Rene Russo

6.3	Listal rating

Stats

Birth Name: Rene Marie Russo

Age: 59, born 17 February 1954

Born and residing in: United States

Height: 5' 8"

Ethnicity: White / Caucasian

Relationship Status: Married

Partner: Dan Gilroy

Lists

248 votes

The evolution of... (817 items)
list by johanlefourbe

Published 2 years, 5 months ago

39 comments

58 votes

Ageless Beauty (UPDATED 10/25/11) (160 items)
list by Sewanee8

Published 2 months, 3 weeks ago

13 comments

21 votes

Hello John, Got A New Motor? (262 items)
list by Onion Jack

Published 1 month, 2 weeks ago

2 comments

21 votes

Top 25 Hottest Women 50+ (25 items)
list by The Doctor

Published 1 year, 1 month ago

5 comments

19 votes

Best Female Performances - 1990s (101 items)
list by Stehako

Published 3 years ago

2 comments

View all Rene Russo lists (17 more)

Photos

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About: Russo, an Italian American, 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. 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 j Russo, an Italian American, 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. 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.

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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.

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 thrillers 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 Estevez, Mick Jagger, and Sir Anthony Hopkins.

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

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." ... (more)

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