Rene Russo came seemingly out of nowhere and became one of the top actresses of the 90’s. She start in a string of hits for most of the decade. She has worked with directors like Richard Donner, Wolfgang Petersen, Barry Sonnenfeld, and Ron Howard. And then, as suddenly as she appeared, she left Hollywood for a six year hiatus. These days, she plays the mother of the god of thunder in the Thor movies.
What the hell happened?
Before acting, Russo started out as a model. Russo signed with the Ford Modeling Agency and appeared on magazine covers for Vogue, Mademoiselle, and Cosmopolitan. As she approached her thirties, Russo decided to give up modeling. She began studying acting and working in regional stage productions.
In 1986, Russo made her acting debut on the TV adventure series, Sable.
The TV show was based on Mike Grell’s comic book, John Sable: Freelance. Lewis Van Bergen starred as a vigilante by night who writes children’s books during the day. His sidekick was a blind man named Cheesecake who pretended to be a stand-up comedian. Russo was the girl with 80’s hair.
ABC cancelled Sable after only 7 episodes.
In 1989, Russo made her big screen debut opposite Tom Berenger in the sports comedy, Major League.
The movie focuses on a fictionalized version of the Cleveland Indians. Berenger starred as the team’s veteran catcher. Sheen played the rookie pitcher nicknamed Wild Thing. Corbin Bernsen appeared in a supporting role as a prima donna third baseman. Wesley Snipes played the cocky new center fielder Willie “Mays” Hayes and Russo played Berenger’s ex-girlfriend whom he is trying to win back.
Critics gave Major League a passing grade despite the fact that it was a pretty formulaic sports movie. The laughs and the execution were enough to earn mostly positive reviews. Audiences liked it as well. Major League opened in first place at the box office and earned nearly $50 million dollars.
In 1990, Russo starred opposite James Belushi in the comedy, Mr. Destiny.
Belushi played an everyman who believed that his life would have been better if he hadn’t struck out at a high school baseball game. Michael Caine played a mysterious figure who grants Belushi’s wish. Suddenly, Belushi is living the life he would have lead had he hit a homerun instead. He’s rich and married to the boss’ daughter played by Russo. But he finds himself missing his old life and his wife played by Linda Hamilton.
As with most James Belushi movies, Mr. Destiny was poorly reviewed and bombed at the box office.
In 1991, Russo starred opposite Michael Keaton in the drama, One Good Cop.
Keaton played a cop (a good one) whose partner is killed in the line of duty. When Keaton tries to adopt his late partner’s daughter, he is denied because his apartment is too small and the child has special needs as a diabetic. Then the opportunity arises for Keaton’s character to make off with some drug money, buy a house and adopt the girl. Russo played Keaton’s supportive wife.
Keaton was in between Batman films at the time. He was trying to establish himself as a dramatic actor outside of his super hero persona. But audiences didn’t seem overly interested in Keaton when he wasn’t telling jokes or fighting crime.
Reviews were mixed and the movie was not a hit at the box office.
In 1992, Russo appeared opposite Emilio Estevez, Mick Jagger and Anthony Hopkins in the sci-fi flick, Freejack.
Estevez played a race car driver who died in a car accident. Only, before he was actually killed, he was transported into the far away future of 2009! In the future, his body is for sale. A rich man played by Anthony Hopkins has purchased it so that he can transfer his mind into Estevez’s body and go on living. Rolling Stones’ frontman, Jagger, played a mercenary tasked with delivering Estevez to Hopkins for the transfer.
Russo played Estevez’s fiancée who sees him die only to be reunited with him in the future. Well, their future. Our past. Linda Fiorentino was originally cast as Julie but was replaced by Russo.
Freejack got terrible reviews and flopped at the box office. On the upside, Russo ended up marrying co-writer, Dan Gilroy.
Later that year, Russo appeared opposite Mel Gibson and Danny Glover in Lethal Weapon 3.
Each film in the Lethal Weapon series added a new cast member and drifted a little further into comic territory. After the first sequel introduced Joe Pesci as a little guy for Gibson and Glover to abuse, it was time to introduce a new love interest for Gibson. Russo played an internal affairs Sergeant who helps the guys solve a case while falling for the hunky Aussie.
Reviews were mixed to positive. Critics noted that the series was increasingly watered down, but still entertaining. Domestically, Lethal Weapon 3 made slightly less than Lethal Weapon 2 at the box office. But worldwide, it was the highest grossing movie in the series.
In 1993, Russo starred opposite Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich in Wolfgang Petersen’s thriller, In the Line of Fire.
