Keri Russell

Infobox actor


caption = Russell at the "" premiere, April 2006
birthdate = birth date and age|1976|3|23
birthplace = Fountain Valley, California, U.S.
birthname = Keri Lynn Russell
goldenglobeawards =
1999 "Felicity"
spouse = Shane Deary (2007 - present) 1 child

Keri Lynn Russell (born March 23, 1976) is a Golden Globe-winning American actress and dancer. After appearing in a number of made-for-television films and series during the mid-1990s, she came to fame for portraying the title role of Felicity Porter on the series "Felicity", which ran from 1998 to 2002. Russell has since appeared in several films, including "We Were Soldiers", "The Upside of Anger", "", "Waitress", and "August Rush". In January 2008, it was announced that she will voice the iconic comic book character Wonder Woman in an upcoming animated film of the same name.

Biography

Early life

Russell was born in Fountain Valley, California, the daughter of Stephanie (née Stephens), a homemaker, and David Russell, a Nissan Motors executive.cite news|last=Myers|first=Chuck|title=1ST PERSON: Keri Russell|publisher=Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service|date=2000-08-16|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-64359874.html|accessdate=2007-12-09] She has an older brother, Todd, and a younger sister, Julie. Russell grew up in Coppell, Texas, Mesa, Arizona and Denver, Colorado, moving frequently because of her father's employment.

Career: 1991 - 2002

Russell first appeared on television as a cast member of the "New Mickey Mouse Club" variety show on the Disney Channel. She was on the show from 1991 to 1993 and co-starred with future pop stars Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears, JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, and Ryan Gosling.cite news|last=Wells|first=Rachel|title=Waiting game|publisher=The Age|date=2007-10-07|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/film/waiting-game/2007/10/04/1191091279389.html|accessdate=2007-10-06] In 1992, she appeared in "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid" alongside Rick Moranis and in 1993 had a role on the sitcom "Boy Meets World" as Mr. Feeny's niece. Russell subsequently starred in several film and television roles, including the 1996 made-for-television film "The Babysitter's Seduction". She also had a role on the short-lived soap opera series "Malibu Shores" the same year. In 1994, she appeared in Bon Jovi's music video "Always" with Jack Noseworthy and on "Married… with Children". In 1997, she appeared in two episodes of "Roar" alongside Heath Ledger.

From 1998 to 2002, Russell starred as the title character on the successful WB Network series "Felicity"; she won a Golden Globe for the role in 1999. Russell's long and curly hair was one of her character's defining characteristics, and a drastic hairstyle change at the beginning of the show's second season was considered to be the cause of a significant drop in the show's ratings. As a result, new policies were enacted at the network requiring hairstyle changes by cast to be approved by the network's executives. "Felicity" 's ratings drop also coincided with the show's move to a Sunday night time slot, so it is unclear exactly how much effect the hairstyle change actually had. During the show's run, Russell appeared in the films "Eight Days a Week", "The Curve" and "Mad About Mambo", all of which received only limited releases in North America. Her next role was in the film "We Were Soldiers", playing the wife of an American serviceman. The film was released in March 2002, two months before the end of "Felicity"'s run.

Career: 2003 - present

When "Felicity" ended, Russell took a break from acting. She moved to New York City and took two years off to avoid the business of Hollywood, spending time with friends. Russell subsequently made her off-Broadway stage debut in 2004, appearing opposite Jeremy Piven, Andrew McCarthy, and Ashlie Atkinson in Neil LaBute's "Fat Pig".cite news|last=King|first=Susan|title=Life follows fiction for Keri Russell|publisher=Denver Post|date=2007-05-09|url=http://www.denverpost.com/movies/ci_5854250|accessdate=2007-05-09] In 2005, she returned to television and film, beginning with an appearance in the Hallmark Hall of Fame television movie "The Magic of Ordinary Days", theatrical film "The Upside of Anger" (alongside Kevin Costner, Joan Allen and Evan Rachel Wood), and the television miniseries "Into the West".

Although a number of her "Felicity" co-stars went on to appear in producer J. J. Abrams' series, "Alias", Russell declined invitations to be part of the show. In a seminar at the Museum of Television and Radio, Abrams said, "I've asked Keri if she would ever do it, and I usually get this, sort of like, giggle — and then she hangs up". In 2005, Abrams asked Russell to join the cast of "", a film he directed, and she accepted. The film was released on May 5, 2006. In the summer of 2006, Russell was chosen to be a celebrity spokeswoman for CoverGirl Cosmetics. Before she was in "Mission Impossible: III" she was screen tested for the role of Lois Lane in "Superman Returns" but lost the role to Kate Bosworth, with whom she is co-starring in "The Girl in the Park".

