Get a closer look at some of Hollywood's perfect pairs.

Hollywood Power Couples

Get a closer look at some of Hollywood&#39;s perfect pairs.

These actors totally transform for their roles. See them in some of their most memorable moments.

The Greatest Character Actors of All Time

From [link=/name/nm6180088/]Young Mazino[/link] in "[link=/title/tt3581920]The Last of Us[/link]" to [link=/name/nm12043107]Sarah Bock[/link] in "[link=/title/tt11280740]Severance[/link]," check out these popular and up-and-coming stars who are taking Hollywood by storm.

Asian Hollywood Stars to Watch

From <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm6180088/?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Young Mazino</a> in &quot;<a class="ipc-md-link" href="/title/tt3581920?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">The Last of Us</a>&quot; to <a class="ipc-md-link" href="/name/nm12043107?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Sarah Bock</a> in &quot;<a class="ipc-md-link" href="/title/tt11280740?ref_=nmmi_eds_right-7_lk">Severance</a>,&quot; check out these popular and up-and-coming stars who are taking Hollywood by storm.

Michael Keaton and Rene Russo in One Good Cop (1991)

Rene Russo in Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Rene Russo in The Thomas Crown Affair (1999)

Rene Russo and Chris Hemsworth in Avengers: Endgame (2019)

Rene Russo and Jake Gyllenhaal in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

John Malkovich and Rene Russo in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Rene Russo and Toni Collette in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Rene Russo and Zawe Ashton in Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Tommy Lee Jones, Glenne Headly, and Rene Russo in Just Getting Started (2017)

Rene Russo in Just Getting Started (2017)

Tommy Lee Jones and Rene Russo in Just Getting Started (2017)

Glenne Headly, Rene Russo, and Joe Pantoliano in Just Getting Started (2017)

Morgan Freeman, Tommy Lee Jones, and Rene Russo in Just Getting Started (2017)

Morgan Freeman and Rene Russo in Just Getting Started (2017)

Clint Eastwood, Rene Russo, and Gregory Alan Williams in In the Line of Fire (1993)

Rene Russo and Oliver Platt in Frank and Cindy (2015)

Rene Russo and Jake Gyllenhaal in Nightcrawler (2014)

Robert De Niro and Rene Russo in The Intern (2015)

Robert De Niro, Rene Russo, Adam Devine, and Zack Pearlman in The Intern (2015)

Robert De Niro, Rene Russo, Jason Alexander, June Foray, and Keith Scott in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000)

Kevin Costner, Don Johnson, and Rene Russo in Tin Cup (1996)

Kevin Costner and Rene Russo in Tin Cup (1996)

Natalie Portman and Rene Russo in Thor: The Dark World (2013)

Rene Russo, William Shatner, and Drena De Niro in Showtime (2002)

Rene Russo and Drena De Niro in Showtime (2002)

John Travolta and Rene Russo in Get Shorty (1995)

John Travolta, Rene Russo, and Renee Props in Get Shorty (1995)

John Travolta, Danny DeVito, Gene Hackman, and Rene Russo in Get Shorty (1995)

John Travolta, Danny DeVito, and Rene Russo in Get Shorty (1995)

Clint Eastwood and Rene Russo in In the Line of Fire (1993)

Anthony Hopkins, Rene Russo, Tadanobu Asano, Tom Hiddleston, Chris Hemsworth, and Josh Dallas in Thor (2011)

Tom Berenger and Rene Russo in Major League (1989)

Rene Russo was born in Burbank, California, to Shirley (Balocca), a barmaid and factory laborer, and Nino Russo. Her father, a sculptor and mechanic, left the family when Rene was just two, and thus her mother raised Rene and her sister, Toni, as a single mom. Her father was of Italian descent, and her mother was of Italian and German-English-Irish ancestry.

In junior high school, Rene was plagued with scoliosis and had to wear a full-torso brace. She was already a tall girl, which earned her the nickname "Jolly Green Giant" from her classmates. She entered Burroughs High School, along with classmate Ron Howard, and even though her brace had been removed, she was still somewhat of a loner. Unable to deal with academics and the school social scene, Rene dropped out of school in the tenth grade. Since money was tight, she began to take a variety of part-time jobs over the next 18 months, many for the free benefits. She sold refreshments at a movie theater, where she could see free movies; worked as a restaurant hostess, where her meals were free; and worked as a store cashier at Disneyland, where she had free admission. She often had two jobs at one time. Her last job, which was solely for the paycheck, was a full-time job at an eyeglass factory, inspecting contact lenses.

In 1972, the 17-year-old was attending a Rolling Stones concert when she was approached by John Crosby, a scout and manager from International Creative Management. He told her she should be a model and had test photos made of her. Within a few months, Rene signed a contract with Ford Modeling Agency and within a year had become a successful print and photographers model. Soon her modeling breakthrough came when she graced the cover of Vogue. By 1975, she had appeared on numerous magazine covers, was one of the most successful models in America, and was also starting to be seen in several TV commercials through the 1980s. She would define what a top fashion model was for years to come.

By her 30th birthday, demand for her began to dwindle, as it did for most models at that age. She did a few more commercials and then turned her back on modeling and show business for a while. Financially secure for the next several years, she began an intense period of literature and Christian theology. She also began to study theater and acting, and began appearing in theater roles at small regional theaters in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California.

Her television series debut came in 1987 with a supporting part on the short-lived TV series Sable (1987). In 1989 she made her motion picture debut with the part of the lead characters girlfriend in the film Major League (1989). Her subsequent roles were that of girlfriends and supportive wives in a few films, until her breakthrough as an Internal Affairs detective in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992). Rene Russo has been praised for her ability to hold her own against her major male co-stars, who have included Mel Gibson, Clint Eastwood, Kevin Costner and Pierce Brosnan. Two of her performances within the last few years have gotten her recognition as both a major dramatic actress and a talented character actress. One was as the mother of a kidnapped son in Ransom (1996). The other was as the cartoon femme fatale foreign spy in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle (2000). Although the latter received mixed reviews among moviegoers and critics, Russo was praised for her performance of a role originally slated for Meryl Streep in 1992. Rene Russo has been married to screenwriter Dan Gilroy since 1992, and they have one daughter, named Rose. They reside in Brentwood, California.

Rene Russo at an event for Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)

Photos

Rene Russo

More from this person

More to explore

Recently viewed