About
| Birth Name: | Russo, James Vincent |
| Birth Notes: | 23 April 1953, New York City, New York, USA |
| Height: | 5' 10" |
| Family: | * 'Bettina Russo' (1995 - present); 2 children |
| Biography: | A Manhattan-born character player who attended New York University, actor James Russo wrote and starred in a prize-winning short film called The Candy Store while attending college. His first big film break was as a convenience store robber in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982). Possessed with a stare that can bring shivers down one's back, he has been quite the accessible villain over the years, memorably portraying a number of gritty psychopaths and gangsters, among other undesirables. Surprisingly, Russo is not a name or commodity, yet an intense and dependable 'tough guy' performer he has proven to be. One only needs to be reminded of his sadistic sexual animal role in "Extremities" on stage (in which he won a 1983 Theatre World) and in film (in which he terrorized Farrah Fawcett), to recall how chillingly effective he can be. Other decent roles in films include Kevin Costner's The Postman (1997) and Open Range (2003), plus Beverly Hills Cop (1984), We're No Angels (1989), Donnie Brasco (1996), No Way Home (1996), and a number of lowbudget crimers. On stage, he has "Welcome to Andromeda," "Deathwatch," "Marat/Sade" and the afore-mentioned "Extremities" to his credit. Russo appeared opposite Johnny Depp in Roman Polanski's The Ninth Gate (1999), and portrayed mobster Victor Mura in TV's short-lived "Falcone" the following year. More recently, he offered a penetrating cameo as Frank Sinatra in "Stealing Sinatra" (2003). |
Filmography
| A Kiss Before Dying (1991) as Dan Corelli |
| A Stranger Is Watching (1982) as Ronald Thompson |
| American Strays (1996) as Eddie |
| Charlie Valentine (2009) as Rocco |
| China Girl (1987) as Alberto Monte |
| Confessions of a Pit Fighter (2005) as Sharkey |
| Cut Off (2006) as Gonzo |
| Extremities (1986) as Joe |
| Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) as Robber |
| Little Red Devil (2008) as Mr. Trundell |
| Livers Ain't Cheap (1996) as Rupert Little |
| Never Surrender (2009) as Jimmy |
| On the Doll (2007) as Janitor |
| Once Upon a Time in America (1984) as Bugsy |
| Open Range (2003) as Sheriff Poole |
| Panther (1995) as Rodgers |
| Public Enemies (2009) as Walter Dietrich |
| Shut Up and Shoot! (2006) as David Sanchez |
| Stealing Sinatra (2003) as Frank Sinatra |
| The House Next Door (2002) as Carl Schmidt |
| The Ninth Gate (1999) as Bernie |
| The Pink Conspiracy (2007) as Cox |
| The Postman (1997) as Idaho |
| The Vineyard (1989) as Teddy |
| 7E (2010) as Sam |
| A Good Night to Die (2003) as Roy |
| All In (2006) as Dr. Pennington |
| An American Hero (2010) |
| Arya (2009) as Dr. Sivis |
| Bad Girls (1994) as Kid Jarrett |
| Bad Guys (2000) as John Tykor |
| Beverly Hills Cop (1984) as Mikey Tandino |
| Blood on the Border (2011) |
| Blue Lake Massacre (2007) as Sheriff Jack |
| Born of Earth (2008) as Tom Reeser |
| Boy Wonder (2010) as Larry Childs |
| Break (2008) as The Father |
| Butter (1998) as Juke Box Danny |
| Charades (1998) as Max Targenville |
| Cold Heaven (1991) as Daniel Corvin |
| Come as You Are (2005) as Benny |
| Condition Red (1995) as Dan Cappelli |
| Da Vinci's War (1993) as Mintz |
| Dangerous Game (1993) as Francis Burns |
| Dark Star Hollow (2011) as Captain John Barteaux |
| Dark Woods (2009) as Sheriff Demming |
| Dark World (2008) as Charlie |
| Deadwater (2008) as Commander Combs |
| Deep Core (2000) as Darryl Simmons |
| Detour (1998) as Ziggy Rotella |
| Diamonds (1999) as Damian |
| Donnie Brasco (1997) as Paulie |
| Double Deception (2001) as Snake |
| Dreams and Shadows (2010) as John Brunette |
| Exposed (1983) as Nick |
| Fait Accompli (1998) as Luc |
| Fallacy (2004) |
| Freeway (1988) as Frank Quinn |
| Good God Bad Dog (2009) as Peter Elias |
| Heist (1998) as Nick the Stick |
| Illicit Behavior (1992) as Bill Tanner |
| Jimmy Zip (1999) as Otis Campbell |
| Kings of the Evening (2008) as Ramsey |
| La cintura (1989) as Vittorio De Simone |
| Laws of Deception (1997) as Gino Carlucci |
| Love Sick Diaries (2010) as Lorenzo De'mon |
| Machine (2007) as Butch |
| My Daughter's Tears (2002) as Mr. Quinn |
| My Own Private Idaho (1991) as Richard Waters |
| No Way Home (1996) as Tommy |
| One Among Us (2005) as Ryan Brannigan (the Ex-Cop) |
| One in the Gun (2010) as Jimmy |
| Paper Bullets (2000) as John Rourke |
| Paris (2003) as Leon King |
| Pendulum (2001) as Edward Mills |
| Resurrected (2010) as Detective Lyndt |
| Samuel Bleak (2011) as Charles Bleak |
| Satanic (2006) as Eddie |
| Shattered Lies (2002) as Smiler |
| Shoot First and Pray You Live (Because Luck Has Nothing to Do with It) (2008) as McGurk |
| Short (2003) as Agent |
| Small Time (1996) as Jerry |
| Sonic Impact (1999) as Agent Nick Halton |
| State of Grace (1990) as DeMarco |
| Stiletto (2008) as Engelhart |
| Street Poet (2010) as Ramsey |
| Target (2004) as Donovan |
| The Blue Iguana (1988) as Reno |
| The Box (2003) as Frank Miles |
| The Cotton Club (1984) as Vince Hood |
| The Dead Cage (2010) as Galucci |
| The Devil's Banker (2011) as Licio Gelli |
| The Gift Horse (2011) as Billy Lee Hendricks |
| The Girl Gets Moe (1997) as Brannagin |
| The Hit (2007) as Mr. Santucci |
| The One Warrior (2010) as Claudius |
| The Set Up (1995) as Kliff |
| The Unscarred (1999) as Mickey Vernon |
| Trauma (1993) as Capt. Travis |
| Under Oath (1997) as Warren Erickson |
| Vortex (1982) as Anthony Demmer |
| We're No Angels (1989) as Bobby Singer |
| Wild Michigan (2011) as Preacher Collins |
| Yellow Rock (2011) as Max Dietrich |
Trivia
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* Worked as a cab driver for three years and a gravedigger before becoming an actor. * Has two older brothers, Daniel and Thomas. In the late 1980s People Magazine reported erroniously that Russo is an only child. * Attended the High School of Art & Design in New York City. * Member of the jury at the Beverly Hills film festival along with Billy Zane, Martin Vartanov, Corbin Bernsen, Robert Davi, Elisa Donovan. [2009]. |
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