Kurt Vogel Russell was born March 17, 1951 in Springfield, MA to Bing Russell, a baseball player who would later play the deputy on Bonanza for 14 seasons. Kurt's first role was in a movie starring musician/actor Elvis Presley called It Happened at the World's Fair. Russell was the untamable scamp who kicked The King in the shins. Kurt was only 10 years old, but he signed to Disney and made numerous Disney films, including The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Kurt also starred in the TV series The Travels of Jamie McPheeters.

Kurt would tire of acting and followed his love, America's Pastime. Kurt played for the San Diego Padres and later for the California Angels. While playing for the AA Angels in El Paso, TX, Kurt Russel tore his rotator cuff while turning a double play. The injury caused Kurt to retire from baseball and pursue his initial career as an actor. Kurt's first performance back was to play as The King in a TV movie for ABC, directed by John Carpenter. Kurt would portray Elvis, or atleast his voice, in the Tom Hanks classic Forrest Gump

Kurt would proceed to keep close ties with John Carpenter and the two would work together on several projects together including Escape from New York, The Thing (no not Ben Grimm]), and the comedy "Used Cars," written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemekis.

In 1984, Kurt met his hetero lifemate Goldy Hawn on the set of Swing Shift which did not perform well in the box office, however their partnership flourished. Not quite married, but not single by any means, Goldie and Kurt have a son named Wyatt and remain together living alongside fellow family members.

Would then go on to make one of the best movies of all time, Big Trouble in Little China. Containing everything from Chewbacca's retarded younger brother to 3 magical bad ass ninja's, one of whom cam make himself blow up like Rosie O'Donnell at an all you can eat buffett. Kurt plays your sterotypical American tough guy and chases after a girl with green eyes before the scary long haired old guy could force her to watch pokeman episodes!. Maybe not exactly right, but still a good cult movie anyway.

In the early 90's Kurt starred in a series of movie that would dominate in the box office. In Backdraft he played fire-fighter Lieutenant Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey and spent time riding along with Chicago Fire Dept's Squad 5 in preparation of the role. Following this suspenseful thriller was a classic retelling fo a western classic. Although I think Kurt looks a bit silly in that mustache, the movie was excellent, par for director Ron Howard, not to mention the uber excellence of one Doc Holliday. And after the west, came the really far west, the egyptian sci-fi action flick Stargate. A meld of Indiana Jones, science fiction, and a proto-matrix. In Stargate, acheologists find a large ancient gateway/archway type object, then the US Government figures out how to use it and sends Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil, as well as Dr. Daniel Jackson to a futuristic Egyptian culture chilling on a nearby planet. Hilarity ensues, alongside a love story and crazy scifi-Egyptian stuff and gunfights.

In between Backdraft and Tombstone Kurt would make the randomness that is Captain Ron. A family, headed by Martin Short get a yacht, which Captain Ron captains. Here, hilarity actually ensues.

Kurt co-produced and co-wrote Escape from L.A. the hipped up quasi-remake of Escape from New York, featuring the return of Snake Plissken the 98 degrees of action stars. In his next movie, Kurt would play a husband who's wife is kidnapped by some nogoodnicks, and sets out to find her. No hilarity, but no tears either. In 1998 Kurt "starred" in Soldier. I put it in quotes because Kurt's dialogue was rather limited. Not only was the dialogue small but so was the earnings at the box office. ouch.

His most recent movie was the Tom Cruise driven Vanilla Sky. The movie, an adaptian of the 1997 Spanish film Abre los Ojos, also starred Cameron Diaz. *scwhing*.

Filmography copied liberally from the IMDB.

