Craig Russell (actor)

Craig Russell
Russell signing autographs at the opening of Outrageous!. Lori Jenkins is pictured at right
Born	Russell Craig Eadie January 10, 1948(1948-01-10) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died	October 30, 1990(1990-10-30) (aged 42) Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation	Female impersonator, actor
Spouse	Lori Jenkins (m. 1982–1990) «start: (1982)–end+1: (1991)»"Marriage: Lori Jenkins to Craig Russell (actor)" Location: (linkback://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Russell_(actor))

Russell Craig Eadie (January 10, 1948 – October 30, 1990), better known by his stage name Craig Russell, was a Canadian female impersonator and actor.

Early life and career

Born in Toronto, Russell became president of Mae West's fan club as a teen, and he briefly worked and lived in Los Angeles as her secretary. He returned to Toronto where he moved in with the writer Margaret Gibson. He worked as a hairdresser while pursuing his career as a stage performer. By 1971, he was a regular performer in Toronto gay clubs and had a burgeoning international following.

His impersonations included Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Tallulah Bankhead, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee and Judy Garland. While performing, he always spoke and sang in the voices of the celebrities he was impersonating.

In 1977, Russell starred in the film Outrageous!, based on a short story written by Gibson about their time as roommates. The film was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where Russell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.^[1] A decade later, in 1987, he starred in the sequel to Outrageous! entitled Too Outrageous!.

Personal life and death

Russell fathered a daughter, Susan Allison ("Allison"), who was born January 6, 1973 in Toronto. Father and daughter developed a relationship in the years prior to his death. Although he publicly identified as gay rather than bisexual, Russell married his close friend Lori Jenkins in 1982.

Russell remained married to Lori until his death in 1990 of a stroke related to complications from AIDS. He was cremated and buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Port Perry.

His widow Lori died on August 15, 2008 at Toronto Grace Hospital, after a long battle with cancer. Her body was laid to rest beside that of her husband in Port Perry.

Russell's friend Stephen Jon Postal and his wife Guia Dino Postal based the character of Kevin Purcell on Russell in their book, Of Margaret and Madness: A Novel Inspired By True Events, ISBN 9731434362292, 9781434332752, Published by AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana.

A play entitled "Margaret and Craig", written by David Solomon, based on the writing of both Russell and his friend, Margaret Gibson is in development for a further theatrical life. The play was produced in workshop at Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater in the summer of 2011 with Mario Cantone as Craig Russell, directed by Sheryl Kaller, and music directed by Paul Masse, with Jeni Verdon portraying Margaret.

References

1. ^ "Berlinale 1978: Prize Winners". imdb.com. http://www.berlinale.de/en/archiv/jahresarchive/1978/03_preistr_ger_1978/03_Preistraeger_1978.html. Retrieved 2010-08-08. 

External links

Biography portal

• Craig Russell at the Internet Movie Database
• Craig Russell at AllRovi
• Craig Russell Glbtq.com
• Craig Russell at Find a Grave

Persondata
Name	Russell, Craig
Alternative names	Eadie, Russell Craig
Short description	Female impersonator, actor
Date of birth	January 10, 1948
Place of birth	Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Date of death	October 30, 1990
Place of death	Toronto, Ontario, Canada