Kurt Russell was born Kurt Vogel Russell in Springfield, Massachusetts, to Louise Julia (Crone), a dancer, and actor Bing Russell (Neil Oliver Russell). He is of English, German, Scottish, and Irish descent. Russell landed a part in the Elvis Presley movie, Blondes, brunes et rousses (1963), when he was 10 years old. In 1960, Walt Disney himself signed Russell to a 10-year contract. Once his stint as a child actor ended, he spent the early 1970s playing minor league baseball. In 1979, he gave a classic performance as Elvis Presley in John Carpenter's A.B.C. TV movie. He followed with roles in a string of well-received films: La grosse magouille (1980), New York 1997 (1981), The Thing (1982) and Le mystère Silkwood (1983). In 1983, he became reacquainted with Goldie Hawn (who appeared with him in The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)) when they worked together on Swing Shift (1984). The two have lived together ever since. The movie was a failure - as was their next one together, Overboard (1987). During the 1980s, Russell starred in a rash of disappointments: The Best of Times (1986), Les aventures de Jack Burton dans les griffes du Mandarin (1986) and Winter People (1989). Finally, his career seemed to be seriously stalled. He only landed Tango & Cash (1989) after Patrick Swayze dropped out; Dennis Quaid was the first choice for the part in Backdraft (1991). In the end, these two roles were the key in reestablishing him as a box-office draw. Russell and Goldie Hawn live on a 72-acre retreat, Home Run Ranch, outside of Aspen. He has two sons, Boston Russell (from a brief marriage to actress Season Hubley) and Wyatt Russell (with Goldie Hawn).
