David O. Russell | |
|---|---|
 Russell at the Paris premiere ofAmerican Hustle in February 2014 | |
| Born | (1958-08-20)August 20, 1958 (age 66) |
| Alma mater | Amherst College (B.A.) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1987–present |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Holly Davis (2007–present) |
| Children | 2 |
David Owen Russell (born August 20, 1958) is an American film director, screenwriter and producer. He has earnednumerous accolades including twoBritish Academy Film Awards, and aGolden Globe Award as well as nominations for fiveAcademy Awards.
Russell started his career directing the dark comedy filmsSpanking the Monkey (1994),Flirting with Disaster (1996),Three Kings (1999), andI Heart Huckabees (2004). He gained critical success with the biographical sports dramaThe Fighter (2010), the romantic comedy-dramaSilver Linings Playbook (2012), and the dark comedy crime filmAmerican Hustle (2013). The three films were commercially successful and acclaimed by critics, earning him threeAcademy Award nominations forBest Director, as well as aBest Adapted Screenplay nomination forSilver Linings Playbook and aBest Original Screenplay nomination forAmerican Hustle. Russell received his seventhGolden Globe nomination for the semi-biographical comedy-dramaJoy (2015). He also directed the comedic mystery thrillerAmsterdam (2022).
David Owen Russell was raised inLarchmont, New York,[1][2] in an upper middle-class household.[3][4] His parents worked forSimon & Schuster; his father, Bernard, was the vice president of sales for the company,[1][5] and his mother, Maria, was a secretary there.[6] His father was from aRussian-Jewish family, and his mother wasItalian-American (ofLucanian descent).[7][8] His paternal grandfather, a butcher from theUpper West Side ofManhattan, lost many of his relatives inconcentration camps.[7]
When he was 13, Russell made his first film for a school project and used aSuper 8 film camera to film people in New York City.[9] He attendedMamaroneck High School,[10] where he was voted "Class Rebel".[11] He fell in love with film in his teens (his favorite movies includedTaxi Driver,Chinatown, andShampoo)[1] but aspired to become a writer; Russell started a newspaper in high school and wroteshort stories.[6] As his parents worked in the publishing industry, he grew up in a household filled with books.[6][12]
In 1981, Russell received hisA.B. degree fromAmherst College, where he majored in English and political science.[1][13] He wrote his senior thesis on theUnited States intervention in Chile from 1963 to 1973.[14]
After graduating from Amherst, Russell traveled toNicaragua and taught in aSandinista literacy program.[1] He worked in waitering, bartending, and catering.[1][15] Some of his bartending colleagues included members of theBlue Man Group.[4] He worked for a booksellers' association[4] and later became a community organizer inMaine. He used video equipment to document slums and bad housing conditions, which later became a documentary ofLewiston, Maine.[15] Russell was a political activist[16] and canvassed and raised money in neighborhoods;[11] he also did community work inBoston'sSouth End.[6] In addition to working in several day jobs, he began to write short films.[15]
Russell directed a documentary aboutPanamanian immigrants in Boston,[17] which led to a job as a production assistant on aPBS series calledSmithsonian World.[6] In 1987, Russell wrote, produced, and directedBingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions, a short film about an obsessive bingo-playing mother.[18] Two years later, he made another short titledHairway to the Stars, which featuredBette Davis andWilliam Hickey.[18][19] Both shorts were shown at theSundance Film Festival.[18]
After Russell made an award-winning short film for a Boston television station, he received grants from theNew York State Council on the Arts and theNational Endowment for the Arts.[6] Instead of the money going towards a feature about a fortune cookie writer, he decided to makeSpanking the Monkey, a film about an incestuous mother-son relationship.[20] As a result, Russell had to return the funds to the NEA.[20]Spanking the Monkey, the 1994 independent dark comedy, was his first directorial effort. The film was produced byDean Silvers, and starredJeremy Davies as a troubled young man andAlberta Watson as his lonely mother. Despite the controversial subject matter, the film received positive reviews[21] and won himBest First Screenplay andBest First Feature from theIndependent Spirit Awards, as well as the Audience Award at theSundance Film Festival.[22]