Eastwood played a Secret Service agent who failed to save President Kennedy. Now he’s protecting a new president from a diabolical assassin played by Malkovich. Russo, I’m assuming, played Eastwood’s daughter. Wait! What? She played his love interest? Ew.
Originally, Dustin Hoffman was supposed to play Eastwood’s character. But when David Puttnam became the head of Columbia, he killed the picture. Many believe it was due to a falling out over the flop, Ishtar. Later, Robert Redford was attached. When he dropped out, the role was offered to Sean Connery who turned it down. Eastwood was reluctant to take on the part because the character was supposed to be 50 and he was actually 62 at the time. Glenn Close and Sharon Stone both turned down Russo’s role before she was cast.
In the Line of Fire received positive reviews and was a hit at the box office.
In 1994, Russo made a cameo appearance in Major League II. The movie got bad reviews and disappointed at the box office. Fortunately for Russo, she was already on to bigger and better things.
In 1995, Russo appeared opposite Dustin Hoffman, Morgan Freeman and Cuba Gooding, Jr. in Wolfgang Petersen’s medical disaster movie, Outbreak.
Hoffman played a USAMRIID virologist sent to investigate a virus in Zaire. Russo played a CDC scientist who also happens to be Hoffman’s ex-wife. Will they cure the disease and rekindle their relationship simultaneously? Well, it’s a Hollywood movie. So, yeah.
Outbreak was involved in a production battle with the similarly themed disaster film, Hot Zone. Hot Zone was supposed to be directed by Ridely Scott and star Robert Redford and Jodie Foster. But when that film ran into script problems, Outbreak was able to surge ahead. Hot Zone never did get made.
Reviews for Outbreak were mixed. The movie was somewhat disappointing at the US box office. But it was a hit overseas.
Later that year, Russo starred opposite John Travolta, Gene Hackman and Danny DeVito in Barry Sonnenfeld’s crime-comedy, Get Shorty.
Travolta played a Miami-based loan shark named Chili Palmer who travels from to Hollywood to collect a gambling debt from a shifty B-movie producer played by Hackman. In Hollywood, Travolta’s character becomes entangled in movie business. He starts up a romantic relationship with a B-movie actress played by Russo. Soon, he finds he excels as a movie producer by using the skills he honed as a gangster.
DeVito was a producer on the film. He bought the rights and intended to play Travolta’s role himself. But he was too busy directing Matilda to star, so he took a reduced role as a self-absorbed actor. His character was based on writer Elmore Leonard’s experiences with Russo’s Outbreak co-star, Dustin Hoffman. Hoffman is one of many actors who turned down the Chili Palmer role – perhaps because he realized he was being mocked.
When Russo met with Sonnenfeld and DeVito, she had an allergic reaction to the sesame in her tuna sandwich. She had to go to the doctor after she broke out in hives. She was sure that the experience cost her the part until she got a call from Sonnenfeld telling her she was cast.
Get Shorty got great reviews and was a hit at the box office. It spawned the 2005 sequel, Be Cool. Russo’s character was replaced with a new character played by Uma Thurman.
In 1996, Russo starred opposite Kevin Costner in the romantic sports comedy, Tin Cup.
Costner played an underachieving golf pro. Russo played a clinical psychologist who trades therapy for golf lessons.
Janine Turner from TV’s Northern Exporure was the first choice for Russo’s role. But Turner turned the part down. Tin Cup reunited Costner with his Bull Durham writer and director, Ron Shelton.
Reviews were mixed and Tin Cup was a modest hit at the box office.
Later that year, Russo starred opposite Mel Gibson in Ron Howard’s thriller, Ransom.
Gibson and Russo played a wealthy couple who’s only son is kidnapped. When the first attempt to pay the ransom goes awry, Gibson’s character decides to use the ransom money to put a bounty on the head of the kidnapper.
Reviews were mostly positive and Ransom was a hit at the box office.
In 1997, Russo starred opposite a gorilla (or a guy in a Henson-designed gorilla suit) in the film, Buddy.
Buddy is based on a true story of an eccentric wealthy woman who filled her house with exotic animals and raised a gorilla as a child.
Buddy was Russo’s 11th film. She had been a leading lady many times. But this was the first time she was the star of the movie. In every other movie, she was playing second banana (pun most definitely intended) to Gibson, Costner or Keaton. This was the first time in Russo’s career where she received top billing.
Unfortunately, Buddy received negative reviews. It came under fire from animal rights activists for portraying wild animals as acceptable pets and it was not successful at the box office.
