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IMDbPro

David O. Russell

  • Producer
  • Director
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0001198
David O. Russell
From 'American Hustle' to 'Silver Linings Playbook,' here's a look at some of our favorite moments from the films of David O. Russell. Which film is your favorite?
Play clip1:38
David O. Russell | Director Supercut
6 Videos
99+ Photos
David Owen Russell is an American film writer, director, and producer, known for a cinema of intense, tragi-comedic characters whose love of life can surpass dark circumstances faced in very specific worlds. His films address such themes as mental illness as stigma or hope; invention of self and survival; the family home as nexus of love, hate, transgression, and strength; women of power and inspiration; beauty and comedy found in twisted humble circumstances; the meaning of violence, war, and greed; and the redemptive power of music above all.

Russell has been nominated for five Academy Awards® and four Golden Globes®. He has won four Independent Spirit Awards and two BAFTA Awards. He has been nominated for three WGA awards and two DGA awards. He has collaborated with actors Bradley Cooper, Robert De Niro, Jennifer Lawrence, and Mark Wahlberg, on three films each, and with Christian Bale and Amy Adams, on two films each. Jennifer Lawrence won the Academy Award for Best Actress in Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and Christian Bale and Melissa Leo won for best supporting actor and actress in The Fighter (2010). Russell is the only director to have two consecutively-released films (Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and _American Hustle (2013)_ qv) garner Academy Award® nominations in all four acting categories. Jennifer Lawrence earned an Academy Award® nomination and Golden Globe® win for Best Actress for her work in Russell's most recent film Joy (2015). To date Russell's films have garnered a total of 26 Academy Award nominations and 19 Golden Globe nominations. In 2016, the Art Directors Guild honored Russell with the Contribution to Cinematic Imagery Award.

Russell is a board member and longtime supporter of the Ghetto Film School, which helps develop and support emerging filmmakers in the South Bronx and runs the nation's first film public high school. He also has been an ardent supporter of the Glenholme School, a therapeutic boarding school for children and young adults with special educational needs. He was instrumental in raising funds to build a new arts center at Glenholme that opened in 2011. Glenholme honored Russell in 2011 with the Bowen Award for Outstanding Support and in 2015 with the Doucette Award for Longstanding Commitment.

Russell was recently honored by the renowned McLean Hospital for his efforts to advance public awareness of mental health issues through advocacy and his 2012 film Silver Linings Playbook. The director has been open about his own family's experiences with mental illness. His advocacy efforts brought him to Washington where he and actor Bradley Cooper supported legislation in Congress and met with Vice President Joe Biden to also discuss parity for mental health in all health care.

Born in New York City, Russell attended public schools in Mamaroneck, NY. He continued his education at Amherst College, where he majored in literature and political science, and was given an honorary degree in 2002. He started as a writer before making his first documentary short about the Hispanic immigrant community in Boston. He earned critical acclaim early in his career in 1994 when he wrote and directed his first feature film, Spanking the Monkey, which won the Audience Award at Sundance and two Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best First Screenplay. Russell's early films include Three Kings (1999) and Flirting with Disaster (1996).
BornAugust 20, 1958
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 20, 1958
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,0001198
  • Unlock contact info on IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 5 Oscars
    • 45 wins & 100 nominations total

Photos162

David O. Russell in Joy (2015)
Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell in The Fighter (2010)
Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell in The Fighter (2010)
David O. Russell in I Heart Huckabees (2004)
David O. Russell
Robert De Niro and David O. Russell
Lily Tomlin and David O. Russell
Lily Tomlin, David O. Russell, and Matthew Weiner at an event for Flirting with Disaster (1996)
Lily Tomlin, Zanne Devine, David O. Russell, and Matthew Weiner at an event for Flirting with Disaster (1996)
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Curtis Hanson, and David O. Russell
Bradley Cooper and David O. Russell
David O. Russell and Jennifer Lawrence at an event for The Oscars (2016)

Known for

Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle (2013)
American Hustle
7.2
  • Director
  • 2013
Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
Silver Linings Playbook
7.7
  • Director
  • 2012
George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube in Three Kings (1999)
Three Kings
7.1
  • Director
  • 1999
Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in The Fighter (2010)
The Fighter
7.8
  • Director
  • 2010

Credits

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IMDbPro

Producer

  • Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in Amsterdam (2022)
    Amsterdam
    • producer (produced by, p.g.a.)
    • 2022
  • Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy (2015)
    Joy
    • producer (produced by)
    • 2015
  • Outer Space Astronauts (2009)
    Outer Space Astronauts
    • executive producer
    • producer
    • TV Series
    • 2009
  • Will Ferrell in Wake Up, Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Wake Up, Ron Burgundy
    • executive producer
    • Video
    • 2004
  • Soldiers Pay (2004)
    Soldiers Pay
    • producer
    • Short
    • 2004
  • Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Naomi Watts, and Ger Duany in I Heart Huckabees (2004)
    I Heart Huckabees
    • producer
    • 2004
  • Christina Applegate, Will Ferrell, Steve Carell, David Koechner, and Paul Rudd in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
    • executive producer
    • 2004
  • David Morse and Ryan Gosling in The Slaughter Rule (2002)
    The Slaughter Rule
    • producer
    • 2002
  • Spanking the Monkey (1994)
    Spanking the Monkey
    • executive producer
    • 1994
  • Hairway to the Stars (1989)
    Hairway to the Stars
    • producer
    • Short
    • 1989
  • Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions
    • producer
    • Short
    • 1987

