Theresa Russell
Biography
Theresa Russell is an American actress whose film career has lasted more than four decades. Born in San Diego, she began as a teenager modeling, which led to a role in Elia Kazan's The Last Tycoon (1976) as the daughter of a studio executive. She starred opposite Dustin Hoffman in Straight Time (1978), then appeared in Nicolas Roeg's Bad Timing (1980), the first of six films she made with the director. Her roles included Eureka (1983), The Razor's Edge (1984), Marilyn Monroe in Insignificance (1985), and a serial killer in Black Widow (1987), which brought her mainstream attention. Later credits include Aria (1987), Track 29 (1988), Physical Evidence (1989), Impulse (1990), Kafka (1991), Wild Things (1998), The Believer (2001), and Spider-Man 3 (2007). She also appeared in the television films Earth vs. the Spider (2001) and Liz & Dick (2012). In 2025 she received the Joseph Plateau Award.
69years old
Turns 70 on March 20in 159 days
- Born San Diego
- Star sign: PiscesLast day of the sign, on the Aries cusp
- Theresa Lynn Paup (birth name)Also credited as Theresa Lynn Russell
Movie Career
- Films
- 24
- Career span
- 38 years1976 to 2014
Genres
First and latest
Photos
Share
Did you know?!
Early training
At 17, Russell began acting studies at the Lee Strasberg Institute in West Hollywood, where she remained for roughly three years.
Languages
After appearing in Bad Timing, Russell dubbed the English audio for Daria Nicolodi's character in Tenebre, a giallo film directed by Dario Argento and released in 1982.
Getting ready for a role
Russell was cast as Marilyn Monroe in Roeg's Insignificance, a role she initially did not want because she feared doing a caricature.
Own stunts
Russell said she does not always have to play one kind of role, and she would like to be in a Spielberg movie, do athletic stunts and be a cowgirl, since she knows how to ride a horse.
Theresa Russell movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
Most often with
Nicolas Roeg directed four of these films. Eleven actors appear in two of them each. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Billy Zane's page
Bill Murray's page
James Cromwell's page
Seymour Cassel's page
Tony Curtis's page
Gary Busey's page
Nicolas RoegDirector, 4 films, 1980 to 1988
All films by Nicolas Roeg
Also two films together5 more actors
- Denholm ElliottThe Razor's Edge (1984) and Bad Timing (1980)
- Denise RichardsJolene (2008) and Wild Things (1998)
- Rutanya AldaLove Comes Softly (2003) and Black Widow (1987)
- Daniel QuinnProject Viper (2002) and Impulse (1990)
- Sevilla DelofskiAria (1987) and Bad Timing (1980)
When several people share the same number of films, the ones with the most films on Netflix are in the chart.
Box office
What Theresa Russell's films earned in cinemas worldwide.
Combined worldwide box office
$1.0 billion
12 of the 24 films have a worldwide figure.
Of the 24 films: 12 worldwide figure; 3 us gross only; 4 never in cinemas; 5 figure not found.
- 12Worldwide figure
- 3US gross only
- 4Never in cinemas
- 5Figure not found
Top grosser
Highest grossing
The eight biggest films earned 100% of the total. The bars are drawn to scale.
- 1$895M87.9% of the total
- 2$67M6.6% of the total
- 3$25M2.5% of the total
- 4$9.9M1.0% of the total
- 5$6.6M0.6% of the total
- 6$5.0M0.5% of the total
- 7$3.6M0.3% of the total
- 8$2.5M0.2% of the total
$2.9 millionfrom the other 4 films with a worldwide figure, 0% of the total
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.