In 1998, Russo reteamed with Gibson and Glover for what would prove to be the final film in the action franchise, Lethal Weapon 4.
In this one, Russo’s character is pregnant with Gibson’s character’s baby. They aren’t yet married and have to decide whether or not marriage is right for them. Of course the usual mayhem and explosions take up most of the movie’s run time. Also, Chris Rock joins the cast as a cop who may be Glover’s future son-in-law and Jet Li played the villain.
Reviews were mixed. The series was tired, but still better than a lot of action movies. In spite of the mixed reviews, Lethal Weapon 4 was still a hit at the box office. There has been some talk of continuing the series either with another sequel or a complete reboot.
In 1999, Russo starred opposite Pierce Brosnan in John McTiernan’s remake of the 1968 Steve McQueen heist movie, The Thomas Crown Affair.
Brosnan played a rich financier who is every bit as suave as James Bond. For thrills, he steals art. Russo played an investigator working for the insurance company who insured the stolen painting. She works with Dennis Leary to track down the thief. Over the course of the investigation, the hunter and prey fall for each other.
When McTiernan came onboard to direct the movie, he made several changes to the script. In the original movie, McQueen’s character planned armed bank heists out of boredom. McTiernan thought audiences would be unsympathetic to a rich man who resorted to such stunts for kicks. So he changed the robbery to an unarmed art heist.
Reviews were mostly positive and The Thomas Crown Affair was a modest hit at the box office. It did well enough that there was talk of a sequel for many years. At one point, Paul Verhoeven was attached to direct what would have been essentially a remake of the 1964 heist movie, Topkapi. But Verhoeven dropped out leaving the movie’s future uncertain.
In 2000, Russo starred opposite Robert DeNiro, Jason Alexander and a cartoon moose and squirrel in The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
De Niro, who was one of the producers on the film, played the villain Fearless Leader. He and his henchmen, Boris (Alexander) and Natasha (Russo) hatch a plot to become live action characters and take over the world. It’s up to the animated Rocky and Bullwinkle to save the day with the help of a spunky FBI agent played by Piper Perabo.
Originally, Danny DeVito and Meryl Streep were attached to play Boris and Natasha in the early 90’s. But production stalled over copyright issues. Later Joe Pesci and Cher turned down the roles that would ultimately be played by Alexander and Russo.
Reviews were mixed to negative. Although Roger Ebert gave the film a very positive review. In spite of some notable positive reviews, Rocky and Bullwinkle bombed at the box office. Russo was nominated for a Golden Raspberry for Worst Supporting Actress which she lost to Kelly Preston for Battlefield Earth.
In 2002, Russo starred opposite De Niro and Eddie Murphy in the action comedy, Showtime.
De Niro played a no-nonsense cop who is ordered to participate in a reality show produced by Russo’s character. The show pairs De Niro with a cop who wants to be an actor played by Murphy. William Shatner shows up to give De Niro acting tips which is easily the best gag in the movie.
Showtime received terrible reviews and flopped at the box office.
Later that year, Russo starred opposite Tim Allen in Barry Sonnenfeld’s adaptation of the Dave Barry novel, Big Trouble.
The plot simply defies explanation. Allen and Russo play a couple with domestic troubles who manage to get caught up in a nuclear arms deal. Let’s just watch the trailer.
Big Trouble was one of many films disrupted by 9/11. It was originally scheduled to be released in 2001. But the studio felt that scenes in which a nuclear weapon is smuggled on to a plane would be insensitive. So the film was delayed until 2002. When it was released, there was little to no marketing. It was basically abandoned by the studio.
Reviews were mostly negative and without marketing the movie flopped at the box office. It opened in 9th place behind a re-release of E.T. which had already spent three weeks on the charts.
In 2005, Russo starred opposite Al Pacino and Matthew McConaughey in the gambling movie, Two for the Money.
McConaughey played a former college football player with a knack for handicapping games. Pacino played the head of a sports consulting firm who mentors McConaughey. Russo played Pacino’s wife.
Russo’s real-life husband, Dan Gilroy, wrote her part with her in mind. Russo’s character is named after her real-life sister.
Two for the Money received negative reviews and disappointed at the box office.
Later that year, Russo starred opposite Dennis Quaid in the remake of the 1968 Lucille Ball comedy, Yours, Mine and Ours.
Quaid and Russo played high school sweethearts who are reunited later in life after the deaths of their respective spouses. They fall back in love and decide to get married. Between them, they have eighteen kids! They should be committed. The kids, unhappy with the blended family and clashing styles, try to break their parents up.
Reviews were negative and the box office was so-so.