1. Dark Blue (2002) .... Sgt. Eldon Perry Jr.
2. Interstate 60 (2002) (uncredited) .... Libertarian Sheriff
3. Vanilla Sky (2001) .... Dr. Curtis McCabe
4. America: A Tribute to Heroes (2001) (TV) .... Himself
5. 3000 Miles to Graceland (2001) .... Michael Zane
6. Intimate Portrait: Halle Berry (1998) (TV) .... Himself
7. Soldier (1998) .... Sergeant Todd
8. Breakdown (1997) .... Jeff Taylor
9. Escape from L.A. (1996) .... Snake Plissken
... aka John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. (1996) (USA: complete title)
10. Executive Decision (1996) .... Dr. David Grant
... aka Critical Decision (1996)
11. Stargate (1994) .... Colonel Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neil
... aka Stargate, la porte des étoiles (1995) (France)
12. 100 Years of the Hollywood Western (1994) (TV) .... Himself
13. Forrest Gump (1994) (uncredited) (voice) .... Elvis Presley
14. Tombstone (1993) .... Wyatt Earp
15. Captain Ron (1992) .... Captain Ron
16. Unlawful Entry (1992) .... Michael Carr
17. Backdraft (1991) .... Lieutenant Stephen 'Bull' McCaffrey & Dennis McCaffrey
18. Tango & Cash (1989) .... Gabriel 'Gabe' Cash
19. Winter People (1989) .... Wayland Jackson
20. Tequila Sunrise (1988) .... Detective Lt. Nick Frescia, Head of Narco Div. L.A. County Sheriff
21. Overboard (1987) .... Dean Proffitt
22. Big Trouble in Little China (1986) .... Jack Burton
... aka John Carpenter's Big Trouble in Little China (1986) (USA: complete title)
23. The Best of Times (1986) .... Reno Hightower
24. The Mean Season (1985) .... Malcolm Anderson
25. Making of 'The Mean Season', The (1985) (TV) .... Himself
26. Terror in the Aisles (1984) (archive footage) .... MacReady (segment "The Thing")
... aka Time for Terror (1984) (Europe: English title: video title)
27. Swing Shift (1984) .... Lucky/Mike
28. Silkwood (1983) .... Drew Stephens
29. The Thing (1982) .... R.J. MacReady
... aka John Carpenter's The Thing (1982) (USA: complete title)
30. Escape from New York (1981) .... Snake Plissken
... aka John Carpenter's Escape from New York (1981) (USA: complete title)
31. The Fox and the Hound (1981) (voice) .... Adult Copper
32. Used Cars (1980) .... Rudolph 'Rudy' Russo
33. Amber Waves (1980) (TV) .... Laurence Kendall
34. Elvis (1979) (TV) .... Elvis Presley
35. Christmas Miracle in Caufield, U.S.A. (1977) (TV) .... Johnny
... aka Christmas Coal Mine Miracle, The (1977) (TV)
36. Battle of the Network Stars II (1977) (TV) .... NBC Team Contestant
37. The Captive: The Longest Drive 2 (1976) .... Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen
38. "Quest, The" (1976) TV Series .... Morgan Beaudine
39. The Quest (1976) (TV) .... Morgan 'Two Persons' Bodeen
... aka Longest Drive, The (1976) (TV) (USA: video title)
40. Strongest Man in the World, The (1975) .... Dexter Riley
41. The Deadly Tower (1975) (TV) .... Charles Joseph Whitman ... aka Sniper (1975) (TV)
42. Search for the Gods (1975) (TV) .... Shan Mullins
43. Superdad (1974) .... Bart
44. "New Land, The" (1974) TV Series .... Bo Larsen
45. Charley and the Angel (1973) .... Ray Ferris
46. Now You See Him, Now You Don't (1972) .... Dexter Riley
47. Fools' Parade (1971) .... Johnny Jesus
... aka Dynamite Man from Glory Jail (1971) (UK)
48. The Barefoot Executive (1971) .... Steven Post
49. Dad, Can I Borrow the Car? (1970) (TV) .... Narrator
50. The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) .... Dexter Riley
51. Guns in the Heather (1968) .... Rich
... aka Secret of Boyne Castle, The (1968)
... aka Spy Busters (1968)
52. Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968) .... Ronnie Gardner
53. One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band, The (1968) .... Sidney Bower
54. Mosby's Marauders (1966) .... Willie Prentiss
... aka Willie and the Yank (1966)
55. Follow Me, Boys! (1966) .... Whitey
56. Guns of Diablo (1964) (TV) .... Jamie McPheeters
57. "Travels of Jaimie McPheeters, The" (1963) TV Series .... Jaimie McPheeters (1963-64)
58. It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) (uncredited) .... Boy Who Kicks Mike
59. the Absent-Minded Professor (1961) (uncredited) .... Bit part
60. "Sugarfoot" (1957) TV Series
... aka "Tenderfoot" (1957) (UK)

sources:

www.imdb.com
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0111282
http://us.imdb.com/Name?Russell,+Kurt
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0101393
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0108358
http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Mansion/6468/page2.html
http://us.imdb.com/Title?0103924
http://search.biography.com/print_record.pl?id=22534