It was quite a surprise to me when I heard last June that American actress Theresa Russell (b. 1957) would come over to the Film Fest Gent in Belgium this month. Theresa Russell of all people. She was a creative force in the 1980s and 1990s, taking on challenging, sometimes controversial roles, as she did in her six films with British film director Nicolas Roeg. His films are mostly about twisted, doomed relationships; she became his muse, wife, and mother of their two sons.

Unlike her contemporaries, such as Meg Tilly, Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, Bridget Fonda, Kathleen Turner, Debra Winger, or Sean Young, she was not the typical Hollywood actress or Hollywood star that she undoubtedly could have been. Theresa Russell was different; if you look at her films and the roles she played, she had the same looks, charisma, présence and talent as her colleagues, but the raw emotional intensity of her performances, like in Roeg’s “Bad Timing” (1980), indicated that the characters she played were often out of the box, from tormented women under Roeg’s guidance to the husband-killer in “Black Widow” (1987), one of the few commercial films she did and her biggest box office hit. For many years, I followed her career very closely. But later, when she gradually faded from the spotlight, she also kind of dropped off my radar. I don’t know why. I hardly got to see her new work, or maybe I wasn’t paying attention.

Then, ten years ago, I heard that she was about to sell her gated Hollywood Hills home. At that time, she hadn’t appeared in front of the camera for a few years, and, fast forward to 2025, she still hasn’t. That’s too bad, but the good news is that she hasn’t disappeared. When she made her entrance at Film Fest Gent earlier this month, she still looked stunning, and when I got to talk with her, she was very relaxed, open, upbeat, and full of laughs. She had a great sense of humor, and was able to put things into perspective. In the end, after all those years, life away from the camera has been good to her.

Her impressive list of film credits doesn’t read like a ‘Who’s Who in Hollywood,’ though, as she did quite a lot of independent films. But she was excellent in each one of them; she could play a femme fatale, a call girl, a neo-Nazi, or her own inspiring version of Marilyn Monroe. She debuted in Elia Kazan’s “The Last Tycoon” (1976) opposite Robert de Niro, Jeanne Moreau and Robert Mitchum—that was an all-star cast—but most other highlights in her career include the erotically charged “Bad Timing” (1980), her favorite film and the first of six—mostly controversial—films she and Roeg made together; Steven Soderbergh’s “Kafka” (1991), set in 1919 Prague; “Whore” (1991), directed by Ken Russell (no relation); and James McNaughton’s neo-noir “Wild Things” (1998).

Growing up in Burbank, California, she watched a lot of old black and white films on television, and got bitten by the acting bug by the time she was twelve. Four years later, she started her training as a Method actress when she studied with The Lee Strasberg Theatre. But first, let’s talk about Nicolas Roeg.

Ms. Russell, what was the secret of the professional chemistry between you and Nicolas Roeg?

[Laughs] That’s a good question. Gosh, that would be hard to say. I think I understood his vision. I liked it, and I liked the way he pushed the boundaries. That was interesting because I was an actress who also liked to push my boundaries. So I think that would be the most important commonality: the two artists within ourselves liked doing the same thing. Then, for me, as a young actress, if I fell, he always had my back. I felt I could take these chances, and if I fell on my face, it would be fine. He would be there for me. So it’s all about trust, you know.

You talk about pushing your boundaries. Is that also why you preferred arthouse and independent films over mainstream films?

Yes. The Hollywood movies in those days were more the male macho lead type of movies; the actress had to show that he had a heart of gold, and she had to have sex with him. Those were the roles, and I wasn’t interested in doing that. I always had this vision of being an edgy and serious actress, and I wanted to do interesting things. Not the ones that made a lot of money and were more Hollywood. So that way it was good to work with Nic.

You always played challenging roles instead of the usual characters…

…and doing films for love and not for money didn’t make me very rich [laughs].

Still, you were a leading lady for many years. Did that give you any power?

No, not really. It could have been, but, again, you reach a sort of peak, and if you take advantage of that moment of box office and turn it into power—like most smart people do [laughs]—you make a lot of money and become a moneymaker. If you don’t do that, at a certain point, then it’s bye-bye [laughs]. But I don’t regret that choice at all. I’m very proud of what I did, and I honestly don’t think I could have done the other thing. I mean, since I went into independent movies, I knew that was my goal. I achieved it, not being a Hollywood actress.

I was about to say that you were one of the few leading Hollywood actresses of your generation who didn’t become a Hollywood star. But that’s a wrong assumption?

Well, considering the films I made, I was not a traditional, typical Hollywood actress.

You studied Method acting. Was that essential for you?