Russell taped two episodes as a guest character on the NBC show "Scrubs" in 2007. She played Melody, a sorority sister and good friend of Elliot Reid (Sarah Chalke). The first episode aired on April 26, and the second on May 3. Recently, she starred in "Waitress", a well-reviewed independent film in which she plays Jenna, a pregnant waitress in the American South; it was the fourth film in a row in which Russell had played a pregnant woman.cite news|last=Bonnelli|first=Winnie|title=Waitress Serves Up Keri Russell|publisher=The Independent|date=2007-05-16|url=http://www.indyeastend.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-05-16&-token.story=67914.113117&-token.subpub=|accessdate=2007-05-16] The film opened on May 4, 2007 and Russell's performance was positively received by critics,cite news|last=Gould Keil|first=Jennifer|title=COVERGIRL KERI RUSSELL SHOOTS WEB|publisher=New York Post|date=2007-05-13|url=http://www.nypost.com/seven/05132007/business/covergirl_keri_russell_shoots_web_business_jennifer_gould_keil.htm|accessdate=2007-05-16] with Michael Sragow of "The Baltimore Sun" writing that Russell's performance had "aesthetic character" and "welds tenderness and fierceness with quiet heat".cite news|last=Sragow|first=Michael|title=Keri Russell is a delight in scrumptious 'Waitress'|publisher=The Baltimore Sun|date=2007-05-25|url=http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/lifestyle/bal-to.waitress25may25,0,4638515.story?coll=bal-artslife-today|accessdate=2007-05-25] In the summer of 2007, Russell appeared in "The Keri Kronicles", a reality show/sitcom sponsored by CoverGirl and airing on MySpace; the show was filmed at Russell's home in Manhattan and spotlighted her life.

Russell next appeared in "August Rush", a drama released in November 2007. She also appeared on the cover of the cover of New York Post's Page Six Magazine On November 11, 2007. She has completed roles in "" (titled "Rohtenburg" for its German release), in which she plays Katie Armstrong, a graduate student who writes a thesis paper on an infamous cannibal murder case, and the thriller "The Girl in the Park", opposite Sigourney Weaver, Kate Bosworth and Alessandro Nivola.

Russell has recently joined the cast of "Bedtime Stories" with Adam Sandler playing the lead. [ [http://www.totalfilm.com/movie_news/keri_russell_helps_tell_bedtime_stories Total Film - Keri Russell helps tell Bedtime Stories ] ]

Russell has recently been confirmed to provide the voice of Wonder Woman in a direct to DVD animated feature to be released in February 2009. [ [http://forum.newsarama.com/showthread.php?t=143151 Keri Russell To Voice Wonder Woman For Dvd Feature - Newsarama ] ]

Personal life

In 2005, several reports claimed that Russell was set to adopt Scientology, after working with actor Tom Cruise, who is a Scientologist, on "Mission: Impossible III". Russell's representative subsequently threatened to sue the reporter who first made the claim. Stories about the incident had noted that Russell is of Jewish heritage and religion;cite news|last=Walls|first=Jeannette|title=Tom Cruise gets serious about Mother's Day - Notes from all over|publisher=MSNBC|date=2006-05-16|url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12649012/|accessdate=2007-05-16] older reports, which had originally suggested her conversion to Scientology, had mentioned that she was once a member of the Mormon church.cite news|title=Cruise's co-star Russell looking to convert?|publisher=AZCentral.com|date=2005-07-12|url=http://www.azcentral.com/ent/celeb/articles/0712russell.html|accessdate=2007-05-16]

As of 2007, Russell resides in Brooklyn.cite news|last=Freydkin|first=Donna|title=For Keri Russell, family life is the greatest rush|publisher=USA Today|date=2007-11-20|url=http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2007-11-20-keri-russell_N.htm|accessdate=2007-11-22] cite news|last=Spelling|first=Ian|title=Interview: Keri Russell|publisher=Resident Publications|date=2007-05-08|url=http://70.47.124.114/node/641|accessdate=2007-05-09] Russell and Shane Deary, a carpenter she met through mutual friends, became engaged in 2006 and were married on February 14, 2007 in New York.cite news|last=Jordan|first=Julie|title=Keri Russell Marries in New York|publisher=People Magazine|date=2007-02-15|url=http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20011987,00.html|accessdate=2007-05-16] Russell gave birth to a boy, named River Russell Deary, on June 9, 2007 in New York. [ [http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20042985,00.html Keri Russell Gives Birth to a Boy - Birth, Keri Russell : People.com ] ] Russell had a midwife-assisted hospital birth; [cite news|first=Sarah|title=Keri Russell discusses her 'look' and plan for birth|publisher=Celebrity Baby Blog|date=2007-05-03|url=http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/05/keri_russells_d.html|accessdate=2007-05-16] she has described her pregnancy experience as "real great and easy".cite news|last=Schaefer|first=Stephen|title=Bittersweet role: Keri Russell won't let tragedy overtake love of 'Waitress'|publisher=Boston Herald|date=2007-05-09|url=http://theedge.bostonherald.com/movieNews/view.bg?articleid=1000057|accessdate=2007-05-09]

She also dated "Felicity" co-star Scott Speedman during the show's run. She also dated her "Mickey Mouse Club" and "Malibu Shores" co-star Tony Lucca who accompanied her to the Golden Globe and Emmy awards in 1999.

She still remains friends with a handful of her "Mickey Mouse Club" costars, including Ilana Miller, who she took to the 1999 MTV Movie Awards, and Lindsey Alley, who she mentioned on the red carpet of the Oscar ceremony in 2008.

Filmography

References

External links

*imdb name|id=0005392|name=Keri Russell