Next person biography:
Charles Russell was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois and then moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film production. Starting out as an assistant director and production manager on independent films, Russell began to make a name for himself in the industry. He wrote screenplays and worked his way up the ranks, eventually making his directorial debut with A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors in 1987.
At the time of its release, the film was the highest-grossing independent film ever made, redefining the Elm Street franchise for New Line Cinema. Russell's success with the film led to his next milestone, The Mask, a worldwide blockbuster that grossed over $320 million on a budget of just $18 million. The film catapulted Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz to international stardom and set a new standard for CGI technology.
Russell continued to make a name for himself in Hollywood, going on to direct #1 box office hits with A-list stars such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Tom Cruise, and Jamie Foxx. His latest film, Paradise City, is a highly anticipated release that reunites John Travolta and Bruce Willis on screen for the first time since Pulp Fiction.
