The first performance that made Kurt Russell feel like a real actor
The career of Kurt Russell is one that embodies the excellence of American cinema. A genuine legend of the big screen, over the years, Russell has brought some of the most iconic pieces of cinema into our hearts and minds with a series of era-defining performances and character portrayals.
Of course, many of us best know Russell for his many anti-hero roles in the films of John Carpenter, including Escape from New York, The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China, as well as further efforts in Tombstone, Death Proof, The Hateful Eight, Silkwood and The Christmas Chronicles, proving his widespread versatility.
Despite the fame and acclaim he possesses today, Carpenter had to begin somewhere and at the age of 15, he signed a contract with Disney, appearing in The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Barefoot Executive. Russell’s adult career was at risk of not taking off, though, especially after he starred in the made-for-television action drama The Deadly Tower.
Speaking with The Hollywood Interview, Russell once explained, “My agents were worried about it being bad for my career, and that was also the point where I realized, ‘I’m gonna have to do things my way because the people who’ve been in charge of my career up to now are not gonna want to do things the way I want to.’”
Thankfully, change was just on the horizon. Four years later, Russell made his big breakthrough in the 1979 made-for-television biographical drama Elvis, directed by John Carpenter, with whom Russell would continue to collaborate for many years. Originally aired on ABC, Elvis was released theatrically in Europe and Australia following its success and Russell’s Primetime Emmy Award nomination for ‘Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series or a Special’.
Russell would always see Elvis as a turning point in his career, and it certainly was. Describing his memories of getting the part, the legendary actor noted, “I was living in Colorado, and my agent mentioned offhand that Joyce Selznick was doing this thing about Elvis Presley. I jumped at it. And my agent said, ‘Are you kidding? You think you can play Elvis?’ I thought, wow, thanks for the vote of confidence!”
“I ended up doing it, and it was a game changer, and I realized again, it was time to stop playing the mom-and-pop game and actually get into the business,” the actor added. Putting the Disney efforts of his past behind him, as well as his many dodgy made-for-television movies, Russell started seeing himself as a proper actor and set out to make a real name for himself.
Just two years after Elvis, John Carpenter signed the actor up to star in the lead role in Escape from New York, which remains one of Russell’s most iconic. Adding The Thing and Big Trouble in Little China to his repertoire over the next few years, Russell was suddenly a huge movie star and he continued to deliver eternally memorable performances on the big screen.
Of course, Carpenter was a big part in that, and Russell would always be grateful to the director, noting, “I love working with John. He is a heralded filmmaker, but he’s also very underrated. I’ve always felt people don’t quite understand what he does. He’s funny. He sees the world differently, and I’ll always love working with him.”
