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Kurt Russell

Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell – born 17th March 1951 in Springfield, Massachusetts – began his acting career as a child star with many bit parts in TV shows and low-budget films. In 1966 Russell signed a ten-year contract with the Walt Disney Company, and became one of the company’s top stars of the 70s. He starred in many Disney films, such as Follow Me, Boys! (1966), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), along with Goldie Hawn, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969), and The Strongest Man in the World (1975).

In the early 70s Russell stopped acting to concentrate on a baseball career: he played second base for the California Angels' Double-A minor league affiliate, the El Paso Sun Kings. However an injury to his shoulder forced his retirement from baseball in 1973 and he returned to acting.

In 1979, Russell received an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Lead Actor for the John Carpenter directed television film Elvis. It was because of this role that Russell provided the voice of Elvis Presley in the 1994 film Forrest Gump. Russell collaborated with Carpenter several times, including Escape From New York, in 1982's John Carpenter's The Thing, and 1986’s Big Trouble In Little China. Although the latter wasn’t a financial hit it did gather a huge cult audience. Russell’s career has never been far from critically acclaim though, and in 1984 he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Silkwood, starring opposite Meryl Streep.

More recently, Russell appeared as villain Stuntman Mike in Quentin Tarantino's segment Death Proof of the film Grindhouse. He has been in a relationship with Goldie Hawn since 1983. Although they have never married they are thought of as having one of the strongest relationships in Hollywood.

Interesting Fact Alert: Russell auditioned for the role of Han Solo in Star Wars but lost the role to Harrison Ford.



What members say | Filmography | Watch online (2)

Kurt Russell - what members say


  • Backdraft
  • Backdraft review by from Bridgend
    Rated - 1 stars Wow 1 September 2007
    ...This is an excellent film. I love Kurt Russell films. The acting is surperb and I love Robert De Nero. I would advise anyone to watch this film as its one of the best fi...  
  • Tombstone
  • Tombstone review by from England
    Rated - 4 stars Russell, Paxton and Kilmer raise some hell in a small town 5 December 2004
    ...it...will he be able to do that, or is it time for him to re-enter the frey? Kurt Russell takes the lead role of Wyatt Earp for this movie, and does a good job with it (...  
  • The Thing
  • The Thing review by jezfernandez from Oxford, England
    Rated - 5 stars A Genuine Classic 3 March 2004
    ... tagline says) and the creature you?re most afraid of is impossible to find? Kurt Russell is well cast as the reluctant leader of the team, a man with little to lose and...  