His next project was theMiramax comedyFlirting with Disaster (1996), his second collaboration withDean Silvers, and first withHarvey Weinstein. The film follows a neurotic man (Ben Stiller) who travels with his wife (Patricia Arquette) and a high-strung caseworker (Téa Leoni) to find his biological parents. The film also starredMary Tyler Moore,George Segal,Alan Alda,Josh Brolin,Richard Jenkins, andLily Tomlin. It was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at theCannes Film Festival, and was well received by most critics.[23]Roger Ebert said of the direction, "Russell finds the strong central line all screwball begins with, the seemingly serious mission or quest, and then throws darts at a map of the United States as he creates his characters."[24] Lisa Schwarzbaum ofEntertainment Weekly gave the film a 'B' and declared it "one of the ha-ha funniest comedies currently at a theater near you."[25]
The success of those two films led to the satiricalGulf War black comedyThree Kings (1999), starringGeorge Clooney,Mark Wahlberg,Ice Cube andSpike Jonze. Adapted from an earlier script by former stand-up comicJohn Ridley, the film follows three AmericanGIs who devise a plan to steal hidden Kuwaiti gold during the1991 Iraqi uprising againstSaddam Hussein. Filmed in the deserts ofArizona,California and Mexico, and featuring actualIraqi refugees as extras, Russell used several unique cinematic techniques to achieve a feeling of realism. He filmed using handheld cameras andSteadicam, and shot onEktachrome slide photography stock that was cross processed in colour negative chemicals, to reproduce "the odd colour of the newspaper images [of the Gulf War]."[citation needed] He also insisted on filming all of the explosions in one shot, unlike a typical action film.Three Kings was released in 1999 and was his biggest critical and financial success. It grossed $60 million in the United States and over $100 million worldwide.[26] It holds a 94% atRotten Tomatoes, with the consensus "Three Kings successfully blends elements of action, drama, and comedy into a thoughtful, exciting movie on the Gulf War."[27]
Russell's next project was theexistential comedyI Heart Huckabees (2004). During pre-production in 2003, it was reported thatJude Law dropped the film to star inChristopher Nolan'sThe Prestige (2006), but after Russell headlocked Nolan at a Hollywood party, demanding that "his fellow director show artistic solidarity and give up his star in order to saveHuckabees", Nolan dropped Law from his film.[28] The film ended up receiving mixed reviews and failed at the box office,[29] but collaborator Jennifer Lawrence called it her favorite David O. Russell film.[30]
Nailed is a political comedy co-written by Russell andKristin Gore, and starsJessica Biel,Jake Gyllenhaal,Tracy Morgan,Catherine Keener,Paul Reubens,James Brolin andKirstie Alley. Production was delayed or shut down four times in 2008, resulting inIATSE shutting down production because the crew was not getting paid.[31][32] ActorJames Caan left mid-production "due to creative differences and [the] split was amicable."[33] The film revolves around the character of Alice Eckle (played by Jessica Biel) who gets accidentally shot in the head with a nail by a clumsy workman, eliciting wild sexual urges. The uninsured Eckle goes on a crusade to Washington to fight for the rights of the bizarrely injured. She meets an immoral congressman (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes advantage of her sex drive and capitalizes on her crusade as Eckle heads into her own career in politics.[34] Russell ceased working on the film in 2010;[35] it was retitledAccidental Love and was released onVOD on February 10, 2015, before alimited release on March 20, 2015[36]
In 2010, Russell returned withThe Fighter, a biographical sports drama produced by and starring Mark Wahlberg. The film focuses on junior welterweight boxerMickey Ward's rise to claim theWBU Light Welterweight title, as well as his difficult relationship with his mother, Alice Ward (Melissa Leo), and his older half-brotherDickie Eklund (Christian Bale). The film became a major critical and financial success, grossing $125 million,[37] and appearing on several critics' year-end top ten lists.[38]The Fighter also received sevenAcademy Award nominations, includingBest Picture andBest Director for Russell, the first of his career,[39] and earned awards for both Bale and Leo, for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively.
