Theresa Russell Biography

Theresa Lynn Russell (born March 20, 1957) is an American actress. Russell made her film debut in The Last Tycoon (1976) directed by Elia Kazan, followed by a lead role opposite Dustin Hoffman in Straight Time (1978). She was then cast in Nicolas Roeg's controversial thriller Bad Timing (1980), which earned her critical praise. After marrying Roeg in 1982, she appeared in multiple films directed by him, mainly arthouse and experimental films, including Eureka (1983), Insignificance (1985), and Cold Heaven (1991).

Following lead roles in Ken Russell's Whore, Russell starred in Steven Soderbergh's Kafka, both released in 1991. Russell appeared in the box-office hit thriller Wild Things (1998), starred in the critically acclaimed drama The Believer (2001) and in the later 2000s, she appeared in HBO miniseries Empire Falls (2005), and had a minor role in Spider-Man 3 (2007).

Early life

Russell was born Theresa Lynn Paup in San Diego, the daughter of Carole Platt (ne Mall) and Jerry Russell Paup. Her parents divorced when she was five years old, and she relocated with her mother and stepfather to Burbank, where she was raised. Russell is the oldest of five siblings. According to Russell, she grew up in poverty, and her family was on food stamps to help support herself and her siblings. She attended Burbank High School, but did not graduate. At sixteen, she dropped out of high school and moved in with a 28-year-old boyfriend who was a primal scream therapist. At age seventeen, Russell enrolled at the Lee Strasberg Institute in West Hollywood to study acting.

Career

1976-2001: Early work; critical acclaim

Russell had begun modeling at the age of 12, and became acquainted with photographer Peter Douglas (son of Kirk Douglas) as a teenager. Through Douglas, she was introduced to film producer Sam Spiegel, who suggested her for the part of Cecilia Brady in Elia Kazan's The Last Tycoon (1976), starring Robert De Niro. After meeting with Kazan, Russell was cast in the part, playing the daughter of Robert Mitchum. Russell's next notable appearance was in the crime drama Straight Time (1978), opposite Dustin Hoffman and Kathy Bates in an early role.

In 1979, she was cast as Milena Flaherty in the thriller Bad Timing (1980), the first of six films starring Russell directed by Nicolas Roeg, whom she married in 1982. Though Bad Timing was controversial upon release, Russell's performance was praised by critic Roger Ebert, who wrote: "If there is any reason to see this film, however, it is the performance by Theresa Russell (who was Dustin Hoffman's lover in Straight Time). She is only 22 or 23, and yet her performance is astonishingly powerful. She will be in better films, I hope, and is the only participant who need not be ashamed of this one."

Other Roeg/Russell collaborations include Insignificance, Eureka, Track 29, Cold Heaven, and Aria. In 1987, she played a serial killer on the loose in the noir thriller Black Widow, co-starring with Debra Winger, which earned Russell critical acclaim; Vincent Canby of The New York Times said Russell's "clear-eyed sweetness...adds unexpected dimension to the homicidal Catharine." She has also been widely praised for her roles in The Razor's Edge (1984) and Impulse (1990). Russell and Roeg's film collaborations were overall box office failures and critically divisive.

Russell was then cast in Ken Russell's Whore (1991), based on the play by David Hines, playing a Los Angeles prostitute. Though the film received a mixed reception from critics, Russell's performance was praised by The New York Times and Roger Ebert. The same year, she was cast in a lead role opposite Jeremy Irons in Steven Soderbergh's Kafka (1991), a black-and-white surrealist adaptation of Franz Kafka stories.

In 1994, Russell appeared as the narrator of the British drama Being Human, starring Robin Williams, followed by the British comedy The Grotesque (1995), opposite Alan Bates and Sting. Russell was then cast in the 1998 cult thriller Wild Things, playing the mother of Denise Richards, which was a major box office success. After appearing in the crime drama Luckytown (2000) opposite James Caan and Kirsten Dunst, Russell was then cast in The Believer (2001), a drama written and directed by Henry Bean, and starring Ryan Gosling as a Jewish man who becomes a KKK member. The film was critically acclaimed and received the Special Jury Prize"?Drama at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival.

