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Keri Russell
[Acting] is something I fell into. It’s like a party that I just haven’t left.
— Keri Russell
SUCH is the sheer magnetism of actress Keri Russell that critics and entertainment writers were tripping over themselves in a mad dash to christen her the Next Big Thing months before her breakout TV series Felicity aired its first episode. (Or maybe it was just that fabulous head of hair — not since Jennifer Aniston launched a wave of Rachel Green wannabes that inundated the nation’s beauty salons had couch potatoes encountered such a distinctive mane.) Generally overlooked in all of the fuss over Felicity was the fact that its talented young star-in-waiting wasn’t exactly your typically fresh-faced, wide-eyed babe in the Hollywoods. Far from being an overnight sensation, Russell was a TV veteran who’d been acting professionally for over half a decade before coming into her own as the shining star of the most eagerly anticipated new show of the 1998 fall season.
A valley girl by birth, Russell came into the world in Fountain Valley, Calif., the second of her parents’ three children. The family spent much of her early childhood living in Texas, before relocating to Mesa, Ariz., just in time for Russell to begin junior high school. Most showbiz careers have deep roots, and it was during her years in Mesa that Keri took an interest in performing; in particular, she discovered a passion for dance and diligently applied herself to lessons in ballet, jazz, and other forms. She toured the country as a member of the Mesa Stars Dance and Drill team, practiced between six and seven hours a day, and eventually won a number of prestigious dance scholarships. That might have been enough for most ambitious youngsters, but when Russell was just 15, she caught the eye of a fashion photographer who convinced her to embark on what ultimately proved to be an extremely ephemeral modeling career.
Shortly before she was due to begin high school, Russell’s family moved yet again, this time to Denver, Colo. By her own account something of a loner at Denver’s Highlands Ranch High, Russell kept her nose to the career grindstone when she wasn’t hitting the books and wound up logging an appearance on Star Search, which brought her to the attention of talent scouts at Disney. Beginning in 1991, she put in three years as a Mouseketeer on the Disney Channel’s All New Mickey Mouse Club, and made her feature-film debut as a hapless babysitter in 1992’s Honey I Blew Up the Kid. By the time her Mickey Mouse Club gig ran its course, the 17-year-old Russell was convinced she’d hit on a good thing, and she boldly took that time-honored big step of relocating to Southern California in search of a wider range of acting opportunities. Almost immediately her determination was rewarded with a regular role in the 1994 CBS sitcom Daddy’s Girls; unfortunately, as so often happens, the show didn’t last out the season.
Russell’s career lagged somewhat the following year, but she had something of a shining season in 1996, when she nailed down the title role in the NBC movie The Babysitter’s Seduction, and got her first series television lead, heading up the cast of nber producer Aaron Spelling’s primetime sudser Malibu Shores. Not even Spelling’s Midas touch could turn Shores to TV gold, however; with time on her hands, Russell devoted 1997 to a starring role in her second feature film, the festival circuit release Eight Days a Week, and to another lead role in a TV movie, When Innocence Is Lost. She logged her third series role as the doomed Gaelic beauty whose untimely death sets a reluctant warrior hero on his path to glory in the pilot episode for the high-concept Fox series Roar — the show didn’t live much longer than her character did.
Perhaps primed to expect the worst, given her past experience with series television, Russell walked away from her initial audition for Felicity certain that she had blown her chances but good. Exactly the opposite was true, of course — as series creators J.J. Abrams and Matt Reeves later reported, they were convinced they’d found their star from the moment she arrived on the set. Just about everyone who got a peek at Felicity prior to its primetime premiere was similarly spellbound by Russell’s charms, and the series debuted to strong ratings. While critics and viewers alike spent the summer of 1998 slavering in anticipation of Felicity, Russell’s third feature film, the festival circuit hit The Curve, was awarded a brief theatrical run.
Though she still gets around in a Nissan pickup, Russell makes her home in L.A.’s tony Pacific Palisades suburb, and she spends her time away from the set pursuing her latest passion, photography. She formerly dated Blossom star Joey Lawrence, but in recent years has been romantically linked to actor and musician Tony Lucca, whom she met during her tenure on The All New Mickey Mouse Club, and with whom she later co-starred in Malibu Shores. In addition to future episodes of Felicity, fans can anticipate Russell’s first lead feature role, as an Irish dancer who wins the heart of a soccer player in the forthcoming romantic comedy Mad About Mambo.
Occupation: Actress, Dancer
Date of Birth: March 23, 1976
Place of Birth: Fountain Valley, Calif., USA
Sign: Sun in Aries, Moon in Sagittarius
Relations: Father: David (Nissan employee); mother: Stephanie; siblings: Todd, Julie; ex-companion: Joey Lawrence (actor); companion: Tony Lucca (actor, musician); cat: Nala
Education: Highlands Ranch High School (Denver, Colo.)
Fan Mail: C/O The Gersh Agency
P.O. Box 5617
Beverly Hills, CA 90210
USA.
Keri Russell: Credits
MOVIES
Actor
Eight Days a Week — 1999
The Curve — 1998
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid — 1992
TV
Felicity — 1998 - (Series)
7th Heaven — 1997 (Series; episode)
Roar — 1997 (Series)
When Innocence Is Lost — 1997 (Movie)
Malibu Shores — 1996 (Series)
The Babysitter’s Seduction — 1996 (Movie)
The Lottery — 1996 (Movie)
Married… With Children — 1995 (Series; episode)
Daddy’s Girls — 1994 (Series)
Boy Meets World — 1993 (Series; episode)
Emerald Cove — 1993 (Series)
MMC In Concert — 1993 (Special)
The All New Mickey Mouse Club — 1991 (Series)
Russell, Keri Web sites
Mr. Showbiz Celebrities: Keri Russell Profile audio video chat games
Photo, bio, news, and acting credits.
http://mrshowbiz.go.com/people/kerirussell/
Last reviewed by ccrowe21
Dead Man’s Curve
Official movie site with info on cast, crew, images, and a behind the scenes look at production.
http://www.deadmanscurve.com/
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Undeniably Keri
Dedicated to the star of Felicity, Keri Russell. Includes news, pictures, biography, filmography, and links.
http://www.undeniable.com/keri/
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Devoted to Keri Russell
Several links showcasing her pictures, media credits, contact info, and FAQ.
http://www.kerirussell.net/
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Entertainment Tonight Spotlight: Keri Russell
Bio and interview with audio files.
http://www.etonline.com/html/NewsItems/8516.html
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Keri Russell Page
Fan site with photos, and links.
http://tv.acmecity.com/documentary/111/
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Keri Russell Zone
Photos of Keri from TV and movie appearances, interviews, mailing addresses and links.
http://www.geocities.com/TelevisionCity/Set/3954/k…
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Undeniably Keri
Devoted to “Felicity” star Keri Russell with background information on her life and her work in television and films.
http://stars.undeniable.com/keri/index2.shtml
Last reviewed by Lady_Tasha
Photo Gallery:
Topics: Actress, Celebrities
Tags: Eight Days a Week, Emerald Cove, Felicity, Malibu Shores
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