Kurt Russell

In 1960, Walt Disney himself signed 9-year-old Kurt Russell (born March 17, 1951, in Springfield, Mass.) to a contract that would mark the beginning of a long Hollywood career for the actor. In his 15-year collaboration with Disney, Russell made a string of family films, including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) and The Barefoot Executive (1971).

After taking a break from movies during the mid-1970s to pursue a baseball career, Russell returned in 1980 as a sleazy salesman in Robert Zemeckis's Used Cars, followed by the John Carpenter hits Escape from New York and The Thing. Now recognized as a versatile adult actor, Russell was cast opposite Meryl Streep and Cher in Silkwood (1983).

In more recent years, however, it's been Russell's performances in action pictures such as Backdraft (1991), Executive Decision (1996) and Poseidon (2006) that have gained him the most attention.

Filmography