Silver Linings Playbook was adapted from the serio-comic novel byMatthew Quick.[40]Bradley Cooper plays Pat andRobert De Niro, who starred with Cooper inLimitless, co-stars as his father.Jennifer Lawrence plays the lead female role of Tiffany. She commented about Russell, "He's really my favorite director since I started watching movies."[41] The cast also includesJacki Weaver,Chris Tucker and the veteranBollywood actorAnupam Kher.[42] The film was released in the United States and Canada on November 16, 2012.[43] The film received critical acclaim and was a financial success.[44][45]
Silver Linings Playbook is about a former teacher named Pat Solitano (Bradley Cooper), who hasbipolar disorder, and moves back in with his family. He is initially obsessive about reuniting with his spouse after having discovered her with a lover and assaulting the man; however, the story explores the development of his relationship with Tiffany Maxwell (Jennifer Lawrence). The film was inspired byDevereaux Glenholme School, a 12-month special education boarding school in Washington, CT. Russell's son is currently[when?] a student there, and Russell stated, "I was so familiar with the issues in the story that I knew how emotional and funny and original it could be. Without this community I would never have made this film."[46][47]
Russell received the numerous awards including the Hollywood Director Award at the 16th annual Hollywood Film Awards and an Indie Impact Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival for his work on the film,[48][49] as well as twoIndependent Spirit Awards (Best Director, Best Screenplay), twoSatellite Awards (Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay), aBritish Academy Film Award (Adapted Screenplay), and theAmerican Film Institute Award for Movie of the Year.[50][51][52][53]Silver Linings Playbook won the People's Choice Award at the 2012Toronto International Film Festival and garnered fourGolden Globe Award nominations (with one win for Jennifer Lawrence, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy) and eightAcademy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director (Russell), Best Adapted Screenplay (Russell), Best Actor in a Leading Role (Bradley Cooper), Best Actress in a Leading Role (winner, Jennifer Lawrence), Best Supporting Actor (Robert De Niro), Best Supporting Actress (Jacki Weaver) and Best Film Editing (Jay Cassidy and Crispin Struthers).[54][55]
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Russell's next project wasAmerican Hustle (2013), a comedy based on theABSCAM scandal of the 1970s. The film's plot revolved around skilled con artists Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams) being forced to work for unhinged FBI Agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper). Their complicated operation eventually involves Mayor Carmine Polito (Jeremy Renner) of Camden, New Jersey, as well as Irving's unpredictable wife Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence). The film reunited Russell with Bale and Adams afterThe Fighter, as well as with Cooper, Lawrence, and De Niro afterSilver Linings Playbook.[56]Saïd Taghmaoui, the Iraqi captain fromThree Kings, also makes an appearance. The film received sevenGolden Globe nominations, including Best Motion Picture Comedy & Best Director for Russell, and three wins including Best Motion Picture Comedy, Best Actress for Amy Adams and Best Supporting Actress for Jennifer Lawrence.[57] Additionally, the film received ten Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress,[58] along with a Screen Actors Guild Award win for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.[59]
In January 2014, it was announced that Russell would rewrite and direct a comedy-drama film about American inventor and entrepreneurJoy Mangano, a struggling Long Island single mother of three children.Jennifer Lawrence played the lead role in the film entitledJoy (2015).[60]Principal photography began on February 17, 2015,[61] and the film, titledJoy, was released on December 25, 2015.[62] The film received mixed to positive reviews, focusing mainly on the strong central performance by actor Jennifer Lawrence, Russell's direction, and the supporting performances byDiane Ladd, Robert De Niro, and others.[63] Featured music in the film was a driving force behind the narrative, including a reworked a cappella version ofCream's "I Feel Free".[64] Strong box office greeted the film's first five days, with a $5900-per-screen average, and 25 million dollars in gross receipts, according toBox Office Mojo; it grossed a worldwide total of over $101 million.[65] The film was nominated for 2Golden Globe Awards, includingBest Musical or Comedy, andBest Actress in a Musical or Comedy forJennifer Lawrence, which she won.[66] Lawrence was also nominated for theAcademy Award for Best Actress, the film's only Oscar nomination.[67]
