Craig Russell (actor)

Craig Russell (actor)
Craig Russell

Russell signing autographs at the opening of Outrageous!. Lori Jenkins is pictured at right
Born Russell Craig Eadie
January 10, 1948(1948-01-10)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Died October 30, 1990(1990-10-30) (aged 42)
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Occupation Female impersonator, actor
Spouse Lori Jenkins (m. 1982–1990) «start: (1982)–end+1: (1991)»"Marriage: Lori Jenkins to Craig Russell (actor)" Location: (linkback://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Craig_Russell_(actor))

Russell Craig Eadie (January 10, 1948 – October 30, 1990), better known by his stage name Craig Russell, was a Canadian female impersonator and actor.

Contents

Early life and career

Born in Toronto, Russell became president of Mae West's fan club as a teen, and he briefly worked and lived in Los Angeles as her secretary. He returned to Toronto where he moved in with the writer Margaret Gibson. He worked as a hairdresser while pursuing his career as a stage performer. By 1971, he was a regular performer in Toronto gay clubs and had a burgeoning international following.

His impersonations included Carol Channing, Bette Davis, Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Tallulah Bankhead, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee and Judy Garland. While performing, he always spoke and sang in the voices of the celebrities he was impersonating.

In 1977, Russell starred in the film Outrageous!, based on a short story written by Gibson about their time as roommates. The film was entered into the 28th Berlin International Film Festival, where Russell won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.[1] A decade later, in 1987, he starred in the sequel to Outrageous! entitled Too Outrageous!.

Personal life and death

Russell fathered a daughter, Susan Allison ("Allison"), who was born January 6, 1973 in Toronto. Father and daughter developed a relationship in the years prior to his death. Although he publicly identified as gay rather than bisexual, Russell married his close friend Lori Jenkins in 1982.

Russell remained married to Lori until his death in 1990 of a stroke related to complications from AIDS. He was cremated and buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Port Perry.

His widow Lori died on August 15, 2008 at Toronto Grace Hospital, after a long battle with cancer. Her body was laid to rest beside that of her husband in Port Perry.

Russell's friend Stephen Jon Postal and his wife Guia Dino Postal based the character of Kevin Purcell on Russell in their book, Of Margaret and Madness: A Novel Inspired By True Events, ISBN 9731434362292, 9781434332752, Published by AuthorHouse, Bloomington, Indiana.

A play entitled "Margaret and Craig", written by David Solomon, based on the writing of both Russell and his friend, Margaret Gibson is in development for a further theatrical life. The play was produced in workshop at Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater in the summer of 2011 with Mario Cantone as Craig Russell, directed by Sheryl Kaller, and music directed by Paul Masse, with Jeni Verdon portraying Margaret.

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Craig Russell — may refer to: Craig Russell (actor) (1948–1990) Craig L. Russell (born 1949), software architect Craig Russell (composer) (born 1951) Craig Russell (British author) (born 1956) Craig Russell (footballer) (born 1974), English football player P.… …   Wikipedia

  • Craig Kelly (actor) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Craig Kelly (*Lytham St Annes. Octubre, 31 de 1970) Es un actor británico más conocido por su papel de Vince Tyler en la serie Queer as Folk para la cadena inglesa Channel 4. Contenido 1 Carrera 1.1 Cine …   Wikipedia Español

  • Craig Kelly (actor) — Craig Kelly Born 31 October 1970 (1970 10 31) (age 41) Lytham St Annes, Lancashire, England Occupation Actor Years active 1992–present Craig Kelly (born 31 October 1970) is a …   Wikipedia

  • William Russell (Actor) — William Russell Nombre real William Lerche Nacimiento 12 de abril de 1884 Bronx, Nueva York, Estados Unidos …   Wikipedia Español

  • Russell — is an English, Irish, or Scottish name derived from old French, the old French word for Red was rouse ; hence the carry over from French the English Russell, the name also derives from the animal, the fox. Its uses include:People*Arthur Russell… …   Wikipedia

  • Craig (given name) — For other uses, see Craig. Craig Gender Masculine Language(s) English Origin Language(s) Scottish Gaelic Derivation …   Wikipedia

  • Craig McLachlan — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Craig McLachlan [[Archivo:[1]|200px]] Nombre real Craig Dougal McLachlan Nacimiento 1 de septiembre de 1965 (44 años) Sydney, New South Wales …   Wikipedia Español

  • Russell Crowe — at Piccadilly Circus in London during filming of A Good Year, October 2005 Born Russell Ira Crowe 7 April 1964 (1964 04 07) …   Wikipedia

  • Russell T Davies — Davies outside Cardiff Central railway station on 22 April 2008. Born Stephen Russell Davies 27 April 1963 (1963 04 27) (age 48) …   Wikipedia

  • Russell Crowe — und seine Gattin Danielle Spencer bei der Star Opening Party in Sydney am 14. September 2011 Russell Ira Crowe (* 7. April 1964 in Wellington, Neuseeland) ist ein neuseeländisch australischer Filmschauspieler …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”