This child star found an adult career playing tough, athletic heroes and anti-heroes since the 1980s. Kurt Russell began acting at age nine as a stock player for Disney's film and TV projects. After several TV guest spots, he starred in his own Western series, "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters" (ABC, 1963-64), also featuring Charles Bronson and the very young Osmond brothers.

Russell performed likably in a string of Disney family features through the mid-70s, including "Follow Me, Boys!" (1966), as a boy scout, "The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit" (1968), "The Barefoot Executive" and "The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes" (both 1970) and "The Strongest Man in the World" (1975). During his long and generally enjoyable stint as a studio star, Russell also found time for some additional TV guest spots ("Lost in Space", "Gilligan's Island") and occasional non-Disney features, including "Fools' Parade", a 1971 Western starring James Stewart. In most of these films, Russell was not the typical adorable kid, but rather a tough, thoughtful and sometimes pugnacious youngster. He also spent several years as a minor-league ballplayer.

As he entered his 20s, Russell became aware that he couldn't--and didn't want to--continue playing teens and male ingenues indefinitely. He tried two series, "The New Land" (ABC, 1974) and "The Quest" (NBC, 1976). In 1975, he shed his nice kid image with a chilling portrayal of mass-murderer Charles Whitman in the TV-movie "The Deadly Tower" (NBC). A few years later, Russell began the most important collaboration of his career playing the title role in writer-director John Carpenter's TV biopic, "Elvis" (ABC, 1979), which garnered him an Emmy nomination.

Russell finally became a bankable, adult Hollywood star in the 80s. He started the decade with a fine performance as a fast-talking charmer in Robert Zemeckis' raucous, under-appreciated comedy, "Used Cars" (1980). He experienced greater popular success by reteaming with John Carpenter for several sci-fi-tinged action flicks: "Escape From New York" (1981), in which he delivered a passable Clint Eastwood impression in a dark, futuristic, prison-like metropolis; the gory remake of "The Thing" (1982), as a tough guy; and "Big Trouble in Little China" (1986), doing a hilarious John Wayne turn in Carpenter's special effects-laden take on Hong Kong action films.

Russell proved adept at more conventional comedy in Jonathan Demme's "Swing Shift" (1984), as the airplane worker who woos Goldie Hawnaway from soldier Ed Harris, and as Touchstone's crusty "Captain Ron" (1992) to Martin Short's put-upon straight man. He flexed his dramatic acting muscles co-starring as Meryl Streep's co-worker and lover in Mike Nichols' "Silkwood" (1983) and as a stalwart firefighter in Ron Howard's "Backdraft" (1991). Russell continued to be convincing as a leading man in "Tequila Sunrise" (1988), opposite Mel Gibsonand Michelle Pfeiffer fighting rogue cop Ray Liotta in "Unlawful Entry" (1992), and as Wyatt Earp in "Tombstone" (1993), a retelling of the shootout at the O.K. Corral. "Stargate" (1994), meanwhile, combined the action and sci-fi roles in a quite conventional manner, with a macho Russell teamed with a nerdy James Spader as they explore another world reached through use of an ancient cosmic traveling device. He teamed with Steven Seagal in the thriller "Executive Decision" (1996), about a hijacked airplane and followed up with the sequel "John Carpenter's Escape from L.A." (1996), with Russell not only reprising his role as Snake Pliskin but also co-writing and co-producing (with Debra Hill).

Formerly married to actress Season Hubley, Russell has co-starred twice with Goldie Hawn his companion since 1982 (in the romantic comedies "Swing Shift" and "Overboard" 1987). The two first met in 1968, when Hawn was a dancer in Russell's Disney film "The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band".

Russell starred next in the surprisingly well done thriller "Breakdown," (1997) as a man searching for his wife after his car breaks down in the middle of the desert. His next choice of role wasn't quite as lucky when he starred opposite Kevin Costnerin the disgraceful "3000 Miles to Graceland" in 2001. In 2002, Russell costarred in the emotionally charged "Dark Blue" as street wise police veteran in Los Angeles during the 1992 riots