Yes, that was my foundation because you build your character from the inside out, not from the outside in. So many actors now indicate the feeling instead of being in the feeling of the character. It’s often about their ego or how they look, and that’s also a certain type of acting, but that’s not the one that I was ever interested in. So Method acting was primary, yeah, for sure. And then when I worked with Elia Kazan, that was a really good experience.

Orson Welles talks about Elia Kazan in Paris, 1982

Whenever I see one of Elia Kazan’s films, I think of Orson Welles, who was at the Cinémathèque française in Paris in 1982, and when answering questions from students about Kazan, he raised his voice and said, ‘Elia Kazan is a traitor!’

Yes, he was.

He explained to those students why he said that, and that Kazan sold his companions to Joseph McCarthy during the Hollywood blacklist and the witchhunt. But Welles also said, ‘I have to add that he is a very good director.’

He was. I mean, if you look at “A Streetcar Named Desire” [1951], and so many of his other films… In a way, Nic and Kazan were similar; if they had anything in common, they made you feel safe. As an artist, you could make these choices. That’s what I enjoyed: not making the obvious choices. I wanted to walk in the shoes of my less-obvious characters and see what it might be like to push the boundaries. And Kazan encouraged that too.

As a Method actress, do you need a lot of time to get into character? Because, if I’m correct, when you did “The Believer” [2001], you only had two hours to read the script and say if you would accept the part, and then leave for New York within three days to begin shooting. Is that correct?

I don’t remember that exactly, but I think you’re right. Generally, I really enjoy doing research, getting into it, listening to music—it’s a process that takes at least about a month. Then you can just shed your own self, which is not easy. I remember when I played Milena [“Bad Timing,” 1980], I dreamed her dreams, I dreamed in character. I thought, ‘Oh boy, that’s really going deep,’ you know. I think it’s also bad for you. Maybe you should go to a shrink after you finish a movie [laughs].

When you played the Marilyn Monroe character in “Insignificance” [1985], you didn’t imitate her. You built your performance from the ground up, and it held the film together, didn’t it?

I guess so; that was a hard film. I resisted that thing at first. I remember that I thought, ‘Am I really going to do this?’ They approached me before they approached Nic to do it, and I turned it down. I don’t know if you remember, but around that time, there were three or four different Marilyns—even Madonna was dressing up like Marilyn, and Judy Davis had done the [London] play. I thought, ‘Holy shit, I don’t want to do this.’ It looked like a terrible trap. Then, after I stopped judging and all of that, I thought, ‘Let’s see how we can do this.’ And I found a way. I didn’t want to be an imitation of an imitation of an imitation. All those actresses—sorry—that’s what they were doing. So then I realized that my character had to create this persona, and that could not be her—even with the blonde hair and the lipstick and stuff—that was not her. Once I had figured that out, I thought, ‘Well, behind closed doors I could have an interpretation of who she really was.’ Just an interpretation, not that she was like that. But I think parts of it were like her. So that was that, when she was doing her Marilyn thing. And when she was not, her voice could drop, and she could be a different person.

“Insignificance” (1985, trailer)

Did you watch a few of her films too?

Oh yes, I watched everything, and listened to her voice. I took singing lessons because my voice was naturally quite low, and I had to get it up. I also read Norman Mailer’s book [“Marilyn,” published in 1973]; he was kind of obsessed with her back in the day. I read whatever I could find about her past, about her mother—like I do with any character, basically. So yeah, that’s how I did it, that’s how I built her character. The last part—the boobs, the hair, and all that—that was the frosting on top of the cake [laughs].

You and Gene Hackman played the leading roles in “Eureka” [1983]. Everybody always speaks very highly of him since he was so talented. What was he like to work with?

I got along with him very well, but he was a difficult man. He was mean; he was an unpleasant person. He really was. He died, so now I can say that. He was driving Nic crazy when he always talked about his lines. I don’t know why, but some people just make everybody scared and crazy. So it was very tough. It was tougher on Nic because he needed him for that character. And Gene Hackman needed that negative energy in order to create, which is a really bad thing. I mean, it’s hard enough to make a movie; you’ve got like three hundred people who are all trying their best, and everybody has got to do their part. Then it’s really hard when somebody makes it so difficult. Robert Redford also said that Gene Hackman was difficult to work with [in 1969, they made “Downhill Racer” together].

Did Gene Hackman’s behavior affect your performance?

Not really. I am pretty good at that. Debra Winger [“Black Widow,” 1987] was a great actress, but she was like that, too. By the time we start filming, I always know what my objectives are. I am very solid in what my character is, and what my vision is for my part. So it’s pretty hard to f*ck with me like that. Some have tried [laughs], but no one has succeeded!

That’s right, because way before #MeToo, you made it very clear that you were a strong, solid, and independent woman with a lot of integrity, and nobody would be able to push you around.

