Rene Russo Biography

Rene Russo
extracted from Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia, distributed under the GNU Free Documentation License

Rene Russo
Born Rene Marie Russo
February 17, 1954 (1954-02-17) (age 56)
Burbank, California, U.S.
Years active 1987–present
Spouse(s) Dan Gilroy (1992-present); one daughter

Rene Marie Russo (born February 17, 1954)12 is an American film actress.

Contents

Early life

Russo, an Italian American,34 was born in Burbank, California, the daughter of Shirley (née Balocca), a factory worker and barmaid, and Nino Russo, a sculptor and car mechanic who left the family when Rene was two.156 Russo grew up with her sister, Toni, and their single mother. She attended Burroughs High School (where her classmates included director Ron Howard), but eventually dropped out in the tenth grade. Due to financial constraints within the family, she began taking a variety of part-time jobs including working in an eyeglass factory, and as a movie cashier.

Modeling

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In 1972, the 17 year old was attending a Rolling Stones concert when she was approached by John Crosby, a scout and manager from International Creative Management. He told her she should be a model and had test photos made of her. Within a few months, Rene signed a contract with Ford Modeling Agency and within a year had become a successful print and photographers model. Soon her modeling breakthrough came when she appeared on the cover of Vogue. By 1975, she had appeared on numerous magazine covers, was one of the most successful models in America, and was also starting to be seen in several TV commercials through the 1980s.

Acting

By her 30th birthday, demand for her began to dwindle, as it does for most models at that age. She did a few more commercials and then turned her back on modeling and show business for a while. She began to study theater and acting, and began appearing in theater roles at small regional theaters in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California.

Russo made her television series debut in 1987, with a supporting role in the TV series Sable. Two years later, she made her debut in film as the girlfriend of the Tom Berenger character in Major League. Her breakthrough role is generally considered to be her part as internal affairs detective Lorna Cole in Lethal Weapon 3 (and again in Lethal Weapon 4) opposite Mel Gibson.

Throughout the 1990s, Russo appeared in a number of high-profile thrillers that were hugely successful at the box office, including In the Line of Fire with Clint Eastwood, Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman, Ransom (directed by high school classmate Howard) and The Thomas Crown Affair. She attained a certain degree of cult status from her performance in Freejack, alongside of Emilio Estavez, Mick Jagger, and Sir Anthony Hopkins (who stated in interview that he consideres Freejack his worst film).

She also tried her hand at comedy in Tin Cup with Kevin Costner, Get Shorty with John Travolta and as Natasha Fatale in the live-action film version of The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle. She starred in at least one major studio film per year from 1992 to 2002.

Russo more recently co-starred with Al Pacino in Two for the Money and with Dennis Quaid in Yours, Mine and Ours. She has not appeared in a film since 2005.

Russo recently joined the cast of the upcoming film, Thor, in which she will play Frigga, the mother of the titular hero.7

Personal life

Russo has been married to screenwriter Dan Gilroy since 1992. They have one daughter, Rose (born August 31, 1993), and the family currently lives in Brentwood, Los Angeles, California. Her sister Toni was married to lyricist Bernie Taupin in the 1980s, and Rene appeared alongside her sister in the 1987 video for Taupin's solo song, "Citizen Jane."

Filmography

Year Film Role
1989 Major League Lynn Wells
1990 Mr. Destiny Cindy Jo Bumpers/Burrows
1991 One Good Cop Rita Lewis
1992 Freejack Julie Redlund
Lethal Weapon 3 Lorna Cole
1993 In the Line of Fire Secret Service Agent Lilly Raines
1994 Major League II Lynn Wells (cameo)
1995 Outbreak Robby Keough
Get Shorty Karen Flores
1996 Tin Cup Dr. Molly Griswold
Ransom Kate Mullen
1997 Buddy Mrs. Gertrude 'Trudy' Lintz
1998 Lethal Weapon 4 Lorna Cole-Riggs
1999 The Thomas Crown Affair Catherine Olds Banning
2000 The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle Natasha Fatale
2002 Big Trouble Anna Herk
Showtime Chase Renzi
2005 Two for the Money Toni Morrow
Yours, Mine and Ours Helen North
2011 Thor Frigga

References

  1. ^ a b Rene Russo Biography (1954-)
  2. ^ According to the State of California. California Birth Index, 1905-1995. Center for Health Statistics, California Department of Health Services, Sacramento, California. Searchable at http://www.familytreelegends.com/records/39461
  3. ^ Two for the Money Movie - Rene Russo on Two for the Money, Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey
  4. ^ A little older, a lot wiser. | Good Housekeeping (August, 2000)
  5. ^ STAR RENE'S RUNAWAY DAD DIED OF GUILT; Actress refused to speak to him after he dumped young family.(News) - Daily Record (Glasgow, Scotland) - HighBeam Research
  6. ^ Chicago Sun-Times:: Search
  7. ^ "Rene Russo joins cast of 'Thor'". Variety. 2009-12-16. http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118012860.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1. Retrieved 2009-12-17. 

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