Kurt Russell’s journey in the movie industry spans nearly his entire life, starting as a Disney actor. He fondly recalls that his name was the last thing Walt Disney said before his passing, marking a poignant moment in his early career.
Over the years, Kurt Russell has etched his name into film history, and his enduring partnership with actress Goldie Hawn serves as a shining example of a successful Hollywood relationship. Together for over four decades, they’ve demonstrated resilience, love, and mutual respect, with no intentions of altering their bond anytime soon.
In recent years, Kurt Russell has maintained a relatively low profile, undergoing surgery and reducing his film appearances. However, the legendary actor has made a comeback, and glimpses of him in his new role have ignited excitement among fans.
Born on March 17, 1951, Kurt Russell’s trajectory into acting wasn’t predetermined, considering his father’s fervent dedication to another passion. While Bing Russell, technically an actor, found his true calling in baseball.
Growing up in the Los Angeles suburb of Thousand Oaks, Kurt Russell reminisces about how baseball permeated his early years, shaping his childhood experiences.
“He loved passing on his knowledge of the game,” he recalled.
Kurt Russell – early life
“Baseball was what we were going to do. That was it. We had a batting cage in our backyard. That was our backyard. For my family, baseball was a year-round thing. Acting was a business for me like it was for my dad. I made money, but I wanted to play baseball. That was the pursuit.”
Despite baseball being a significant passion for the Russell family, Kurt’s father introduced his son to the acting industry during his childhood.
At the age of 12, Kurt appeared in shows such as “The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters”, and his credits included appearances on “Gilligan’s Island” and “The Virginian”. His acting career took off when he signed a 10-year deal with Disney while still in high school. However, baseball remained his top priority.
At 11, Kurt Russell landed his first movie role, and it was a memorable one. He found himself sharing the screen with none other than Elvis Presley in the film “It Happened At The World’s Fair”. Surprisingly, one of his tasks was to kick(!) Elvis in the shins.
In the film, Presley’s character needed a minor injury to interact with a nurse, so he asked Kurt Russell’s character to kick him in the shins. It took 15 takes to get it right.
“One time I got close to the edge of it and he looked at me, because he trusted me, and went ‘…stay on the pad’. What a nice guy he was. Yeah. He was 27 years old,” Russell recalled in an interview with GQ Magazine.
He spent around two weeks filming with Elvis, and during breaks, they spent a lot of time together. They played catch and discussed baseball.
“He was cool. “An incredibly nice guy,” Kurt Russell said about Elvis.”
Kurt Russell’s early teenage years were bustling as he rose to fame as a popular child actor, largely propelled by his association with Walt Disney himself.
Walt Disney’s last words were famous “Kurt Russell”. As mentioned, Russell had signed a 10-year deal with Disney, starring in numerous productions, including his first Disney film, “Follow Me, Boys!” in 1966, “The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band” in 1968, “The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes” in 1969, and “Now You See Him, Now You Don’t” in 1972, among others.
Walt Disney, a legendary figure in film history, passed away in 1966 when Russell was still a teenager. However, a few years later, Russell discovered something that left him astonished.
Russell learned that he had been the last thing Walt Disney wrote before his death. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Russell recounted the moment he was informed about this by a woman, possibly Disney’s secretary. She pointed to something Disney had written and revealed that he had written Russell’s name as the last entry.
“She was pointing out that that’s the last thing he wrote. That’s the only thing I know,” Russell said.
Russell also shared that he had a close relationship with Walt Disney, who took care of him when he first arrived at the studio. He described Walt as reminiscent of his grandfather.
“I was very comfortable around him, and I had a great time with him, great relationship, and it was very important. He said to me, ‘Baseball might not be something that you end up doing as a career.’ He said, ‘I think you might want to look at things in this business because I think you’re going to have a long career.’ So he did have a strong effect on me,” Russell added, reflecting on his relationship with Walt Disney.
Baseball was still Russell’s passion at that point, and he aimed to go pro. He played second base for Thousand Oaks High and later joined Class A Short Season Bend in the Northwest League before the 1971 season. He even made the All-Star team and continued playing for the Double-A El Paso team. Minor league teams like the Portland Mavericks also counted him among their players for four seasons, and he seemed destined for a major league career.
However, fate had other plans. A devastating injury to his rotator cuff dashed his dreams of a baseball career. Ironically, it was his involvement in baseball that steered him towards acting.