Russo took a six year hiatus from acting in between 2005 and 2011 when she played the mother of a super hero in Thor.
Russo played Frigga, wife of Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and mother of Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) in Kenneth Branagh’s comic book adaptation.
According to Russo, her daughter convinced her to end her hiatus.
Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a hit.
In 2013, Russo reprised her role as Frigga for the sequel, Thor: Dark World.
In the sequel, the Norse god of thunder is reunited with his romantic interest played by Natalie Portman. Thor and Loki must join forces against a greater threat.
Reviews were mixed to positive. But the movie got a bump out of the Avengers franchise and outperformed the original.
In 2014, Russo appeared in a supporting role in the thriller, Nightcrawler.
Jake Gyllenhaal (who also served as the film’s co-producer), stars as a morally challenged opportunist who discovers he can make a quick buck video taping crime scenes and selling the footage to the local news. Russo played a news producer who starts off buying Gyllenhaal’s footage and eventually finds herself drawn into a more personal relationship.
The movie was written and directed by Russo’s real-life husband, Dan Gilroy. Russo had starred in two previous movies Gilroy had written; Freejack and Two For the Money. Nightcrawler was his directorial debut.
Reviews were mostly positive and the movie was a hit at the box office. Gyllenhaal has been nominated for all kinds of awards and Russo is getting some buzz as well.
So, what the hell happened?
Well, in this case I think it’s helpful to go back to Russo’s first career – modeling. Russo was a successful model through her twenties. Then, when demand for her as a model slowed down, she walked away.
Basically the same thing happened here. Russo entered film acting relatively late in the game. Most actresses find their film careers winding down in their thirties. But Russo managed to appear in a number of box office hits. When the hits stopped coming and demand slowed down, Russo walked away from another career.
Something else to consider is that Russo almost always played the love interest. She was the girl friend or the spouse and rarely the main character. The only movie in which she was the top star was Buddy. She appeared in other people’s movies. She almost never starred in her own.
These days, Russo is back in supporting roles. Instead of playing the wife or girlfriend, she is playing mom roles.
Nice entry…any speculation as to why RR took a hiatus? Was it personal or because she was getting less “co-starring” roles and was just getting offered “crap” roles (which maybe she didn’t want to take)? [No sarcasm intended.]
I must admit it was nice to read an entry lacking in “serious drama,” i.e., wherein the actress messed-up her face w/ plastic surgery; became crazy, a drunk, dope addict, or incredibly annoying to any and all in her orbit, appeared in career-wrecking bombs, etc.
This one was remarkably drama free. Which is surprising considering how many times Mel Gibson showed up. Usually, for a hiatus for an actress, I start looking at marriages, kids etc. Russo has a single child born in 1993. So I don’t think she left to raise her family per se. She made good money modeling for a decade. She made better money acting for another decade. I think it’s safe to say she didn’t need to keep working. Her husband is screenwriter Dan Gilroy. His career really seems to take off in 2005 which coincides with when Russo walks… Read more »
I think that Rene being bipolar has a lot to do with her hiatus. I know that Rene claims that isn’t true. According to Rene, she just needed a break after essentially working non-stop (first as a model and then as an actress). But I just can’t understand why an actress, who was still relatively on top of her game would just randomly disappear from the lime-light. You usually do that when you’ve just had a child, you can’t get decent work because you’ve been painted as too difficult to insure (a la Lindsay Lohan or Sean Young), or you’re… Read more »
I think that Rene Russo is the type of actress who when you get right down to it, was never really a bona-fide or “true blue” box office or A-list star. Rene perhaps benefited from being at the “right place at the right time”. Rene was fortunate enough during the height of her career to co-star w/ actors who were either at that point, could be considered “legends” of the industry (e.g. Clint Eastwood, Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Gene Hackman, and Dustin Hoffman) or people who were on a “hot streak”. For example, she appeared in “Freejack” w/ Anthony Hopkins,… Read more »
re: So it isn’t like people went to see “Lethal Weapon 3″ and “LW4″ and more recently, the “Thor” movies because Rene was in them. Slightly harsh, but basically true. re: Rene perhaps benefited from being at the “right place at the right time”. Rene was fortunate enough during the height of her career to co-star w/ actors who were either at that point, could be considered “legends” of the industry… In a way, RR — and I’m not trying to be A Big Meanie here — is to some extent a glorified supporting player. She was usually the “love… Read more »
I get the impression Russo was comfortable being the supporting player. She took all the girlfriend/wife roles other actresses said they didn’t want. And that was a recipe for success for her. Other actresses were always trying to pick more interesting (“showy”) roles. Russo just kept playing the love interest and the suffering wife. More often than not, she was eye candy. Every now and then, she got to really show some range. But those supporting roles served her well.