Yes, that’s true… Yeah, I know. And believe me, that #MeToo thing happened to me, too. I remember saying to my agent one day, when I was twenty-three maybe, maybe even younger, like twenty, about a producer or an actor—I won’t say any names—‘Listen, he wants me to come over, but he’s coming on to me. I don’t feel comfortable about it, so why can’t I meet him somewhere else? Why do I have to do this?’ [Then speaks very softly] ‘Look darling, I wouldn’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with…’ But he was almost saying, ‘Yeah, f*ck him, so you get the job and I get the money.’ I was more known at that time, but it was like the young actresses—the ingenues—they were there for the leading men, and before they got the part, there were the producers who were picking over all the actresses. It was really gross, a very gross situation. And I didn’t have a stage mom; there was only me. I mean, [producer] Sam Spiegel… he was a creep; he was disgusting.

You are a survivor, aren’t you?

I am a survivor! Yes, I am.

You haven’t acted in more than a decade, so I suppose you retired from acting? Was there a time in your career when you thought, ‘I’m through with acting’ or…

…no. After Nic and I divorced, I fell in love with Mike Melvoin, a well-known jazz pianist. He worked for The Wrecking Crew [a collective of American session musicians based in Los Angeles who played on many studio recordings in the 1960s and 1970s, including hundreds of top 40 hits in the U.S.]. We were together for nine years, and the last three years, he had cancer. So I didn’t work then because I wanted to be with him, I wanted to help him not die. After he died in 2012, I tried to go back to work. I did this one thing that was not good, “Liz & Dick” [TV movie], where I played the mother of Lindsay Lohan’s character [Elizabeth Taylor], and I thought, ‘What am I doing here?’ It didn’t make me happy. And there was this whole thing with the social media; to me, that was not what my art was about at all—I’m still not on social media. I didn’t know how I would fit into what it was becoming. And that was only the beginning of what it is now. I still don’t know how you can fit in it. Also, when you get older, it’s not healthy to think about yourself all the time. You’re forced into thinking in a certain way because of the competition, you’re aging, and all that. I don’t want to think about that. I want to think about life and spirituality, and other things. And I love being a grandma; that’s the best. So I don’t regret not acting anymore. This is the first time in ten years that I’ve come out of the closet about my work—but not that closet! [Laughs.] This morning I was having my picture taken for the first time in ten years, and I was scared. Anyway, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! [Laughs.]

Film Fest Gent, Belgium
October 12, 2025

“Bad Timing” (1980, trailer)

FILMS

THE LAST TYCOON (1976) DIR Elia Kazan PROD Sam Spiegel SCR Harold Pinter (novel “The Last Tycoon” [1941] by F. Scott Fitzgerald) CAM Victor J. Kemper ED Richard Marks MUS Maurice Jarre CAST Robert De Niro, Tony Curtis, Robert Mitchum, Jeanne Moreau, Jack Nicholson, Donald Pleasence, Ray Milland, Dana Andrews, Ingrid Boulting, Peter Strauss, Theresa Russell (Cecilia Brady), John Carradine, Jeff Corey, Seymor Cassell, Anjelica Huston, Rutanya Alda

STRAIGHT TIME (1978) DIR Ulu Grosbard PROD Tim Zinnemann, Stanley Beck SCR Edward Bunker, Alvin Sargent, Jeffrey Boam (novel “No Beast So Fierce” [1973] by Edward Bunker) CAM Owen Roizman ED Randy Roberts, Sam O’Steen MUS David Shire CAST Dustin Hoffman, Harry Dean Stanton, Gary Busey, Theresa Russell (Jenny Mercer), M. Emmet Walsh, Rita Taggert, Kathy Bates, Sandy Baron, Edward Bunker

BAD TIMING/A SENSUAL OBSESSION (1980) DIR Nicolas Roeg PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Yale Udoff CAM Anthony B. Richmond ED Tony Lawson MUS Richard Hartley CAST Art Garfunkel, Theresa Russell (Milena Flaherty), Harvey Keitel, Denholm Elliott, Daniel Massey, Dana Gillespie, William Hootkins, Eugene Lipinski, George Roubicek

EUREKA (1983) DIR Nicolas Roeg PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Paul Mayersberg (book “Who Killed Harry Oakes?” by Marshall Houts) CAM Alex Thomson ED Tony Lawson MUS Stanley Myers CAST Gene Hackman, Theresa Russell (Tracy), Rutger Hauer, Jane Lapotaire, Mickey Rourke, Ed Lauter, Joe Pesci, Corin Redgrave