Written and directed by Russell,Past Forward was a short film collaboration between the director andPrada. A clip of the film premiered in September 2016 at Milan Fashion Week, and premiered November 2016 inLos Angeles. In the short film, Russell uses three actors for the same roles includingKuoth Wiel,Freida Pinto andAllison Williams. The film has been described as a "surreal dreamscape with an eclectic cast replaying scenes in shifting combinations".[68]
In January 2020, it was announced that Russell would be writing and directingAmsterdam, produced byRegency Enterprises. Russell teamed up with Christian Bale for the third time,[69] withMargot Robbie also joining the film.[70] In October 2020 it was announced thatJohn David Washington had joined the cast of the film, with filming scheduled to begin in January 2021.[71] The same month that filming began,Rami Malek andZoe Saldaña joined the cast.[72] A trailer was released in July 2022, announcing the casting ofChris Rock,Anya Taylor-Joy,Mike Myers,Michael Shannon,Andrea Riseborough,Matthias Schoenaerts,Alessandro Nivola,Taylor Swift, and Robert De Niro. The film received negative reviews[73] withManohla Dargis ofThe New York Times writing, "Throughout, Russell keeps going and moving, moving and going, but the momentum never builds the way it should, and the big reveal lands flat partly because he never seems taken with the history he's latched onto or comfortable with its heaviness".[74] The film was abox-office bomb, with estimated losses for the studio of over $100 million.[75]
It was announced in May 2023 thatWill Ferrell had entered early negotiations to star as football legendJohn Madden in the film biopicMadden, with Russell set to direct from a screenplay by Cambron Clark.[76] In August the following year, the part was recast forNicolas Cage.[77]
David O. Russell was on the board of Ghetto Film School (GFS), an organization founded in 2000 to educate American storytellers.[78] Russell learned about GFS in 2002 from two students who introduced him to Joe Hall, president of Ghetto Film School.[79][80] Shortly after, Russell joined the board of the organization.[81] Along with fellow board members, Russell brought filmmaker friends, industry and movie studio professionals to donate money and lend their time teaching classes to support young black and Latino filmmakers from the South Bronx andHarlem.[82]
On June 16, 2014, Ghetto Film School opened its new branch in Los Angeles.[83] This was thanks in part to Russell with an assist from21st Century Fox co-COOJames Murdoch.[80] In October 2015, Russell andJim Gianopulos hosted the premiere of Ghetto Film School Los Angeles fellows' thesis filmDemon's Gate.[84]
EditorJay Cassidy worked with Russell onSilver Linings Playbook,American Hustle,Joy, andAmsterdam.Crispin Struthers andAlan Baumgarten also edited several films for Russell.[85] ProducersDean Silvers,Megan Ellison, and Jonathan Gordon have worked with him two and three times, respectively.[86][87][88]Linus Sandgren was cinematographer forAmerican Hustle andJoy.[89]
Russell was married toJanet Grillo, who was a producer atFine Line Features,[1] from 1992 to 2007. He has been with his partner, Holly Davis, since 2007.[4] Davis is a costume designer. Russell has two children: one with Grillo and an adopted son with Davis.[90] He resides inSanta Monica, California.[91]
He is an advocate for mental illness treatment and support, and an active supporter ofautism research. Russell's efforts saw him named the Essential Puzzle Piece honoree by the Light Up the Night Gala for Autism.[92] In 2013, Russell visited Washington, D.C., to meet with vice presidentJoe Biden and Sen.Debbie Stabenow to discuss a new bill regarding mental healthcare.[93] In May 2014, Russell participated in a panel atPaley Center for the Media that discussed projects that have brought to light the stigmas and suffering associated with mental illness.[94] Russell serves on the creative council ofRepresent.Us, anonpartisan anti-corruption organization.[95]
In December 2011, Russell's 19-year-oldtransgender niece, Nicole Peloquin, filed a police report alleging Russell hadsexually assaulted her.[96] The case was closed without any charges being filed because the alleged assault had no witnesses.[97] According to the police report, Russell offered to help Peloquin with abdominal exercises, during which his hand hovered above her genitals. After inquiring about the hormones she used to increase breast size, Russell slipped his hands under her shirt and felt both breasts.