TWO FOR THE MONEY (2005): http://cinefilestv.blogspot.com/2014/09/two-for-money-2005.html This is the classic formula boy is talented he is taken to the dark side under the wings of a hero. Gets cocky takes a fall. Fights his way back up. The only thing missing is he doesn’t meet a girl and fall in love. Which gives him his confidence back instead on his own. Instead of through the love I a good woman. Here he sleeps around (giving us again a bunch of scenes for him to have his shirt off with some day player actress/model who matches him in good looks) flirts… Read more »
Rene in general after reading her comments about “not wanting to compete with an actor that she’s working with” seems to be extremely modest. I don’t necessarily know for sure if that at the end of the day, served as a detriment to her career. I suppose at that end, Rene didn’t seem to want to take too many chances and get out of a certain comfort zone.
One of my criteria for judging whether or not an actor is an A-lister is whether or not they can open a movie. Russo never did. She was in a lot of hits. Percentage wise, she had a really solid track record. But, she was never the main draw. I think she’s a fantastic actress, but never really an A-lister.
When I think of RR, Bonnie Hunt comes to mind also as the quintessential female character actor. The wife, the best friend. The female M. Emmett Walsh(es)! Only way cuter.
I totally just pictured M. Emmett Walsh in a dress and wig >shudder<
That slinky little dress from the Thomas Crown Affair, no doubt. Your welcome. I mean I’m sorry;) Hopefully the characters’ images won’t continue to be interchangeable (she says as diabolical laughter ensues)…
I think that one measurement over whether or not somebody is really an “A-lister” is if their name is in-front of the movie’s title/above the marquee. In Rene Russo’s case (the peak of her career was arguably 1992, when she did “Lethal Weapon 3” to 1999, when she did “The Thomas Crowne Affair”) she was an actress who was big enough to be one of the top billed stars of the movie but not big enough to be the solely billed star (if that makes sense). Rene Russo was just somebody who you can count one when he needed an… Read more »
Thread: Actors Hollywood Tried to Make Happen: Indiewire’s List: http://awardswatch.com/forums/showthread.php?33497-Actors-Hollywood-Tried-to-Make-Happen-Indiewire-s-List/page13 #251 Then there’s the borderline cases of Andie MacDowell and Rene Russo. They were successful and both starred in some of the most popular 90s movies, but when Hollywood tried to create headliners for them, the films failed and wigs snatched. #253 For Renee Russo, actually I put her as an exception of this list and one these unique cases in HW. She was first a model and then got her first roles at the age of 33 -An age where other actresses became competitive for relevant roles- and then… Read more »
D’oH!!! I meant to use the cliche “could NOT get arrested” above, but in the heat of the moment…I erred. Sorry.
PS: I am one of the 73 people that liked “FREEJACK” — it wasn’t great, no not at all, but it was entertaining in a cool B-movie way. (And Anthony Hopkins was in it for maybe 10 minutes tops — a glorified cameo, really.) Like so many H’wood science fiction movies, it pretty much abandons the s/f aspects at a certain point to become just another “bunch of bad guys chasing resourceful good guy through a strange terrain” movie. (“IMPOSTOR” suffered from that too.)
I remember seeing Freejack largely for Anthony Hopkins who was hot off of Silence of the Lambs. I was not one of the 73 people who liked it. 😉 I don’t rmemeber much other than everyone I saw it with was utterly disappointed. It’s probably more fun than I remember.
Spoiler Warning for Thor: Dark World
Oh my. Rene Ruso provides class and intelligence to her roles. She is way more then “eye candy.” She may not be an A list star, but I am willing to bet she does not define her life by her box office draw. I was glad to see her in Thor. But she was killed off….I guess there is no chance to see here in the next Avenger movie?? Darn
Brad, not everybody (including myself) have seen the new “Thor” movie yet, so please don’t freely give out any SPOILERS, like what happens to Rene’s character!
“Has seen…”, I meant to say! 😉
D’oh. Haven’t seen Thor 2 yet. Oh well. No taking that back.
It’s based on comics and they are gods, so I’ll say anything is possible. But she was probably never going to appear in an Avengers movie anyway.
I get the impression Russo is pretty level headed and has the right attitude about her career. I doubt she loses any sleep over not being A-list.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwcp9DtgHoU
My impression was always that Russo was the right actress at the right time in that she was sexy but mature, so she was more realistic as a leading lady next to older leading men without being a dowager. That was a valuable quality. Also, she was a decent actress to begin with.