THE RAZOR’S EDGE (1984) DIR John Byrum PROD Harry Benn, Robert P. Marcucci SCR John Byrum, Bill Murray (novel “The Razor’s Edge” [1944] by W. Somerset Maugham) CAM Peter Hannan ED Peter Boyle MUS Jack Nitzsche CAST Bill Murray, Theresa Russell (Sophie MacDonald), Catherine Hicks, Denholm Elliott, James Keach, Peter Vaughan, Brian Doyle-Murray, Stephen Davies, Saeed Jaffrey

INSIGNIFICANCE (1985) DIR Nicolas Roeg PROD Jeremy Thomas SCR Terry Johnson (also play “Insignificance” [1982]) CAM Peter Hannan ED Tony Lawson MUS Stanley Myers, Hans Zimmer CAST Gary Busey, Michael Emil, Theresa Russell (Actress), Tony Curtis, Will Sampson, Patrick Kilpatrick, Ian O’Connell, George Holmes, Richard M. Davidson

BLACK WIDOW (1987) DIR Bob Rafelson PROD Harold Schneider SCR Ron Bass CAM Conrad L. Hall ED John Bloom MUS Michael Small CAST Debra Winger, Theresa Russell (Catharine), Sami Frey, Dennis Hopper, Nicol Williamson, Terry O’Quinn, James Hong, Diane Ladd, D.W. Moffet, Lois Smith, Rutanya Alda

ARIA (segment “Un bal in maschera,” 1987) DIR – SCR Nicolas Roeg ASSOC PROD Luc Roeg, Richard Bell CAM Harvey Harrison ED Tony Lawson CAST Theresa Russell (King Zog), Sevilla Delofski, Ruth Halliday, Arthur Cox, Dennis Holmes, Paul Brightwell, Frank Baker, Christopher Hunter, Paul Collard, Maximilian Roeg

TRACK 29 (1988) DIR Nicolas Roeg PROD Rick McCallum SCR Dennis Potter CAM Alex Thomson ED Tony Lawson MUS Stanley Myers CAST Theresa Russell (Linda Henry), Gary Oldman, Colleen Camp, Sandra Bernhard, Seymour Cassell, Christopher Lloyd, Leon Rippy, Vance Colvig Jr., Kathryn Tomlinson

PHYSICAL EVIDENCE (1989) DIR Michael Crichton PROD Martin Ransohoff SCR Bill Phillips (story by Bill Phillips, Steve Ransohoff) CAM John A. Alonzo ED Glenn Farr MUS Henry Mancini CAST Burt Reynolds, Theresa Russell (Jenny Hudson), Ned Beatty, Kay Lenz, Ted McGinley, Tom O’Brien, Kenneth Walsh, Ray Baker, Ken James, Michael P. Moran

IMPULSE (1990) DIR Sondra Locke PROD Albert S. Ruddy, Andre Morgan SCR John DeMarco, Leigh Chapman (story by John DeMarco) CAM Dean Semler ED John W. Wheeler MUS Michael Colombier CAST Theresa Russell (Lottie Mason), Jeff Fahey, George Dzundza, Alan Rosenberg, Nicholas Mele, Eli Danker, Charles McCaughan, Lynne Thigpen, Christopher Lawford

WHORE (1991) DIR Ken Russell PROD Ronaldo Vasconcellos, Dan Ireland SCR Ken Russell, Deborah Dalton (monologue play “Bondage” by David Hines) CAM Amir Mokri ED Brian Tagg MUS Michael Gibbs CAST Theresa Russell (Liz), Benjamin Mouton, Antonio Fargas, Elizabeth Morehead, Daniel Quinn, Sanjay Chandani, Jason Saucier, Michael Crabtree, Jared Barclay, Ken Russell

COLD HEAVEN (1991) DIR Nicolas Roeg PROD Allan Scott, Jonathan D. Krane SCR Allan Scott (novel “Cold Heaven” [1983] by Brian Moore) CAM Francis Kenny ED Tony Lawson MUS Stanley Myers CAST Theresa Russell (Marie Davenport), Mark Harmon, James Russo, Will Patton, Richard Bradford, Julie Carmen, Talia Shire, Diana Douglas, Seymour Cassell, Castulo Guerra

KAFKA (1991) DIR – ED Steven Soderbergh PROD Stuart Cornfeld, Harry Benn SCR Lem Dobbs CAM Walt Lloyd MUS Cliff Martinez CAST Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell (Gabriela), Joel Grey, Ian Holm, Jeroen Krabbé, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Alec Guinness, Brian Glover, Keith Allen, Simon McBurney, Robert Flemyng, Hilde Van Mieghem

