James Russo

Last updated
James Russo
Born
James Vincent Russo

(1953-04-23) April 23, 1953 (age 71)
Alma mater New York University
OccupationActor
Years active1977–present
Spouse
Bettina Russo
(m. 1995;div. 2020)
Children2

James Vincent Russo (born April 23, 1953) [1] is an American film and television actor. He has appeared in over 150 films in three decades.

Contents

Early life

Russo was born in New York City, New York, to an Italian father and German mother. [2] A graduate of the High School of Art and Design and New York University (NYU), he wrote and starred in the prize-winning short film The Candy Store. Before his first break in acting, he drove for a cab company, worked as a construction worker and a gravedigger. [2] He was raised in Flushing, New York and spent his formative years on 156th street.[ citation needed ]

Career

Russo's first role in his acting career was in the 1981 made-for-television film Chicago Story . He then went on to star in many hit films of the 1980s.

His big break came in the form of a small role in the 1982 comedy film Fast Times at Ridgemont High , as a convenience store robber. In 1984, he appeared in Beverly Hills Cop as Mikey Tandino, a friend of Axel Foley who is murdered. [3] That same year he starred in The Cotton Club and played small-time hood Bugsy in Sergio Leone's Once Upon a Time in America . Russo's other big role was as a brutal rapist in the 1986 drama Extremities , opposite Farrah Fawcett. [2] He starred in the 1988 drama-suspense-thriller film Freeway.

Russo's film roles in the 1990s include State of Grace (1990), A Kiss Before Dying (1991), [4] and My Own Private Idaho (1991). [5] Russo was a co-lead in Abel Ferrara's Dangerous Game (1993) alongside Madonna and Harvey Keitel. He also had roles in the 1994 Western Bad Girls , [6] the 1997 films The Postman , [7] and Donnie Brasco . [8] In 2009 he had a small role in Michael Mann's Public Enemies as a member of John Dillinger's gang. [9]

In 2003, Russo was reunited with his co-star from The Postman, Kevin Costner, in the Western film Open Range . [10] He made guest appearances in many TV dramas and films, including The Equalizer , Miami Vice , CSI , CSI: Miami , and Las Vegas .

In the summer of 2009, Russo starred in the psychological thriller 7E with Brendan Sexton III, John Savage and Natasha Lyonne. The film was released on December 10, 2013. [11] Russo had a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino's 2012 film Django Unchained . [12]

In 2011, Russo provided video game voice talent for Rage and provided additional voice work for Star Wars: The Old Republic .

He appeared on Bastille's music video for "Of the Night". [13]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1982 A Stranger Is Watching Ronald Thompson
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Robber
Vortex Anthony Demmer
1983 Exposed Nick
1984 Once Upon a Time in America Bugsy
Beverly Hills Cop Mikey Tandino
The Cotton Club Vince Hood
1986 Extremities Joe
1987 China Girl Alby
1988 The Blue Iguana Reno
Freeway Frank Quinn
1989 The Belt Vittorio De Simone
The Vineyard Teddy
We're No Angels Bobby
1990 State of Grace DeMarcoUncredited
1991 A Kiss Before Dying Dan Corelli
My Own Private Idaho Richard Waters
Cold Heaven Daniel Corvin
Intimate StrangerNick CicciniTV film
1992In the Shadow of a KillerCharlie VanTV film
Illicit BehaviorBill Tanner
1993 Desperate Rescue: The Cathy Mahone Story Don FeeneyTV film
Trauma Capt. Travis
Da Vinci's WarMintz
Double DeceptionJon KaneTV film
Dangerous Game Francis Burns
1994 Bad Girls Kid Jarrett
1995The SecretaryTed BurkeTV film
Panther Rodgers
Condition Red Dan Cappelli
The Set Up Kliff
1996 Livers Ain't Cheap a.k.a. The Real Thing Rupert Little
No Way Home Tommy
American Strays Eddie
Small Time Jerry
1997 Donnie Brasco Paulie
Laws of Deception Gino Carlucci
The Girl Gets Moe a.k.a. Love to Kill Brannagin
Under OathWarren Erickson
The Postman Idaho
1998HeistNick the Stick
My Husband's Secret LifeSal BianculliTV film
Butter a.k.a. Never 2 BigJuke Box Danny
Fait Accompli a.k.a. Voodoo DawnLuc
Charades a.k.a. FelonsMax Targenville
DetourZiggy Rotella
1999BitterSweetJoe Massa
Jimmy Zip Otis Campbell
The Ninth Gate Bernie
Diamonds DamianUncredited
2000 Sonic Impact Agent Nick Halton
The Unscarred Mickey Vernon
Deep Core Darryl Simmons
Paper BulletsJohn Rourke
Hidden War Matt Forman
Bad GuysJohn Tykor
2001PendulumEdward Mills
Double Deception a.k.a. 24 Hours to DieSnake
2002Shattered LiesSmiler
The House Next DoorCarl Schmidt
RedemptionCapt. Grill
My Daughter's TearsMr. Quinn
2003 Stealing Sinatra Frank Sinatra
A Good Night to Die Roy
Paris Leon King
The Box Frank Miles
Open Range Marshal Poole
2004 Target Donovan
Fallacy
2005One Among UsRyan Brannigan (the Ex-Cop)
Come as You AreBenny
Confessions of a Pit Fighter Sharkey
2006All InDr. Pennington
Broken Trail Captain Billy FenderTV film
Satanic Eddie
Shut Up and Shoot! David Sanchez
Blackwater Valley ExorcismThe Bishop
Cut Off Gonzo
2007 Chill Detective Defazio
Blue Lake MassacreSheriff Jack
Machine Butch
The Pink ConspiracyCox
The HitMr. Santucci
On the Doll Janitor
2008Little Red DevilMr. Trundell
Dark WorldCharlie
Kings of the Evening Ramsey
Stiletto Engelhart
Deadwater Commander Combs
Born of EarthTom Reeser
Shoot First and Pray You Live (Because Luck Has Nothing to Do with It)Bob McGurk
Break The Father
2009 Charlie Valentine Rocco
Never Surrender Jimmy
Public Enemies Walter Dietrich
Dreams and Shadows John Brunette
Taken by Force
2010One in the GunJimmy
Dark WoodsSheriff Demming
Boy Wonder Larry Childs
Love Sick DiariesLorenzo De'mon
2011Good God Bad DogPeter Elias
Miss Bala Jimmy
The Dragon WarriorClaudius
Yellow RockMax Dietrich
2012 Django Unchained Dicky Speck
RevanStone
2013Samuel BleakCharles Bleak
Five ThirteenAgent Acevedo
Chavez Cage of Glory Tony
7ESam
2014 Perfect Sisters Steve Bowman
Strike OnePaul Fairfield
The Bag Man Original screenplay
2015 Voiceless Pastor Gil
Black Mass Agent Scott GariolaUncredited
An American Hero
2016 Vigilante Diaries Mr. Hanover
2017 Living Among Us Aaron
2018 Desolate Duke Stone
2019BadlandFred Quaid
2020 A Soldier's Revenge Walsh
2021 Flag Day Lead Biker
2023 MobKing Dominick “Dom” Sasso
Among WolvesThomas Barclay

