The talented and amazing Kurt Russell celebrates his birthday on March 17. A staple of the Hollywood industry for over five decades, Russell navigated being a teen idol and graduating to become one of the most bankable and skilled actors of his generation. To celebrate, Variety ranked his 10 best performances of his film career.
Despite an impressive resume, the Massachusetts-born actor has never found his way to an Oscar ceremony. His closest bout came with Mike Nichols’ drama “Silkwood,” which garnered him a Golden Globe nomination for best supporting actor in a motion picture.
From his turn as truck driver Jack Burton in the comedy “Big Trouble in Little China” to the MCU dad villain in “Guardians of the Galaxy 2,” he hasn’t slowed down, even popping up in other Oscar-bait and prestige pics such as Peter Berg’s “Deepwater Horizon” and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in…Hollywood.”
Though this list focuses on film, his television work has offered plenty of memorable turns like playing musician Elvis Presley in the TV film “Elvis,” which got him an Emmy nomination for outstanding actor in a limited series or a special. With plenty more to love (“Executive Decision”) and a handful to criticize (“Captain Ron”?), the dynamite star is a gift to our industry.
After the popular Netflix film, “The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two” last year, there aren’t any announced films on his IMDB page as of yet, but we’re looking forward to his upcoming projects.
Here are 10 of best performances.
Honorable mentions: “Overboard” (1987), “Unlawful Entry” (1992), “Stargate” (1994)
-
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Role: McCabe
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Directed by: Cameron Crowe
Written by: Cameron CroweThis is a tricky one. Cameron Crowe’s science fiction drama from 2001 divided the film community, with little to agreed upon other than Cameron Diaz’s outstanding and snubbed Oscar-worthy performance as Julianna Gianni, the crazy lover who takes Tom Cruise’s David Aames for midday joyride. As Dr. Curtis McCabe, Russell acts as the symbolic movie audience within the film, asking the all too important questions about where David is and what is he’s doing there. The father figure gains the viewer’s trust before being sidelined for a trip back to reality, but his words invite us all, and we welcome it.
-
Tango & Cash (1989)
Role: Lt. Gabriel Cash
Distributed by: Warner Bros
Directed by: Andrei Konchalovsky
Written by: Randy Feldman, Jeffrey BoamComedic and action sparring against Sylvester Stallone has never been so much fun to watch. With a narrative structure that echoes an action version of “The Odd Couple,” Stallone’s Tango is our proper and clean “Felix” while Russell’s Cash plays on the disorganized tropes of “Oscar,” even mirroring bits of Mel Gibson’s Martin Riggs from “Lethal Weapon.” The chemistry between the two is simply infectious, and one of the most entertaining action films that closed out the 1980s oversaturation of the genre. While there are definite outdated jokes and cultural references that are downright cringe-worthy, an actor like Russell who exudes joy, and lovingly shows that he’s having the time of his life, is well worth celebrating.
-
Escape from New York (1981)
Role: Lieutenant S.D. Bob ‘Snake’ Plissken
Distributed by: AVCO Embassy Pictures
Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: John Carpenter, Nick Castle“The future” never looked less familiar, as the film takes place in a dystopian 1988 and then 1997 but one thing is for sure, Kurt Russell has never been more badass, fighting in a deathmatch, rocking an eye patch, and asserting to the world…I’m Kurt Russell and I can do ANYTHING. This anti-hero, who is a former Special Forces soldier is cynical, witty but always admirable. Carpenter and Russell just know how to make magic.
-
The Fox and the Hound (1981)
Role: Copper
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by: Ted Berman, Richard Rich, Art Stevens
Written by: Larry Clemmons, Ted Berman, David Michener, Peter Young, Burny Mattinson, Steve Hulett, Earl Kress, Vance Gerry (based on the novel “The Fox and the Hound” by Daniel P. Mannix)Before Pixar, Buena Vista tried to blend the more mature themes that would appeal to both children and parents alike. Not without its fair share of criticisms for its pacing, and perhaps not as polished as other animated classics, the heart and conviction of its voice performers are nonetheless splendidly executed by Mickey Rooney and standout Kurt Russell. In Steve Hulett’s 2014 book “Mouse in Transition: An Insider’s Look at Disney Feature Animation,” he writes that Russell was able to record all his dialogue in two recording sessions while in the middle of filming his television film, “Elvis,” for which he received an Emmy nomination.
-
Miracle (2004)
Role: Herb Brooks
Distributed by: Buena Vista Pictures
Directed by: Gavin O’Connor
Written by: Eric Guggenheim, Mike RichThe industry too often dismisses inspirational sports movies as filler content. While a proven moneymaker, the simplistic narrative formula usually dubs it as not serious enough to be considered for awards consideration. As the hockey coach Herb Brooks, who brought the United States to a gold medal at the 1980 Olympics, his crowd-pleasing speeches are some of the most memorable in the genre, utilizing all director Gavin O’Connor’s naturalistic storytelling abilities. Russell’s harsh but soulful range stands comfortably next to some of the greats such as Gene Hackman (“Hoosiers”) and Denzel Washington (“Remember the Titans”).