BEING HUMAN (1994) DIR – SCR Bill Forsyth PROD David Puttnam, Robert F. Colesberry CAM Michael Coulter ED Michael Ellis MUS Michael Gibbs CAST Robin Williams, John Torturro, Anna Galiena, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lindsay Crouse, Grace Mahlaba, Dave Jones, Jonathan Hyde, Lizzy McInnery, William H. Macy, Theresa Russell (narration only)

THE SPY WITHIN, a.k.a. THE FLIGHT OF THE DOVE (1995) DIR Steve Railsback PROD Mike Elliott SCR Lewis A. Green CAM Anghel Decca ED Roderick Davis MUS David Wurst, Eric Wurst CAST Scott Glenn, Theresa Russell (Mary Ann Curran), Lane Smith, Terence Knox, Katherine Helmond, Alex Rocco, Joe Pantoliano, Rudy Ramos, Gary Graham, Angelo Dimascio

A YOUNG CONNECTICUT YANKEE IN KING ARTHUR’S COURT (1995) DIR Ralph L. Thomas PROD Tom Kuhn, Nicolas Clermont SCR Ralph L. Thomas, Frank Encarnacoa (novel “A Young Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court” [1889] by Mark Twain) CAM John Berrie ED Yves Langlois MUS Alan Reeves CAST Michael York, Theresa Russell (Morgan Le Fay), Nick Mancuso, Philippe Ross, Polly Shannon, Jack Langedijk, Paul Hopkins, Ian Falconer, David Schaeffer

THE GROTESQUE, a.k.a. GRAVE INDISCRETION and GENTLEMEN DON’T EAT POETS (1995) DIR John-Paul Davidson PROD Trudie Styler SCR Patrick McGrath (also novel “The Grotesque” [1995]) CAM Andrew Dunn ED Tracey Wadmore-Smith MUS Anne Dudley CAST Alan Bates, Theresa Russell (Lady Harriet Coal), Sting, Lena Haedey, Jim Carter, Anna Massey, Trudie Styler, Maria Aitken, James Fleet, Steven Mackintosh, John Mills

PUBLIC ENEMIES (1996) DIR Mark L. Lester PROD Mark L. Lester, Dana Dubovsky SCR C. Courtney Joyner CAM Misha Suslov ED David Berlatsky MUS Christopher Franke CAST Theresa Russell (Kate ‘Ma’ Baker), Richard Eden, Alyssa Milano, Eric Roberts, James Marsden, Gavin Harrison, Brian Peck, Grant Cramer, Frank Stallone

THE PROPOSITION (1996) DIR Strathford Hamilton PROD Paul Matthews, Elizabeth Matthews SCR Paul Matthews CAM David Lewis ED Peter Davies MUS Ian Lawson, Ben Heneghan CAST Theresa Russell (Catherine Morgan), Patrick Bergen, Richard Lynch, Richard Harrington, Jennifer Vaughan, Owen Garmon, Alex Clatworthy, Anwen Williams, Sioned Jones Williams

WILD THINGS, a.k.a. SEX CRIMES (1998) DIR John McNaughton PROD Steven A. Jones, Rodney Liber SCR Stephen Peters CAM Jeffrey L. Kimball ED Elena Maganini MUS George S. Clinton CAST Kevin Bacon, Matt Dillon, Neve Campbell, Theresa Russell (Sandra Van Ryan), Denise Richards, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Robert Wagner, Bill Murray, Carrie Snodgress, Jeff Perry

RUNNING WOMAN (1998) DIR – SCR Rachel Samuels PROD Roger Corman CAM Chris Manley ED Robert L. Goodman MUS Christopher Lennertz CAST Theresa Russell (Emily Russo), Andrew J. Robinson, Anthony Crivello, Eddie Velez, Richard Joseph Paul, Robert LaSardo, Gary Graham, David McCurley, Melinda Songer Soderling

LUCKYTOWN (2000) DIR – PROD Paul Nicholas SCR Brendan Beseth CAM Denis Maloney ED Roberto Silvi MUS Greg Edmonson CAST Kirsten Dunst, Vincent Kartheiser, Luis Guzmán, James Caan, Robert Miano, Jennifer Gareis, Federico Dordei, Theresa Russell (Stella), Nick Paulos, Joseph D. Kucan

THE BELIEVER (2001) DIR Henry Bean PROD Frank M. Calo, Peter Hoffman, Susan Hoffman, Christopher Roberts SCR Henry Bean (story by Henry Bean, Mark Jacobson) CAM Jim Denault ED Lee Percy, Mayin Lo MUS Joel Diamond CAST Ryan Gosling, Peter Meadows, Garret Dillahunt, Kris Eivers, Joel Marsh Garland, Billy Zane, Theresa Russell (Lina Moebius), Summer Phoenix, Jack Drummond, Sig Libowitz, James McCaffrey