Kurt Russell - filmography


  • Poseidon - HD DVD Version (2006)
    Starring: Emmy Rossum,  Jimmy Bennett,  Kevin Dillon
    Director: Wolfgang Petersen
    Certificate: Certificate: 12
    German-born director Wolfgang Petersen (DAS BOOT, THE PERFECT STORM) returns to the sea for POSEIDON, a gripping remake of Ronald Neame and Irwin Allen's 1972 disaster classic, THE POSEIDON ADVENTURE. As passengers celebrate New Year's Eve aboard the massive ship Poseidon, a rogue wave devastates ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 60% from 538 members
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  • Dreamer on DVD (2005)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Dakota Fanning,  Kris Kristofferson
    Director: John Gatins
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    Featuring Dakota Fanning (Cale Crane) as the catalyst behind an injured horse's comeback attempt to win the prized Breeder's Cup. Sonador, nicknamed Sonya, is a great horse owned by a small man, who after a severe injury gives the horse to trainer Ben Crane (Kurt Russell). Once a great trainer, Ben ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 66% from 8,284 members
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  • Sky High on DVD (2005)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Michael Angarano,  Bruce Campbell
    Director: Mike Mitchell
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    Most teenagers cringe at the thought of meeting their parents' high expectations good grades, well-behaved friends, and a plan for the future and none more so than Will Stronghold (Michael Angarano), the son of legendary superheroes Commander (Kurt Russell) and Jetstream (Kelly Preston). This ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 64% from 16,453 members
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  • Miracle on DVD (2004)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Patricia Clarkson,  Noah Emmerich
    Director: Gavin O'Connor
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    From Walt Disney Pictures comes MIRACLE, an inspiring family drama that combines hockey and history in retelling the story of one of sports' all-time greatest upsets. In 1980, amidst the tense political climate of the Cold War, Herb Brooks (Kurt Russell) took over as coach of the U.S. Olympic ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 57% from 2,803 members
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  • Dark Blue on DVD (2003)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Brendan Gleeson,  Scott Speedman
    Director: Ron Shelton
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Set amidst the brutal L.A riots, Dark Blue tells the gritty story of crime and corruption within the Los Angeles Police Department. Kurt Russell stars as Sgt. Eldon Perry, a committed but crooked cop who will stop at nothing to rid the streets of crime. But when the old-blooded shootings and ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 55% from 4,025 members
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  • Vanilla Sky on DVD (2001)
    Starring: Tom Cruise,  Penelope Cruz,  Penelope Cruz
    Director: Cameron Crowe
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Watch now: £2.49
    Director Cameron Crowe (JERRY MAGUIRE, ALMOST FAMOUS) teams up with Tom Cruise once again in an adaptation of Alejandro Amenabar's 1997 Spanish film OPEN YOUR EYES. Cruise plays David Aames, a playboy publisher leading a seemingly charmed life. His most recent playmate is his "friend" Julie Gianni (..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 58% from 18,751 members
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  • Tequila Sunrise on DVD (1998)
    Starring: Mel Gibson,  Michelle Pfeiffer,  Kurt Russell
    Director: Robert Towne
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    A former drug dealer trying to leave the business once and for all comes up against his best friend, a narcotics cop. Also caught in the net of suspicion is the beautiful restaurant owner with whom they're both in love. Academy Award Nominations: Best Cinematography.
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 59% from 2,709 members
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  • Soldier on DVD (1998)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Gary Busey,  Jason Scott Lee
    Director: Paul W.S. Anderson
    Certificate: Certificate: 18
    Russell is a futuristic killing machine who becomes the target of a newer, even more vicious breed of killers. After a brutal confrontation, they leave him for dead on a semi-deserted planet. Once there, he begins to learn about the kinder, gentler aspects of life, until the soldiers return to put ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 59% from 3,167 members
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  • Breakdown on DVD (1997)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  J.T. Walsh,  Kathleen Quinlan
    Director: Jonathon Mostow
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    After their new Jeep conks out on a desolate stretch of Arizona highway, a well-heeled Massachusetts couple accepts the help of a polite and seemingly honest trucker (J.T. Walsh), who drives the wife (Kathleen Quinlan) to a diner while the husband (Kurt Russell) stays behind to protect the vehicle. ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 65% from 3,480 members
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  • Escape From L.A. - BLU-RAY Version (1996)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Stacy Keach,  Steve Buscemi
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Watch now: £2.49
    When John Carpenter and Kurt Russell teamed up for this sequel to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, the idea was to kick butt and have fun. They do just that in ESCAPE FROM L.A., an explosive film that recalls the classic original in all the best ways. Infamous adventurer Snake Plissken gets another raw deal ..read more »
    Rate this: 2.5 stars out of 5 53% from 64 members
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  • Escape From L.A. on DVD (1996)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Stacy Keach,  Steve Buscemi
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Watch now: £2.49
    When John Carpenter and Kurt Russell teamed up for this sequel to ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, the idea was to kick butt and have fun. They do just that in ESCAPE FROM L.A., an explosive film that recalls the classic original in all the best ways. Infamous adventurer Snake Plissken gets another raw deal ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 57% from 4,549 members
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  • Stargate on DVD (1994)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  James Spader,  Jaye Davidson
    Director: Roland Emmerich
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    In this visually creative space adventure from the team that would go on to give the world INDEPENDENCE DAY and GODZILLA, a timid, glasses-wearing Egyptologist (Spader) uncovers an ancient portal to another planet and is dispatched there forthwith--along with blundering, clodfooted government ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 69% from 16,280 members
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  • Tombstone on DVD (1993)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Val Kilmer,  Michael Biehn
    Director: George Pan Cosmatos
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Based on the actual events that led to the showdown at O.K. Corral, this is an exciting and old-fashioned western populated by colorful, hard-living heroes and ruthless, black-hatted outlaws.
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 71% from 6,055 members
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  • Unlawful Entry on DVD (1992)
    Starring: Madeline Stowe,  Kurt Russell,  Ray Liotta
    Director: Jonathan Kaplan
    Certificate: Certificate: 18
    A husband and wife befriend a cop who responds to their call after their house is robbed. The policeman becomes increasingly obsessed with protecting the wife, to the point of believing that her husband is simply incapable of the job. As his obsession grows, man and wife find themselves in ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 61% from 1,368 member
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  • Backdraft on DVD (1990)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  William Baldwin,  Robert De Niro
    Director: Ron Howard
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Two feuding brothers carry on a heroic family tradition in the Chicago Fire Department. Before the smoke clears, love affairs are rekindled and lives are shattered as the brothers fight to resolve their differences and solve a puzzling series of arson attacks, each ignited by explosive phenomena ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 66% from 8,806 members
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  • Backdraft - HD DVD Version (1990)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  William Baldwin,  Robert De Niro
    Director: Ron Howard
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Two feuding brothers carry on an heroic family tradition in the Chicago fire Department. Whilst trying to resolve their own differences, they must solve a baffling series of arson attacks. Each fire ignited by the phenomena known as backdraft.
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 67% from 291 members
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  • Overboard on DVD (1987)
    Starring: Goldie Hawn,  Kurt Russell,  Edward Herrmann
    Director: Garry Marshall
    Certificate: Certificate: PG
    In Garry Marshall's comedy, Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn) is an obnoxious, wealthy woman, who becomes afflicted with amnesia after she slips off her yacht. Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell) is the gruff, blue-collar woodworker who recently had a nasty run-in with Joanna. Dean spots the memory-free lass ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 69% from 5,199 members
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  • Silkwood on DVD (1983)
    Starring: Meryl Streep,  Kurt Russell,  Cher
    Director: Mike Nichols
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Mike Nichols's film is based on the tragic true story of Karen Silkwood, an employee of an Oklahoma plutonium plant who tries to raise public awareness about dangerous conditions at the site. Meryl Streep stars as the title character. The movie received five Academy Award nominations, including ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 66% from 1,348 member
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  • The Thing on DVD (1982)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  T.K. Carter,  Richard Dysart
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 18
    Based on both the short story by John W. Campbell, Jr. and the 1951 film produced by Howard Hawks, THE THING is John Carpenter's stunning masterpiece of horror. A group of weary scientists enduring the winter in an isolated camp deep in Antarctica chance upon an alien spacecraft buried in the ice. ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 72% from 19,837 members
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  • Thing, The - HD DVD Version (1982)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  T.K. Carter,  Richard Dysart
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 18
    Based on both the short story by John W. Campbell, Jr. and the 1951 film produced by Howard Hawks, THE THING is John Carpenter's stunning masterpiece of horror. A group of weary scientists enduring the winter in an isolated camp deep in Antarctica chance upon an alien spacecraft buried in the ice. ..read more »
    Rate this: 4 stars out of 5 79% from 752 members
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  • Escape From New York on DVD (1981)
    Starring: Isaac Hayes,  Harry Dean Stanton,  Donald Pleasence
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Another John Carpenter cult classic, 'Escape From New York' was one of the best entries in the once popular post-apocalyptic genre which included 'Road Warrior' and 'The Terminator'. In 1997, the island of Manhattan has been turned into the world's largest maximum-security prison, a place where the ..read more »
    Rate this: 3.5 stars out of 5 68% from 7,590 members
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  • Used Cars on DVD (1980)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Gerrit Graham,  Frank McRae
    Director: Robert Zemeckis
    Certificate: Certificate: 15
    Jack Warden stars as Luke and Roy L. Fuchs--feuding used car-selling twin brothers who square off in an outrageous, all-out attempt to put each other out of business. Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell), Luke's star salesman, is doing all the lying and cheating that he can in the name of the cause, but only ..read more »
    Rate this: 2.5 stars out of 5 54% from 758 members
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  • Daniel Boone - Season 1 (8 discs) on DVD (1964)
    Starring: Fess Parker,  Ad Ames,  Patricia Blair
    Certificate: Certificate: Ex
    This educational animated program explores the fascinating life of Daniel Boone, one of the world's best-known explorers. Richard Crenna (THE SAND PEBBLES) provides the voice of Boone, whose career as a trailblazer and hunter began at an early age. Born in the 1730s to an Englishman who came to ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 56% from 15 members
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Kurt Russell - watch online