-
The Hateful Eight (2015)
Role: John Ruth
Distributed by: The Weinstein Company
Directed by: Quentin Tarantino
Written by: Quentin TarantinoThere’s plenty to admire and love about Tarantino’s Western, and while there are critics of its indulgence and bloated runtime, Russell’s turn as the bounty hunter John “The Hangman” Ruth, who is transporting the murderous Daisy Domergue (played exquisitely by Jennifer Jason Leigh) is one the actor’s finest outings. The high points of the film have always been broken into two parts, as Russell owns the first half until his “departure,” then leaving the underappreciated Walton Goggins (who plays Chris Mannix) to take over, which couldn’t have been as successful without Russell’s vibrant and prickly portrayal laid down effortlessly.
-
The Thing (1982)
Role: R.J. MacReady
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Directed by: John Carpenter
Written by: Bill Lancaster (based on the novel by “Who Goes There?” by John W. Campbell Jr)Film aficionados glorify the classic science-fiction horror flick with its dark tension and the perfect marriage of a visionary director and its star. The cold isolation of a group trying desperately to stay alive against an alien that can assimilate among them is terrifying. Still, Russell’s turn is much more reserved than anything he’s attempted in his career. The horror cannon can give us many over-the-top characters and performances, but his restraint is professionally and brilliantly accomplished. It’s put to best use in the film’s final moments with the classic line, “why don’t we just wait here for a little while…see what happens.”
-
Tombstone (1993)
Role: Wyatt Earp
Distributed by: Hollywood Pictures
Directed by: George P. Cosmatos
Written by: Kevin JarreThe Western genre has provided its fair share of amazing turns, and Russell has dipped his toe into the area quite a bit, even most recently with underseen “Bone Tomahawk” (2015). The assembling of this ’90s classic with a robust cast that includes an Oscar-worthy turn by Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton, among others, has always been a pivotal example of how Kurt Russell has been a natural lead and someone who elevates his co-stars. Pair those traits with his affinity for the action genre, and there’s almost a guarantee we’re in store for a great movie every time. “Tombstone” rocks top to bottom.
-
Backdraft (1991)
Image Credit: Everett Role: Lt. Stephen McCaffrey / Dennis McCaffrey
Distributed by: Universal Pictures
Directed by: Ron Howard
Written by: Gregory WidenThis is easily one of Oscar-winning director Ron Howard’s (“A Beautiful Mind”) best films, as he assembles an all-star cast that includes Robert DeNiro, William Baldwin, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Scott Glenn, Rebecca DeMornay, Donald Sutherland and the perfectly suited Kurt Russell.
The eye-piercing baby blues go right into the viewer’s soul as they grapple with the possibility of his involvement as an arsonist, joined with his temperament. Russell shows his versatility from the opening scenes, playing Dennis, the firefighting father of his own character Stephen who dies in an explosion. When stepping into Stephen, he’s a tornado of visceral emotions with everyone he comes across, no matter the bloodline or career hierarchy. Not sure any other actor could have remained balanced with an audience in the role except for Russell. Many of his peak moments are heightened even further by the renowned Hans Zimmer score, along with the crisp editing of Daniel P. Hanley and Mike Hill.
If the ambulance scene doesn’t bring you to tears, we’re not sure what will in this forsaken world.
-
Silkwood (1983)
Role: Drew Stephens
Distributed by: 20th Century Fox
Directed by: Mike Nichols
Written by: Nora Ephron, Alice ArlenThe beauty of “Silkwood” by the masterful Mike Nichols (“Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “The Graduate”) marked a great departure for much of its stellar cast. As Dolly Pelliker, Cher’s first dramatic work brought her first Oscar nomination for best supporting actress, which likely laid the groundwork for her future best actress win for “Moonstruck” (1988). The Academy Awards magnet Meryl Streep had just finished filming her second Oscar-winning performance in “Sophie’s Choice” when production began. When it came to Russell, he was mostly known on the big screen for his acting work in genre films like “Escape from New York” (1981) and “The Thing” (1982). The end product is one of the best cinematic pieces of all of their careers.
What Russell brings as Drew Stephens, the boyfriend to our fallen heroine Karen Silkwood (Streep), is amazing charisma but peppered with a ticking bomb persona and a yearning for his love to be something she isn’t. The film received five Oscar nominations, but Russell’s name was not among them despite receiving a Golden Globe nomination. It was one of the few years the HFPA and the Academy vastly disagreed, only overlapping two of their five (winner Jack Nicholson for “Terms of Endearment” and Charles Durning for “To Be or Not to Be”). It’s been his closest bout with the Oscar and should not be his last.