvis was a turning point. It helped him become a major Hollywood actor. This movie was directed by John Carpenter, and they worked together on many films after that.
Russell went on to star in action films like Escape from New York (1981), where he played the iconic character Snake Plissken. He also reunited with John Carpenter for the horror film The Thing (1982).
In 1983, he was nominated for a Golden Globe for his role in Silkwood. He also starred with Goldie Hawn in Swing Shift (1984) and the popular comedy Overboard (1987).
Later Career and Recent Roles
Kurt Russell continued to star in many successful movies. He played Lt. Stephen McCaffrey in the firefighter film Backdraft (1991). He also famously played the legendary lawman Wyatt Earp in Tombstone (1993) and Colonel Jack O'Neil in the science fiction movie Stargate (1994).
In 2004, he received praise for his role as U.S. Olympic hockey coach Herb Brooks in the film Miracle. Critics like Roger Ebert said Russell did "real acting" in the movie.
Russell has also worked with director Quentin Tarantino in films like Death Proof (2007), The Hateful Eight (2015), and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
He joined the Fast & Furious movie series as Mr. Nobody, appearing in Furious 7 (2015), The Fate of the Furious (2017), and F9 (2021). In 2017, he played Ego the Living Planet in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He also voiced Ego in the animated series What If...? (2021).
More recently, he took on the beloved role of Santa Claus in The Christmas Chronicles (2018) and The Christmas Chronicles 2 (2020). In 2023, he starred in the TV series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Personal Life
Kurt Russell married actress Season Hubley in 1979, and they had a son named Boston. They later divorced in 1983.
After his divorce, Russell began a relationship with actress Goldie Hawn in 1983. They have a son together, Wyatt Russell, who was born in 1986. Kurt and Goldie have been together for many years and have homes in different places, including Vancouver, Canada, and Colorado. They have said that they never felt the need to get married, believing that a marriage certificate wouldn't change their strong relationship.
Kurt Russell enjoys hunting and is a licensed private pilot. He holds different pilot ratings and is an Honorary Council Member of a humanitarian aviation group called Wings of Hope. In 2010, he was recognized as one of the "Living Legends of Aviation."
Accolades and Recognition
Kurt Russell has received many awards and nominations throughout his career.
- In 1998, he was inducted into the Disney Legends Awards for his contributions to film.
- In 2002, he received The Life Career Award from the Saturn Awards, which celebrates achievements in science fiction, fantasy, and horror films.
- In 2016, he won the Best Actor award for his role in the Western-horror film Bone Tomahawk. He was also inducted into the Fangoria Hall of Fame.
- In 2017, Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn received stars on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame for their work in movies.
- In 2021, he was inducted into the Hall of Great Western Performers at the Western Heritage Awards.
- In 2024, he won a Critics' Choice Super Award for Best Actor in a Science Fiction/Fantasy Series for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Images for kids
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Russell with Robert Vaughn in a 1964 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
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Russell in a 1974 publicity photo
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Russell in 2006
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Russell at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival
See also
In Spanish: Kurt Russell para niños