That’s it in a nutshell.
She has an earthy, real quality that most Hollywood actresses don’t. It worked well for her as a cop/secret service agent- other actresses, especially former models- look a bit unrealistic in these roles.
Freejack is worth watching for Mick Jagger’s performance alone. Other than that, there isn’t much else of interest.
Once again this choice demonstrates the wide variety of different answers to the whole question of WTHH to… the subject being written about. I had a similar impression to what Daffy wrote in that Russo as arm candy for more mature actors, in the Ann Margaret style. She seems to have sound judgment choosing projects, after all, it gave her a stable career, and she definitely has had excellent costars.
Intrigued with the trailer for Tin Cup, and totally have to check out Two for the Money, critics or no critics!
I am glad you see it as variety. Sometimes I feel like I’m repeating myself. The broad strokes are always the same. It’s the details that vary.
I bet you’ll enjoy Tin Cup. I’m not a sports fan and certainly not a golf fan, but I enjoyed it. Great chemistry between the leads.
“Eastwood played a Secret Service agent who failed to save President Kennedy. Now he’s protecting a new president from a diabolical assassin played by Malkovich. Russo, I’m assuming, played Eastwood’s daughter. Wait! What? She played his love interest? Ew.”
Better Clint than Woody Allen, I say.
I can’t argue with that. Every hot young actress in the last 20 years has been paired with Allen at some point. In the 70s, it was one thing. But 90s-current it’s just creepy. And I’m a fan.
IIRC they at least address the age difference. In Woody Allen films the dichotomy is so huge they just ignore it. OK- so Annie Hall is basically about the difference- but she dumps him for Warren Beatty in real life-
And to hang out with Paul Simon in the movie.
Woody addressed the age difference in Manhattan. But that was creepy in its own right. As he got older, his co-stars rarely aged with him unless it was Keaton or Farrow. I’m sure Allen has bedded more than his share of young, beautiful women. That’s because he’s a legendary film director. But his characters are usually schlubbs. So what we saw on screen strained suspension of disbelief for everyone except for Allen who looked at Julia Roberts and said, “Sure. I could tap that.”
re: What happened? Well she found out that they’re better things outside Hollywood crave for fame stupidity.
That statement don’t hardly make no sense.
This is just “imho”: I hope some indie director casts Russo in a movie about ADULTS, such as “Enough Said,” which featured, uh, actors/actresses that were done all growed-up…sorta old, even. 🙂
I’d be all for that.
I kind of get the impression Russo is working these days just to get out of the house. Like her kids told her to go make Thor to keep her busy.
Rene Russo vs. Nicole Kidman (“Batman Forever”):
http://www.batman-online.com/forum/index.php?topic=2381.0
So, Rene was originally going to be cast if Keaton was involved. I was watching In the Line of Fire (1993) the other day and she played a similar role to Nicole Kidman as Chase Meridian in that movie. But she was not over the top like Nicole was. She still had the sexy/sassy thing going on, but wasn’t baring her breasts all over the place like a crazed hooker.
Anyone else have an opinion on this?
I wonder if part of the reasons for Rene’s six yer hiatus from movies is she wouldn’t accept the possibilities of having to take parts in which she wasn’t the female lead or a major focal point. Rene was never really a box office star (as previously mentioned, “Buddy” was the only movie that she made in which Rene was absolutely the star/main attraction), just a glorified supporting player. With that being said, I’m kind of curious towards why her appearance in the “Thor” movies didn’t do much to rekindle the public’s interest in her? It was almost as if… Read more »
I don’t know that Russo ever had that much of an audience to begin with. I think she did the Thor movies to occupy her time now that her kids are grown. I don’t think they were ever intended to spark a comeback.
After reading all of the stuff regarding other female WTHHT subjects, I’m at this rate, somebody who wouldn’t be surprised if the truth regarding Rene’s long absence from movies had to so w/ her being tough to work with. Of course, I don’t think that there’s so far, much of that kind of stuff on-line to justify such allegations.
I was thinking, does Rene have (or as ever had during her peak) a relatively sizable fan-base or following to call her own? I think I’ve said before that it seems like a lot of her success had to do w/ being at the right place at the right time and due to whom she was associated with.
I have always felt that way about Russo. She was always the girlfriend or the wife. When she attempted to step into the starring role, it was a disaster.