  • Vanilla Sky to Watch Now (2001)
    Starring: Tom Cruise,  Penélope Cruz,  Cameron Diaz
    Director: Cameron Crowe
    Certificate: Certificate: 15 (TBC)
    Watch now: £2.49
    Run time: 136 minutes
    The tale of a young New York City publishing magnate who finds himself on an unexpected roller-coaster ride of romance, comedy, suspicion, love, sex and dreams in a mind-bending search for his soul.
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 56% from 85 members
    Watch now (£2.49)
  • Escape From L.A. to Watch Now (1996)
    Starring: Kurt Russell,  Stacy Keach,  Steve Buscemi
    Director: John Carpenter
    Certificate: Certificate: 15 (TBC)
    Watch now: £2.49
    Run time: 101 minutes
    The man with the patch is back. Call him Snake. Kurt Russell rejoins filmmakers John Carpenter and Debra Hill to do to the Big Orange what they did to the Big Apple in "Escape From New York" with even more futuristic thrills and slam-bang action! Into the 9.6-quaked Los Angeles of 2013 comes Snake ..read more »
    Rate this: 3 stars out of 5 59% from 46 members
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Kurt Russell facts

5 most recent films

Death Proof - 3.0 stars
Death Proof - BLU-RAY Version - 3.0 stars
Poseidon - HD DVD Version - 3.0 stars
Poseidon - BLU-RAY Version - 2.0 stars
Poseidon - 3.0 stars

5 highest-rated films

Thing, The - HD DVD Version - 4.0 stars
Thing, The - BLU-RAY Version - 4.0 stars
Stargate - BLU-RAY Version - 3.5 stars
The Thing - 3.5 stars
Tombstone - 3.5 stars

5 lowest-rated films

Poseidon - BLU-RAY Version - 2.0 stars
Swing Shift - 3.0 stars
The One And Only, Genuine, Original, Family Band - 3.0 stars
Daniel Boone - Season 1 - 3.0 stars
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes - 2.5 stars

Most frequent co-stars

Bruce Campbell - 5 times - show films
Quentin Tarantino - 4 times - show films
Richard Masur - 4 times - show films
Sydney Tamiia Poitier - 4 times - show films
Mary Elizabeth Winstead - 4 times - show films

Most frequent directors

John Carpenter - 9 times - show films
Quentin Tarantino - 4 times - show films
Wolfgang Petersen - 3 times - show films
Albert Magnoli - 2 times - show films
Mike Mitchell - 2 times - show films