“I found out it was over from a doctor who had a terrible bedside manner. He examined me and said, ‘Aren’t you an actor too?’ I said, ‘Yeah, yeah.’ And he said, ‘Well, you’re an actor all the time now.’ [Laughs] That was it. He just walked out of the room. I sat there for like ten minutes, not knowing what to do. I was like, ‘Is that it?’ A nurse had to come in and get me. I was just devastated,” Russell recalled.
Despite the setback, Russell’s injury turned out to be a blessing in disguise as he embarked on a successful career in acting. He became a household name through his roles in films such as “Escape From New York” (1981), “Silkwood” (1983), “Tombstone” (1993), and “The Hateful Eight” (2015). Yet, perhaps his greatest success story lies in his enduring romance with Goldie Hawn, with whom he has shared over four decades of love and partnership.
Goldie and Kurt initially crossed paths while filming “The Only and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band” in 1966.
“I was 21, and he was 16,” Hawn reminisced in a BBC interview. “I thought he was adorable, but he was much too young. Then, years later, we met up again, and I remembered that I liked him very much when I first met him. We both said we would never go out with another actor, so it just shows you never can tell.”
Their love story, however, didn’t start right away.
Goldie Hawn married actor Gus Trikonis in 1969, and they separated after four years. In June 1976, she finalized her divorce and soon after married Bill Hudson. Their marriage lasted six years.
It wasn’t until 1983, during the filming of “Swing Shift,” that Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn reunited. Russell made an impression on Hawn with his candid remark: “Man, you’ve got a great figure.”
“I was severely hungover, and I didn’t know Goldie at all outside of having worked with her those many years before,” Russell recalled in a 2017 interview with Conan O’Brien. “I just didn’t have in my mind what I was going to see, and she had a great body. So the first thing that came out was, ‘Man, you’ve got a great figure.’ It came out quickly and it could’ve gone wrong, and she said, ‘Why thank you.’”
By that time, Goldie already had two children from her marriage to Bill Hudson, Oliver, born September 7, 1976, and Kate, born April 19, 1979.
In an episode of their podcast “Sibling Revelry,” Kate and Oliver shared the moment when Kurt captured their mother’s heart. Kate was about three years old, and Oliver was six at the time.
“It was the first time she brought him home to the house, it wasn’t their first date, but it’s a beautiful story,” Kate said. “We were living in deep Malibu, and Mum said that was when she fell in love with Kurt right away because she brought him back to the house, and we were already asleep.”
As for why Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn never tied the knot, Kate and Oliver shared insights into their parents’ relationship dynamics. Recalling a poignant moment when Kurt visited their home, Kate described how Kurt sat beside each of them as they slept, symbolizing his bond with each child.
“One thing led to another,” and Kurt and Goldie welcomed their son, Wyatt Russell, in 1986. Despite their enduring love and successful careers in Hollywood, the couple has chosen not to marry. They made an exception to their rule when they starred together in the film “Overboard” in 1987 and watched it together, reminiscing about their relationship.
Goldie and Kurt’s four-decade-long relationship thrives on their unique bond, which they believe is strengthened by their decision not to marry. They emphasize the importance of maintaining individual identities and spending time apart to nurture their connection.
While Goldie has occasionally referred to Kurt as her husband, they engage in ongoing discussions about the terms they use to define their relationship. Ultimately, their enduring love transcends labels and serves as an inspiration to many.
Goldie reflected on the significance of closure in relationships, expressing the idea that sometimes closing a door with finality can lead to personal growth and transformation.
Despite his age and successful career, Kurt Russell continues to pursue acting because it brings him joy and fulfillment. His latest endeavor, starring in the upcoming Godzilla movie “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” has fans eagerly anticipating his performance.
What makes this film even more special is that Kurt’s son, Wyatt Russell, is also part of the cast, portraying the same character as his father at different stages of life. Director Matt Shakman expressed excitement about this unique opportunity, highlighting the uncanny resemblance between father and son and the serendipitous alignment of their talents with the project.
For fans of both Kurt Russell and Godzilla, the combination of the legendary actor and the iconic monster promises an exhilarating cinematic experience.
The announcement of Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell’s casting generated significant excitement among fans, who took to social media to express their enthusiasm.
Twitter users praised the casting choice, with one remarking on its excellence and others eagerly anticipating the opportunity for Wyatt to act alongside his own father.
The prospect of seeing the two Russells in the same movie, albeit not sharing the screen together, has fans eagerly awaiting the film’s release. It’s a momentous occasion for Wyatt, potentially marking his ascent to Hollywood stardom alongside his renowned parents.
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