THE HOUSE NEXT DOOR (2002) DIR Joey Travolta PROD Joey Travolta, James Russo SCR John Benjamin Martin CAM Pieter Stathis ED Pamela Benwick MUS John Sereda CAST James Russo, Theresa Russell (Helen Schmidt), Sean Young, A.J. Cook, Frederic Forrest, Matthew Harrison, John Benjamin Martin, Jennifer Carmichael, Christian Pepin, Harold Green

PASSIONADA (2002) DIR Dan Ireland PROD David Bakalar SCR Jim Jermanok, Steve Jermanok (story by David Bakalar) CAM Claudio Rocha ED Luis Colina MUS Harry Gregson-Williams CAST Jason Isaacs, Sofia Milos, Emmy Rossum, Theresa Russell (Lois Vargas), Lupe Ontiveros, Seymour Cassell, Chris Tardio, Benjamin Mouton, Robert Montano

NOW & FOREVER (2002) DIR Bob Clark PROD Leanne Arnott SCR Bill Boyle CAM Jan Kiesser ED Lenka Svab MUS Paul Zaza CAST Adam Beach, Mia Kirsher, Gordon Tootoosis, Theresa Russell (Dori Wilson), Gabriel Olds, Callum Keith Rennie, Simon Baker, Alexandra Purvis, Nicholas Treeshin, Benson McCulloch

SAVE IT FOR LATER (2003) DIR Clark Brigham PROD Clark Brigham, Richard B. Taylor III, Sara Gorr SCR Clark Brigham, Richard B. Taylor III CAM Barry Stone ED Megan B. Agosto MUS Mark Adler CAST Scott Cooper, Gabrielle Anwar, Tommy Hinkley, Theresa Russell (Jackie O’Connor), Craig Sheffer, Charles Esten, Jamison Jones, Adam McArthur, Veronica Karns, Todd Lejeune

THE BOX (2003) DIR Richard Pepin PROD Richard Pepin, James Russo, David Shoshan SCR James Russo CAM James M. LeGoy ED Stephen Adrianson MUS Chris Anderson CAST James Russo, Theresa Russell (Dora Baker), Brad Dourif, Steve Raislback, Jon Polito, Michael Rooker, John Snyder, Lee Weaver, Joe Palese, Lucille M. Oliver

SPIDER-MAN 3 (2007) DIR Sam Raimi PROD Laura Ziskin, Grant Curtis, Avi Arad SCR Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Alvin Sargent (screen story by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi; Marvel comic book by Stan Lee, Steve Ditko) CAM Bill Pope ED Bob Murawski MUS Christopher Young CAST Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Haden Church, Topher Grace, Bryce Dallas Howard, Rosemary Harris, J.K. Simmons, James Cromwell, Theresa Russell (Emma Marko), Dylan Baker, Elizabeth Banks, Willem Dafoe, Cliff Robertson, Stan Lee

ON THE DOLL (2007) DIR – SCR Thomas Mignone PROD Jeff Most CAM Nicole Hirsch Whitaker ED Tim Silano, Michal Shemesh MUS Paul D’Amour CAST Brittany Snow, Josh Janowicz, Clayne Crawford, Shanna Collins, Theresa Russell (Diane), James Russo, Paul Ben-Victor, Marcus Giamatti, Eddie Jamison, Angela Sarafyan, Candice King

CHINAMAN’S CHANCE: AMERICA’S OTHER SLAVES, a.k.a. ROAD TO HELL: A CHINAMAN’S CHANCE (2008) DIR Aki Aleong, Geqi Li PROD Dawna Lee Heising SCR Aki Aleong, Michael Moran CAM Tiago Mesquita, Ruben Russ ED Aki Aleong, Dustin Ferguson MUS Greg Kellogg, Longan So, Perris Alexander CAST Reggie Lee, Timothy Bottoms, Jason Connery, Coolio, Danny Trejo, Ernest Borgnine, Olivia Hussey, Lorenzo Lamas, Christopher Atkins, Geoffrey Lewis, Martin Kove, Edward Albert, Aki Aleong, Bo Svenson, Theresa Russell (Mrs. Williams), John Phillip Law, Tommy Chong, Maximillian Roeg

JOLENE (2008) DIR Dan Ireland PROD Riva Yares, Zachary Matz SCR Dennis Yares (story “Jolene: A Life” [2002] by E.L. Doctorow) CAM Claudio Rocha ED Luis Colina MUS Harry Gregson-Williams CAST Jessica Chastain, Frances Fisher, Rupert Friend, Dermot Mulroney, Zeberiah Newman, Chazz Palminteri, Denise Richards, Theresa Russell (Aunt Kay), Michael Vartan, Shannon Whirry