Russell confirmed that the incident happened, but told police that Peloquin was "acting very provocative toward him" and invited him to feel her breasts. He also admitted to being "curious about the breast enhancement." This incident was also directly mentioned in the 2014Sony Pictures hack.[98]
Over the years, Russell has been combative and abusive towards actors in his films, includingGeorge Clooney,Lily Tomlin, andAmy Adams.[99] His reputation extends off-set, as Russell physically assaultedChristopher Nolan in 2003 at a party in Hollywood, where he put Nolan in a headlock.[100][101]
During filming, news spread of Russell andGeorge Clooney nearly having a fistfight on the set ofThree Kings. In a 2000 interview, Clooney described his confrontation with Russell after tensions on the set had been steadily increasing. According to Clooney, Russell was demeaning the crew verbally and physically. Clooney felt this was out of line and told Russell, "David, it's a big day. But you can't shove, push or humiliate people who aren't allowed to defend themselves." After that, the confrontation escalated when, according to Sharon Waxman in her book,Rebels on the Backlot, Russell actually head-butted Clooney[102] and Clooney grabbed Russell by the throat. Clooney said Russell eventually apologized and filming continued, but Clooney described the incident as "truly, without exception, the worst experience of my life." When asked if he would work with Russell again, Clooney responded, "Life's too short."[103]
In early 2012, Clooney indicated that he and Russell had mended their relationship, saying "We made a really, really great film, and we had a really rough time together, but it's a case of both of us getting older. I really do appreciate the work he continues to do, and I think he appreciates what I'm trying to do."[104] However, in August 2024 Clooney stated that he wouldn't work with someone like Russell again.[105]
Russell had conflicts withLily Tomlin during the filming ofI Heart Huckabees, and in March 2007, two videos were leaked ontoYouTube portraying on-set arguments between Russell and Tomlin, in which among other things he called her sexist names.[106][107][108]
Russell’s behavior was first reported in a 2004The New York Times article[28] bySharon Waxman in which she describes him calling Tomlin "the crudest word imaginable, in front of the actors and crew." Additionally Waxman describes Russell storming off the set and back on again, continually shouting, which is corroborated by the leaked videos. On the set, actors were sometimes driven to their wits' ends after hours of takes. Afterward, Tomlin remarked that she and Russell are "fine", saying, "I'd rather have someone human and available and raw and open. Don't give me someone cold, or cut off, or someone who considers themselves dignified."
In a 2011 interview with Movieline, Tomlin was asked about the incident and she replied:
It happens sometimes—but David is a very mercurial person, and that's part of why he's so brilliant. He almost reflects the movie. I did two movies with him, andI Heart Huckabees was so crazy, so all over the place, I think he kind of embodies intuitively whatever he's trying to make happen. It was just crazy, crazy stuff. We were always doing something, and then we'd get manic and crazy and I just flipped out on him. Then he flipped out on me. And you know, stuff goes on. But it's nothing. It's like family. If you have a big fight in your family, usually it's treated that way on the set. We don't want to misbehave; believe me, it's embarrassing. It's humiliating, you know? Because you just lose it. You act like a crazy person. [Laughs] But I adore David. I adore him as a talent. A lot of my friends said, "Well, you won't work with him again." I said, "Of course I would! I adore him, I love him. He's brilliant."[109]
During the2012 Gotham Awards, hostMike Birbigliaroasted Russell by reading a transcript of Russell's argument with Lily Tomlin.[110][111][112] The event, specifically the joke and what transpired around it, later formed a large part of Birbiglia's show,Thank God for Jokes.[113][114][115]
According toSalon, in theSony Pictures Entertainment hack, it was revealed that Russell madeAmy Adams' life "a living hell" during the production ofAmerican Hustle, andChristian Bale at one point intervened.Salon reported that, in an email to Sony chief Michael Lynton, journalistJonathan Alter said: "He grabbed one guy by the collar, cursed out people repeatedly in front of others and so abused Amy Adams that Christian Bale got in his face and told him to stop acting like an asshole."
