KURT RUSSELL

Kurt Russell was Kurt Vogel Russell in 1951 in Springfield, Massachusetts. He got some TV roles as a child, and then, after a bit part in the Elvis Presley movie, It Happened at the World's Fair in 1963, and some more TV roles, Walt Disney himself wisely saw the great potential in this ten year old, and signed him to a ten year contract! He starred in many Disney movies of the 1960s, but when he got to the end of his teens it looked like his movie career was over, as so often happens to child actors. Russell's father had been a minor league baseball player, and Russell was able to play for a Double-A team, and was leading the league in batting with a .563 average! But a shoulder injury ended his baseball career. He returned to acting, mostly on TV and in minor film roles. In 1979, he starred in the TV movie Elvis, and no one thought anyone could do a good job portraying the ultimate rock 'n' roll (rock and roll) star, but Russell pulled it off wonderfully, and it made him a major star! He was memorable as the star of the black comedy Used Cars in 1980, and had his most memorable role as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York the following year. He also starred in John Carpenter's re-make of The Thing the year after. The next year he reunited with Goldie Hawn (the two had worked together in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band in 1968, when Russell was 17 and Hawn was 22). The two began living together, and making some movies together. Both have children from previous marriages, and they have a son together who is a professional hockey player. In 1996, Russell again played Snake Plissken in Escape from L.A., and he looked no different than he had 15 years earlier! He continues to live with Goldie Hawn, although they have never married (he said "If it ain't broke, don't fix it.")! As of 2021, Kurt is still alive at the age of 70!