DARK WORLD (2008) DIR – SCR Zia Mojabi PROD Andrea Balen, Ben Neumann CAM Tom Hejda ED Dominique Buda MUS P. Daniel Newman CAST Michael Paré, Theresa Russell (Nicole), James Russo, Steven Bauer, Charles Arthur Berg, Julie St. Claire, Jen Graham, Trevor Stevens, LaVonne Rae Andrews, Jim Donald Ellis, Will Binghan, Aki Aleong

16 TO LIFE (2009) DIR – SCR Becky Smith PROD Becky Smith, Denise Mann CAM Quyen Tran ED Eleanor Infante MUS H. Scott Salinas CAST Hallee Hirsh, Mandy Musgrave, Shiloh Fernandez, Theresa Russell (Louise), Will Rothhaar, Jaime Gomez, Emily Foxler, Nicholas Downs, Carson Kressley

RID OF ME (2011) DIR – SCR – CAM James Westby PROD James Westby, Katie O’Grady MUS Jason Wells CAST Katie O’Grady, John Keyser, Storm Large, Orianna Herrman, Art Alexakis, Theresa Russell (Mrs. Lockwood), Morgan Herbert, Melik Malkasian, Betty Moyer, Melinda Chilton, Geno Romo

BORN TO RIDE (2011) DIR James Fargo PROD Michael C. Edwards, Martin Guigui, Dahlia Waingort Guigui SCR Robert Vozza, Mike Anthony Jones CAM Leo J. Napolitano ED Eric Potter MUS Ched Tolliver CAST Casper Van Dien, Patrick Muldoon, William Forsythe, Theresa Russell (Frances Callahan), Jack Maxwell, Branscombe Richmond, Jamison Jones, Kurt Andon, David Goryl, Kristin Herold, Daniel Rivera, Andre Caceres

1 OUT OF 7 (2011) DIR – SCR York Alec Shackleton PROD York Alec Shackleton, Dan Caldwell, Ari Palitz, William Phelps CAM Adam Silver ED York Alec Shackleton, D.W. Thomas MUS Frederick Wiedmann CAST Laura Ramsey, Toby Hemingway, Theresa Russell (Lexi’s Mother), Vivica A. Fox, Mika Boorem, Kelly Kruger, Matthew Carey, Bob Ball, Victoria Geil, Tyler Hollowell

THE LEGENDS OF NETHIAH (2012) DIR Tomax Aponte, Russ Emanuel PROD Jeremiah Sayys, Howard Nash SCR Emilio Iasiello (story by Jeremiah Sayys) CAM Benji Bakshi, Edward A. Gutentag ED Emile Haris MUS Neil Argo CAST Robert Picardo, John Heard, Theresa Russell (Nethiah’s Mother), Jilon Ghai, Jeremiah Sayys, Jared Young, Julie Michaels, Bryce Clyde Jenkins, April Littlejohn, Lavinia Dowdell

A WINTER ROSE (2014) DIR – CAM – ED – MUS Riz Story PROD Riz Story, Robert Miano SCR Riz Story, Wil Branca CAST Kimberly Whalen, Paul Sorvino, Theresa Russell (Rachel Love), Robert Miano, Billy Zane, Robert Miano, J.D. Parsons, Taryn Manning, Andy Dick, George Lazenby, Silvia Spross, Mackenzie Brooke Smith, Gary A. Kauffman, Miki Black

MOVING MOUNTAINS (2014) DIR Jeanie M. Clark PROD – ED Kevin Rhoades SCR Penny Loeb CAM Michelle Farrell CAST Theresa Russell (Trish Bragg), Tina Alexis Allen, Michael Alban, Rachel St. Gelais, T. Paige Dalporto, Austin Jetton, Michael Meredith, Greg Harpold, Rick Roberts, Taylor Horst, Terry McConnaughey

TV MOVIES

THICKER THAN WATER (1993) DIR Marc Evans PROD Sheryl Crown TELEPLAY Trevor Preston (novel “Thicker Than Water” by Dylan Jones) ED Sye Wyatt MUS Julian Wastall, Daemion Barry CAST Theresa Russell (Debbie/Jo), Jonathan Pryce, Robert Pugh, Catherine Neilson, Richard Lynch, Alan David, Crispin Letts, Sion Probert

TRADE-OFF (1995) DIR – PROD Andrew Lane TELEPLAY Paul Koval, Ed Fitzgerald CAM Steven Bernstein ED Bernard Gribble MUS David McHugh CAST Theresa Russell (Jackie Daniels), Adam Baldwin, Barry Primus, Megan Gallagher, Pat Skipper, Rod McCary, Richard K. Olsen, Julie Upton, Sandra Thigpen