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1985 The Equalizer Police DetectiveEpisode: "China Rain"
Miami Vice Frank SaccoEpisode: "The Prodigal Son"
1987 Crime Story Nat MartinoEpisode: "Ground Zero"
1988 Friday the 13th: The Series Janos KordaEpisode: "Symphony in B-Sharp"
1991 Gabriel's Fire Charles CrowleyEpisode: "Belly of the Beast"
1997 C-16: FBI Frank SarettiEpisode: "Eight Pounds of Pressure"
2000 Falcone Victor MuraEpisode: "Pilot"
2004 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation SinclairEpisode: "Getting Off"
Without a Trace Michael KraussEpisode: "Lost and Found"
2005 Joan of Arcadia James KaronEpisode: "Trial and Error"
2006 Las Vegas Warren PembertonEpisode: "The Story of Owe"
2006–2008 CSI: Miami Joey Salucci2 episodes
2008 The Capture of the Green River Killer Jeb Dallas2-part miniseries
2009 Numb3rs John CurtisEpisode: "12:01 AM"
Dark Blue Robert FranzineEpisode: "Pilot"
2012–2013 Vegas Anthony 'Red' Cervelli15 episodes
2014–2015 Chicago Fire Papa Lullo3 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2011 Rage Voice Talent
Star Wars: The Old Republic Additional VoicesGrouped under "Additional Voices provided by"

Stage

Off-Broadway
YearTitleRole
1982 Extremities Raul

Music videos

YearTitleArtist
2013 Of the Night Bastille

Awards

YearAssociationAwardNominated workResult
1983 Theatre World Award Extremities [14] Won
2004 San Diego Film Festival Best Actor The Box [15] Won

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References

  1. "James Russo". AllMovie . Retrieved February 6, 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 Staff, People (September 22, 1986). "James Russo Makes a Big Splash Stalking Farrah in Extremities, but as a Talker He's All Wet". People . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  3. Pirnia, Garin (December 5, 2014). "6 Ways Beverly Hills Cop Changed Comedy Forever". Esquire . Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  4. Cedrone, Lou (April 26, 1991). "Pucker up for murder 'Kiss Before Dying' packs potent punch". The Evening Sun . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  5. Kehr, Dave (October 18, 1991). "'MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO' PUTS FILMMAKING IN A GREAT STATE". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  6. Rainer, Peter (April 22, 1994). "Movie Reviews : 'Bad Girls': A High-Fashion Western". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  7. Johnson, Malcolm (December 24, 1997). "CREDIT DUE: 'THE POSTMAN' DELIVERS". Hartford Courant . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  8. Maslin, Janet (February 28, 1997). "Al Pacino as Gangster, A Guy Who's Not Wise". The New York Times . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  9. Sragow, Michael (July 1, 2009). "DEPP AND HIS INNER OUTLAW". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  10. McCarthy, Todd (August 10, 2003). "Open Range". Variety . Retrieved October 18, 2017.
  11. Jagernauth, Kevin (November 4, 2013). "Exclusive: Trailer For Thriller '7E' Starring Brendan Sexton III, James Russo & Natasha Lyonne". IndieWire . Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  12. Sneider, Jeff (November 9, 2011). "Thesps line up for 'Django Unchained'". Variety. Retrieved November 11, 2011.
  13. Trendell, Andrew (October 9, 2013). "Bastille to re-release Bad Blood with new tracks and new single". Gigwise . Retrieved October 14, 2013.
  14. James Russo - Awards Archived October 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at Internet Broadway Database
  15. "Award Winners". August 28, 2010. Archived from the original on August 28, 2010. Retrieved September 23, 2019.