Russell Simpson
Biography
Russell Simpson was an American character actor whose screen career stretched across nearly forty-five years and more than 500 films. Born in California in 1880, he began acting on the stage, appearing in Broadway plays between 1909 and 1912, and spent a dozen years in road shows and stock companies. He made his movie debut in a bit part in Cecil B. DeMille's 1914 version of The Virginian, and by the time the film was remade in 1923 he had moved up to playing the lead villain. Though he rarely took leading roles, he starred in many silent pictures, including Out of the Dust (1920) and The First Auto (1927). He became a fixture of John Ford's stock company and was best known as Pa Joad in The Grapes of Wrath (1940), his gaunt, rustic look suiting the grizzled old men he often played. His last film was Ford's The Horse Soldiers.
79years old at death
- Born San Francisco
- Died Woodland Hills
- Star sign: GeminiThe sign runs May 21 to June 20
- Also credited as Russell McCaskill Simpson
Movie Career
- Films
- 24
- Career span
- 43 years1914 to 1957
First and latest
Did you know?!
First role
Simpson first appeared on screen in a bit part in Cecil B. DeMille's 1914 original version of The Virginian. When the film was remade in 1923, he had moved up to playing the lead villain.
A change of course
At 18 years old, Simpson prospected for gold in Alaska. After that, he started taking acting classes in Seattle, Washington.
Russell Simpson movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
John Ford directed six of these films, Michael Curtiz four and Ray Enright three. Ward Bond appears in eight of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Ward Bond's page
Henry Fonda's page
Randolph Scott's page
John Litel's page
Joe Sawyer's page
Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams's page
All films by John Ford
Michael CurtizDirector, 4 films, 1932 to 1940
All films by Michael Curtiz
Ray EnrightDirector, 3 films, 1942 to 1948
All films by Ray Enright
Box office
What Russell Simpson's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$14.1 million
7 of the 24 films have a worldwide figure, in dollars of the day.
Of the 24 films: 7 worldwide figure; 1 us gross only; 16 figure not found.
- 7Worldwide figure
- 1US gross only
- 16Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The seven biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$5.3M37.4% of the total
- 2$2.8M19.5% of the total
- 3$2.4M16.8% of the total
- 4$1.6M11.3% of the total
- 5$1.4M9.9% of the total
- 6$400K2.8% of the total
- 7$323K2.3% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.