Director

  • Super Toys
    • Director
    • Pre-production
  • Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in Amsterdam (2022)
    Amsterdam
    • Director (directed by)
    • 2022
  • Past Forward (2016)
    Past Forward
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2016
  • Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy (2015)
    Joy
    • Director
    • 2015
  • Paul Reubens, Catherine Keener, Jessica Biel, James Marsden, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Tracy Morgan in Accidental Love (2015)
    Accidental Love
    • Director (as Stephen Greene)
    • 2015
  • Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle (2013)
    American Hustle
    • Director
    • 2013
  • Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
    Silver Linings Playbook
    • Director
    • 2012
  • Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale in The Fighter (2010)
    The Fighter
    • Director
    • 2010
  • Soldiers Pay (2004)
    Soldiers Pay
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2004
  • Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Naomi Watts, and Ger Duany in I Heart Huckabees (2004)
    I Heart Huckabees
    • Director
    • 2004
  • George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube in Three Kings (1999)
    Three Kings
    • Director
    • 1999
  • Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, and Ben Stiller in Flirting with Disaster (1996)
    Flirting with Disaster
    • Director
    • 1996
  • Spanking the Monkey (1994)
    Spanking the Monkey
    • Director
    • 1994
  • Hairway to the Stars (1989)
    Hairway to the Stars
    • Director
    • Short
    • 1989
  • Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions
    • Director
    • Short
    • 1987

Writer

  • Super Toys
    • Writer
    • Pre-production
  • Christian Bale, John David Washington, and Margot Robbie in Amsterdam (2022)
    Amsterdam
    • written by
    • 2022
  • Past Forward (2016)
    Past Forward
    • written by
    • Short
    • 2016
  • Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence in Joy (2015)
    Joy
    • screenplay
    • story
    • 2015
  • Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Bradley Cooper, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence in American Hustle (2013)
    American Hustle
    • written by
    • 2013
  • Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence in Silver Linings Playbook (2012)
    Silver Linings Playbook
    • screenplay
    • 2012
  • Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Mark Wahlberg, Isabelle Huppert, Jason Schwartzman, Lily Tomlin, Naomi Watts, and Ger Duany in I Heart Huckabees (2004)
    I Heart Huckabees
    • written by
    • 2004
  • George Clooney, Mark Wahlberg, and Ice Cube in Three Kings (1999)
    Three Kings
    • screenplay
    • 1999
  • Patricia Arquette, Téa Leoni, and Ben Stiller in Flirting with Disaster (1996)
    Flirting with Disaster
    • written by
    • 1996
  • Spanking the Monkey (1994)
    Spanking the Monkey
    • written by
    • 1994
  • Hairway to the Stars (1989)
    Hairway to the Stars
    • Writer
    • Short
    • 1989
  • Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions
    • Writer
    • Short
    • 1987
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos6

David O. Russell | Director Supercut
Clip 1:38
David O. Russell | Director Supercut
Cage Insider - Interview with Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell
Clip 1:41
Cage Insider - Interview with Mark Wahlberg and David O. Russell
American Hustle TV Spot "Imposter"
Clip 0:32
American Hustle TV Spot "Imposter"
'American Hustle' Director & Cast Interview
Interview 8:07
'American Hustle' Director & Cast Interview
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:57
Official Trailer
The Envelope Screening Series
Featurette 4:59
The Envelope Screening Series

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Official Site
    • Youtube channel
  • Alternative names
    • Stephen Greene
  • Height
    • 5′ 11″ (1.80 m)
  • Born
    • August 20, 1958
    • Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
  • Spouse
    • Janet Grillo1992 - 2007 (divorced, 1 child)
  • Children
      Matthew Antonio Grillo Russell
  • Parents
      Bernard Russell
  • Relatives
    • Matthew Muzio(Cousin)
  • Other works
    Performed uncredited rewrites of the scripts to Stuart Little (1999), Meet the Fockers (2004), and has also written a draft of the adaptation "Henry's List of Wrongs", which has since been scrapped by the studio.
  • Publicity listings
    • 3 Interviews
    • 7 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    The only director to helm two consecutively-released films (Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013)) that were nominated for Academy Awards in all acting categories.
  • Quotes
    There's nothing better than an actor who is really, really hungry to show everything they've got.
  • Trademarks
      Handheld camera movement

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