2002-present: Indie and mainstream films

In the early 2000s, Russell mainly appeared in low-budget and independent films, such as The House Next Door (2002), Now & Forever (2002), and The Box (2003). In 2005, she was cast in the role of Charlene in the HBO mini-series Empire Falls, opposite Ed Harris. She also appeared in the supporting role of Emma Marko in Spider-Man 3 as the wife of Flint Marko (Thomas Haden Church). Spider-Man 3 was a major box office success, grossing nearly $900 million worldwide. The following year, she appeared in the independent drama Jolene, starring Jessica Chastain, and also had a minor role playing the mother of Scarlett Johansson's character in the romantic comedy He's Just Not That into You (2009), though her scenes were eventually cut from the film.

In 2012, she appeared in the Lifetime television film Liz & Dick, playing Sara Taylor, the mother of Elizabeth Taylor (portrayed by Lindsay Lohan).

Personal life

Russell married English film director Nicolas Roeg in February 1982 in Westminster, London. The couple had two sons, Statten (born 1983) and Maximillian (born 1985); Roeg and Russell divorced at an unspecified date. Pete Townshend of The Who says that Russell was the inspiration for his song "Athena", which was first called "Theresa".

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1976	The Last Tycoon	Cecilia Brady
1978	Straight Time	Jenny Mercer
1980	Bad Timing	Milena Flaherty
1983	Eureka	Tracy McCann Maillot Van Horn
1984	The Razor's Edge	Sophie MacDonald
1985	Insignificance	Actress
1987	Black Widow	Catharine Petersen
1987	Aria	King Zog
1988	Track 29	Linda Henry
1989	Physical Evidence	Jenny Hudson
1990	Impulse	Lottie Mason
1991	Whore	Liz
1991	Cold Heaven	Marie Davenport
1991	Kafka	Gabriela
1994	Being Human	The Storyteller
1995	Hotel Paradise		Short film
1995	The Grotesque	Lady Harriet Coal
1996	The Flight of the Dove	Mary Ann Curran
1996	Public Enemies	Kate "Ma" Barker
1996	A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court	Morgan le Fay
1996	'	Catherine Morgan
1998	Running Woman	Emily Russo
1998	Wild Things	Sandra Van Ryan
2000	Luckytown	Stella
2001	The Believer	Lina Moebius
2002	The House Next Door	Helen Schmidt
2002	Passionada	Lois Vargas
2002	Now & Forever	Dori Wilson
2003	Water Under the Bridge	Jackie O'Connor
2003	The Box	Dora Baker
2003	Love Comes Softly	Sarah Graham
2007	Spider-Man 3	Emma Marko
2007	On the Doll	Diane
2008	Dark World	Nicole
2008	Chinaman's Chance: America's Other Slaves	Mrs. Williams
2008	Jolene	Aunt Kay
2009	He's Just Not That into You	Mrs. Marks	Scenes deleted
2009	16 to Life	Louise
2011	1 Out of 7	Lexi's Mom
2011	Rid of Me	Mrs. Lockwood
2011	Born to Ride	Frances Callahan
2012	The Legends of Nethiah	Nethiah's Mother
2013	Moving Mountains	Trish Bragg
2016	A Winter Rose	Rachal Love

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1979	Blind Ambition	Maureen Dean	TV miniseries
1993	A Woman's Guide to Adultery	Rose	Episodes: "1.1", "1.2", "1.3"
1994	Thicker Than Water	Debbie / Jo	TV film
1995	Trade-Off	Jackie Daniels	TV film
1996	Once You Meet a Stranger	Margo Anthony	TV film
1999	G vs E	Reesa Tussel	Episode: "To Be or Not to Be Evil"
2000	Nash Bridges	Ellen Holiday / Sarah Williams	Episodes: "Jackpot: Parts 1 & 2"
2001	Earth vs. the Spider	Trixie Grillo	TV film
2002	Glory Days	Hazel Walker	Main role (9 episodes)
2002	Project Viper	Dr. Nancy Burnham	TV film
2003	Chasing Alice		TV film
2003	Love Comes Softly	Sarah Graham	TV film
2005	Blind Injustice	Joanna Bartlett	TV film
2005	Empire Falls	Charlene	TV miniseries
2006	Law & Order: Criminal Intent	Regina Reid	Episode: "On Fire"
2007	American Heiress	Jordan Wakefield	Episodes: "Lion King", "Crash and Burn", "Lions and Tigers and Bears..."
2009	Fringe	Rebecca Kibner	Episode: "Momentum Deferred"
2010	Cold Case	Rachel Malone	Episode: "One Fall"
2012	Liz & Dick	Sara Taylor	TV film
2013-15	Delete	Fiona	2 episodes