Adams confirmed the story in a 2016British GQ interview stating, "He was hard on me, that's for sure. It was a lot ... I was really just devastated on set". She also added she wouldn't want to work with the director again.[116] Adams also explained, "Jennifer [Lawrence] doesn't take any of it on. She's Teflon. And I am not Teflon. But I also don't like to see other people treated badly. It's not OK with me."[117]
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Producer | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Spanking the Monkey | Yes | Yes | Executive | [118] |
| 1996 | Flirting with Disaster | Yes | Yes | No | [118] |
| 1999 | Three Kings | Yes | Yes | No | [118] |
| 2004 | I Heart Huckabees | Yes | Yes | Yes | [118] |
| 2010 | The Fighter | Yes | No | No | [118] |
| 2012 | Silver Linings Playbook | Yes | Yes | No | [118] |
| 2013 | American Hustle | Yes | Yes | No | [118] |
| 2015 | Accidental Love | Yes[a] | No | No | [119] |
| Joy | Yes | Yes | Yes | [118] | |
| 2022 | Amsterdam | Yes | Yes | Yes | [120] |
| TBA | Madden | Yes | Yes | Yes | [121] |
| Year | Title | Notes | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Three Kings | Hollywood Action Star (uncredited cameo) | [118] |
| 2002 | Adaptation | Orlean Dinner Guest (cameo) | [122] |
| 2011 | Gossip Girl | Himself; 2 episodes | [123] |
| 2023 | All the Queen's Men | Tommy Episode: "Consequences and Repercussions" |
| Year | Title | Director | Writer | Editor | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | Bingo Inferno: A Parody on American Obsessions | Yes | Yes | Yes | [124][125] | |
| 1989 | Hairway to the Stars | Yes | No | No | [124] | |
| 2004 | Soldiers Pay | Yes | No | Yes | Documentary short; Also producer and camera operator | [126] |
| 2016 | Past Forward | Yes | Yes | No | In collaboration withPrada | [127] |
| Year | Title | Role | Network | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Outer Space Astronauts | — | Syfy | Executive producer | [128] |
Over the course of his career he has received numerous accolades including twoBritish Academy Film Awards, aGolden Globe Award, and fourIndependent Spirit Awards as well as nominations for fiveAcademy Awards and twoDirectors Guild of America Awards.
| Year | Film | Academy Awards | BAFTA Awards | Golden Globe Awards | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | Nominations | Wins | ||
| 2010 | The Fighter | 7 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 2 | |
| 2012 | Silver Linings Playbook | 8 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2013 | American Hustle | 10 | 10 | 3 | 6 | 3 | |
| 2015 | Joy | 1 | 2 | 1 | |||
Under Russell's direction, these actors have receivedAcademy Award nominations (and wins) for their performances in their respective roles.
| Year | Performer | Film | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Award for Best Actor | |||||||
| 2012 | Bradley Cooper | Silver Linings Playbook | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Christian Bale | American Hustle | Nominated | ||||
| Academy Award for Best Actress | |||||||
| 2012 | Jennifer Lawrence | Silver Linings Playbook | Won | ||||
| 2013 | Amy Adams | American Hustle | Nominated | ||||
| 2015 | Jennifer Lawrence | Joy | Nominated | ||||
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor | |||||||
| 2010 | Christian Bale | The Fighter | Won | ||||
| 2012 | Robert De Niro | Silver Linings Playbook | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Bradley Cooper | American Hustle | Nominated | ||||
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress | |||||||
| 2010 | Melissa Leo | The Fighter | Won | ||||
| 2010 | Amy Adams | The Fighter | Nominated | ||||
| 2012 | Jacki Weaver | Silver Linings Playbook | Nominated | ||||
| 2013 | Jennifer Lawrence | American Hustle | Nominated | ||||
...his mother - Maria, an Italian Catholic from Brooklyn ... his father Bernard, the Jewish son of a butcher, who became a sales executive for Simon & Schuster
... Russian-Jewish on his father's side of the family and Italian-Catholic on his mother's... Russell's Jewish grandfather, a butcher on the Upper West Side of Manhattan who had lost many of his relatives in concentration camps...
The New York-born director is of Lucanian origin on his mother's side.
At that point Russell head-butted Clooney.
Host Mike Birbiglia shocked and delighted the audience with his opening monologue at the IFP Gotham Awards Monday night when it slowly became apparent that he was reciting honoree-of-the-evening David O. Russell's notorious tirade against Lily Tomlin from the set ofI Heart Huckabees.
During his opening monologue…Mike Birbiglia sarcastically likened the rant to a famous quote by Elia Kazan ('A film director has to get a shot, no matter what he does') and then recited [Russell's confrontation with Lily Tomlin], without omission of [expletives].
In 'Thank God for Jokes,' he recounts the kerfuffle that ensued when he hosted the 2012 Gotham Awards and roasted David O. Russell, who was one of the honorees.