What hits me most in this piece is the comment on Michael Keaton and “One Good Cop”, how that audiences weren’t interested in Keaton if he wasn’t telling jokes or fighting crime. I don’t know, film audiences are like fair weather friends: if you “change” from their initial impression, they don’t like you so much. To judge an actor that way though, I think, is unfair and superficial. I liked the film “Clean and Sober”, so I believe in Michael Keaton in dramatic roles. On Rene Russo: for someone who got off to such a late start, she chisled out… Read more »
I think that I’ve already said this before in the comments section for Michael Keaton’s own WTHHT, but I’ll say it again here just for the sake of the conversation. After “Batman”, I think that Michael Keaton’s career focus started to become a bit lost. What I mean is that it seemed like he wasn’t entirely sure if it was a good idea to continue playing comedic parts (for which he was primarily known for at that point) or do more “dramatic” parts in the vein of “Batman”. He arguably, started straying too far from what audiences liked or anticipated… Read more »
thor will help russo a bit hopefully it will lead to more important roles russo was original choice for batman forever but fired after kilmer was replaced cause she looked old enough to be his mom she had a much better career then keaton more hits keaton is not a good actor there reason he didnt do alot of work for a while birdman looks good but not a good actor u can tell he lacks theatrical training hes a weak actor
I don’t think that “Thor” really helped Rene that much other than to remind people that she was still around. As I said prior, it isn’t like appearing in the 2009 “Star Trek” movie as Mr. Spock’s mother really did much to help Winona Ryder land more high profile roles. Other than this movie called “Nightcrawler” (and no, it’s not about the X-Men character), does Rene Russo have any other things on the immediate horizon. And quite frankly, I don’t think we should be talking about Michael Keaton’s movie “Birdman” until well after the movie has been released (then, maybe… Read more »
Very good points all the way around. Thor basically reminded people Russo existed just like Ryder in Star Trek. Which is nice. But neither one of them staged a true comeback. Comeback’s are tricky. I have been warned by readers about so many subjects. I shouldn’t write about Helen Hunt because she’s going to win an Oscar for The Sessions and be all over the place. I shouldn’t write about Jodie Foster because Elysium is going to be a huge monster hit. Comeback buzz very rarely results in a return to relevance much less a return to stardom. I do… Read more »
Rene Russo – Rene Russo Quit Hollywood To Become A Dairy Farmer: http://www.contactmusic.com/story/rene-russo-quit-hollywood-to-become-a-dairy-farmer_4421393 Actress Rene Russo took time away from Hollywood a decade ago to perfect her gardening skills and become a dairy farmer. After shooting back-to-back films for years, the Outbreak star decided it was time to take a break from showbusiness after filming Yours, Mine & Ours and Two for the Money in 2004 and 2005. She did not return until she was offered a role in 2011’s Thor, and now she is revealing exactly what she was doing while she was away from the big screen. She… Read more »
Rene Russo Discusses Her Struggle:
http://queenlatifah.com/videos?bctid=3839223923001
Actress Rene Russo opens up to Queen Latifah about her personal struggle with Bipolar Disorder.
Rene Russo opens up about life-long battle:
http://features.aol.com/video/rene-russo-opens-about-life-long-battle
During an appearance on The Queen Latifah Show, actress Rene Russo got surprisingly candid when she revealed that she has been suffering from bipolar disorder since she was a child.
Rene Russo Has Bipolar Disorder. How She—and Other Women—Are Helping Make It OK to Talk About Mental Health: http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2014/10/rene-russo-bipolar?mbid=twitter_glamourdotcom In an episode of The Queen Latifah Show that airs on Oct. 30, Rene Russo reveals something about her that none of us knew: She has bipolar disorder and is treating it regularly with medications. Here’s the clip. So Queen Latifah asks Rene (and Jake Gyllenhaal)—who are out and about promoting their new movie, Nightcrawler, these days—to reveal something they’ve had to push past in their lives. Rene says she’s had bipolar disorder since she was a child. “My mom said… Read more »
‘I’m bipolar’: Rene Russo, 60, reveals lifelong battle with mental illness on The Queen Latifah Show: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2793225/rene-russo-60-reveals-lifelong-battle-mental-illness-queen-latifah-show.html Rene Russo has struggled with bipolar disorder since she was a child. The 60-year-old talked about her condition for the first time during a taping of The Queen Latifah Show, set to air on October 30. While engaging in an informal chat to promote her film Nightcrawler with Jake Gyllenhaal, Rene spoke candidly about her childhood and her path toward managing the illness. Latifah asked both guests about something they had to ‘push through’ in their lives. But Russo surprised everyone present, including… Read more »
Rene Russo Finally Steps Back Into The Spotlight:
http://www.buzzfeed.com/adambvary/rene-russo-is-finally-back-in-nightcrawler
Nearly 10 years after her last leading role, the beloved actress looks back at her career, her self-imposed acting hiatus, and why she’s back with the riveting Nightcrawler — for now.