ONCE YOU MEET A STRANGER (1996) DIR Tommy Lee Wallace PROD Philip L. Parslow TELEPLAY Tommy Lee Wallace, Raymond Chandler, Czenzi Ormonde (novel ‘Strangers on a Train’ [1950] by Patricia Higsmith; screenplay STRANGERS ON A TRAIN [1951] by Raymond Chandler, Czenzi Ormonde; adaptation by Whitfield Cook) CAST Jacqueline Bisset, Nick Mancuso, Theresa Russell (Margo Anthony), Anne Gee Byrd, Andi Chapman, Richard Doyle

EARTH VS. THE SPIDER (2001) DIR Scott Ziehl PROD Lou Arkoff, Stan Winston TELEPLAY Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Annie DeYoung, Max Enscoe (story by Cary Solomon, Chuck Konzelman, Mark ‘Crash’ McCreery) CAM Thomas L. Callaway MUS David Reynolds CAST Dan Aykroyd, Devon Gummersall, Theresa Russell (Trixie Grillo), Amelia Heinle, Christopher Cousins, Mario Roccuzzo, John Cho

PROJECT VIPER (2002) DIR Jim Wynorski PROD Lisa M. Hansen, Paul Hertzberg TELEPLAY David Mason, Curtis Joseph CAM Mario D’Ayala ED Craig Kitson MUS Neal Acree CAST Theresa Russell (Dr. Nancy Burnham), Patrick Muldoon, Curtis Armstrong, Joe Avalon, John Beck, James Cromwell, Tamara Davies, Lydie Denier

LOVE COMES SOFTLY (2003) DIR Michael Landon Jr. PROD Kevin Bocarde TELEPLAY Michael Landon Jr., Cindy Kelley (novel “Love Comes Softly” [1979] by Janette Oke) CAM James W. Wrenn ED Colleen Halsey MUS Ken Thorne, William Ashford CAST Katherine Heigl, Dale Midkiff, Theresa Russell (Sarah Graham), Skye McCole Bartusiak, Corbin Bernsen, Oliver Macready, Rutanya Alda

CHASING ALICE (2003) DIR Ralph Hemecker TELEPLAY Scott Lobdell (inspired by the writings of Lewis Carroll) CAST Sophie Winkleman, Magdalena Alexander, Theresa Russell, Suresh John, Greg Serano, Zack Ward, Ivana Milicevic

BLIND INJUSTICE (2005) DIR Rex Piano PROD Stanton W. Kamens TELEPLAY Peter Sullivan (story by Jim Snider, C. Thomas Howell) CAM Robert Hayes ED John Blizek MUS Ken Williams CAST Jamie Luner, Theresa Russell (Joanna Bartlett), Josie Davis, Thomas Mitchell, James Thomas, Todd Sandomirsky, Steven Kramer, K.C. Collins

LIZ & DICK (2012) DIR Lloyd Kramer PROD Lina Wong, Robert G. Endara III SCR Christopher Monger CAM Paula Huidobro ED Scott Chestnut MUS Lee Holdridge CAST Lindsay Lohan, Grant Bowler, Theresa Russell (Sara Taylor), David Hunt, Bruce Nozick, Tanya Franks, Charles Shaughnessy, David Eigenberg

TV MINI SERIES

BLIND AMBITION (1979) DIR George Schaefer PROD George Schaefer, Renée Valentine TELEPLAY Stanley R. Greenberg (memoirs “Blind Ambition: The White House Years” by John Dean, Maureen Dean, Taylor Branch) CAM Edward R. Brown ED John Wright, Arthur Hilton, Peter Parashelves MUS Walter Scharf CAST Martin Sheen, Rip Torn, Theresa Russell (Maureen Dean), William Daniels, Graham Jarvis, John Randolph, Ed Flanders, Christopher Guest

EMPIRE FALLS (2005) DIR Fred Schepisi PROD William Teitler TELEPLAY (novel “Empire Falls” [2001] by Richard Russo) CAM Ian Baker ED Kate Williams MUS Paul Grabowsky CAST Ed Harris, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Helen Hunt, Paul Newman, Robin Wright Penn, Aidan Quinn, Joanne Woodward, Dennis Farina, Estelle Parsons, Theresa Russell (Charlene), Kate Burton

DELETE (2013) DIR Steve Barron PROD Dan Clarke, Mary Anne Waterhouse TELEPLAY Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Tim Phillips CAM Joel Ransom ED Jamie Alain MUS Tim Phillips CAST Keir Gilchrist, Erin Karpluk, Ryan Robbins, Seth Green, Gil Bellows, Matt Frewer, Janet Kidder, Andrew Airlie, Blu Mankuma, Theresa Russell (Fiona)