Rene Russo on Nightcrawler, Career Regrets, and Not Having a Sex Scene With Jake Gyllenhaal: http://www.vulture.com/2015/01/rene-russo-nightcrawler-interview-jake-gyllenhaal.html Nightcrawler, which is slowly creeping into this year’s awards conversation, features two polarizing characters – Lou (Jake Gyllenhaal), a drifter who chances upon a lucratie career shooting grisly crime scenes and selling the footage to a local TV news outlet, and Nina (Rene Russo), that station’s director, who seizes the opportunity to boost her show’s ratings and secure her shaky position. But is Nina a victim, manipulated by Lou as he ups his demands, or is she the one actually in control? Russo, who… Read more »
I watched Nightcrawler just yesterday- I’d call it a film that I appreciated more than I enjoyed, much like The Machinist- it’s well done, yet not that much pleasant in it. I felt her character was just jaded and desperate more so than an outright bad person- a pragmatist who gives the people what they want, without judgement, all to avoid being putting out to Pasteur, professionally speaking, because she’s passed her sell-by date as a believably fuckable on-air personality, her value in the production end relies heavily on the ability to crank out ratings. She can’t stand Louis and… Read more »
Q&A ‘Nightcrawler’ actress Rene Russo is a reluctant star http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-rene-russo-conversation-nightcrawler-20141019-story.html Rene Russo hasn’t done much acting in the last decade. After starring opposite numerous handsome men — Pierce Brosnan in “The Thomas Crown Affair,” Kevin Costner in “Tin Cup” — she took a long, self-imposed hiatus. She spent time with her daughter — Rose, now 21 and a student at Colgate University — gardened and tried to make up for dropping out of high school by learning the names of all of the presidents. Though she had a small role as Thor’s mother in the Marvel superhero franchise, Russo’s first… Read more »
Reading this interview, I get the feeling that Rene Russo pretty much views acting as a hobby of sorts (her bipolar issues most likely complicated matters) and not a means to an end. Like her career as a model, Rene likely after a while, got “bored” w/ her acting a career and walked away. It seems like know, Rene does roles for a quick paycheck (e.g. “Thor”) and a chance to once again work w/ past co-stars (e.g. Anthony Hopkins and Robert DeNiro) or projects involving her husband. The weird thing about Rene Russo and her self-imposed hiatus is that… Read more »
Saw Nightcrawler today and found her performance in it to be pretty good. Jake Gyllenhall stole the show. But Russo held her own.
This proves that she was at her best as an ensemble or supporting player. Not to say that she lacks talent. But that her performances were never really the lead type.
What really confuses me about Rene Russo is that it isn’t like she had a reputation of being problematic or difficult to work with. And she was still being hired for sizable roles in major motion pictures despite being a late bloomer of sorts. Rene has pretty much fallen “off of the grid” (even after she returned to acting after her seven year hiatus). I mean, she doesn’t have (as far as I know) any presence on social media (which is kind of an asset/necessity in this day and age) and she’s rarely seen in public unless she has something… Read more »
i heard it has oscar buzz did u see birdman or gone girl or black and white
‘Nightcrawler’ star Rene Russo needs to be in the supporting actress Oscar discussion: http://www.hitfix.com/in-contention/nightcrawler-star-rene-russo-needs-to-be-in-the-supporting-actress-oscar-discussion This year’s Best Supporting Actress field has more or less firmed up. It seems Patricia Arquette and Meryl Streep are ahead of the pack and have been for weeks. Keira Knightley and Emma Stone are on somewhat solid ground, rounding out the four with the HFPA/BFCA/SAG trifecta. Jessica Chastain is obviously in the mix and we’ve already written about Tilda Swinton being in the thick of it (as well as about why Minnie Driver deserves to be in the thick of it). Naomi Watts has her… Read more »
What to Do With Rene Russo? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-hoglund-/what-to-do-with-rene-russo_b_6761530.html The dust from Oscar season has settled. The sky has opened up to reveal a glorious scene of birds chirping and a maternal, loving sun. Buds of creativity are in blossom as the next crop of films begin their festival circuit ascent. All is right with the world. In moments of reflection, I think about how the 2014 film awards fervor transformed entire careers — Michael Keaton being an obvious example. It is my hope, however, that the trickledown effect of six months of campaigning extends to more than just a former super… Read more »