- Born
- Birth nameElizabeth Russell
- Height5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
- Born in San Diego, California, Betsy Russell is best known for her starring role as "Jill Tuck," the ex-wife of the Jigsaw Killer in the "Saw" film series. Russell was born into a family of educators--her father, iconic economist Richard Russell, wrote a news letter about the stock market for over 50 years called "Dow Theory Letters," and her grandfather, Max Lerner, was an author and syndicated columnist, said to be one of the great minds of our time. Russell seemed to be destined for greatness and decided to set the bar high for herself when making career moves and setting goals. At 16 years of age she landed her first real gig in the business, a Pepsi commercial in her hometown of San Diego, California. This sparked a fire within her, and she immediately made the move to Los Angeles to pursue acting full time.
Russell landed her first TV role on the series The Powers of Matthew Star (1982) with one line. After that TV roles began to pour in, until she landed an audition for a film that would change her career: the cult classic Private School (1983). She booked the role on the spot, being cast as "Jordon Leigh-Jensen," playing opposite her idol Phoebe Cates. The film launched Russell into Hollywood stardom, and she quickly became known as the "it-girl". Her scene riding a horse topless in slow motion made her an '80s icon. She continued to work steadily in film, starring in such films as Tomboy (1985), Avenging Angel (1985) and Cheerleader Camp (1988), and did guest-starring roles in such top-rated television series as The A-Team (1983), T.J. Hooker (1982) and Family Ties (1982). At the height of her career she met actor and tennis star Vincent Van Patten at The Playboy Mansion, where she visited frequently as her grandfather was a close friend of Hugh Hefner. Van Patten and Russell married in 1989 and had two beautiful boys. She decided to take a hiatus from acting, to focus on her family and raising her children.
Van Patten and Russell divorced in 2001, and she decided to move to Malibu, California, to continue raising her family. Soon after her divorce she received a call from "Saw" producer Mark Burg about an upcoming role in the series. Russell jumped at the opportunity to work in one of the biggest horror franchises in the history of film, and returned to the screen starring as "Jill Tuck" in Lionsgate and Twisted Pictures' Saw III (2006), Saw IV (2007), Saw V (2008), Saw VI (2009) and Saw 3D (2010).
Russell is an avid writer, has a huge passion for various charities, she holds a real-estate license and is a certified hypnotist. While she continues to love acting, she considers "Spiritual Psychology" and life coaching her other passion. She completed a three-year Masters program at The University of Santa Monica in this field, with an emphasis on consciousness health and healing, and hopes to help others with healing their issues and learning communication skills and has begun teaching workshops to actors on this subject.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Persona PR / Jordyn Borczon (qv's & corrections by A. Nonymous) - Betsy Russell is the first in her family to become famous as an actress but she hails from a family of famous writers. Her father was the iconic economist Richard Russell who wrote a news letter about the stock market for over 50 years called Dow Theory Letters and her grandfather Max Lerner was an author and syndicated columnist, said to be one of the great minds of our time. Her paternal grandmother Hortense Lion was a best selling author. Betsy Russell landed a Pepsi commercial in her hometown of San Diego when she was age 16 and was featured on a horse drinking Pepsi. The next time she would ride a horse would be in her first starring role in the infamous 80's teen flick "Private School" where she rivaled her co-star Phoebe Cates. Throughout the 1980's Betsy continued to work steadily in television and movies such as "Tomboy" "Avenging Angel" "Cheerleader Camp" and many more. She met her husband Vince Van Patten actor and tennis star at the Playboy Mansion where she frequented, visiting her Grandfather, who was a close friend of Hugh Hefner's. Betsy and Vince were together for 13 years producing two sons before divorcing in 2001. Betsy took a self-imposed hiatus to raise her boys but was lured back to Hollywood to play the ex-wife of Jigsaw in the "Saw" franchise. Betsy's interests besides acting at this point in her life are in writing and life coaching. She completed a master's program from the University of Santa Monica. She is a certified hypnotherapist and has her real-estate license.- IMDb Mini Biography By: anonymous
- Betsy Russell began her acting career at the age of 16 riding a horse in a Pepsi commercial. The next time she would ride a horse would be in her first starring role in the infamous 80's teen flick Private School, where she exploded onto the Hollywood scene because of her ability to play a sexy bitch with innocence. This is touted as one of the sexiest scenes in movie history. Throughout the 1980's Russell continued to work steadily in television and movies such as Tomboy, Cheerleader Camp, Avenging Angel, and many more. She took a self-imposed hiatus to raise her sons Duke and Vinny but was lured back to Hollywood to play the ex-wife of Jigsaw, the killer in the legendary Saw franchise (Saw 3-7) Russell is a certified life coach (from the University of Santa Monica) and hypnotist. She describes the best use of her coaching skills as going into maximum security prisons with the volunteer group "Freedom to Choose" and coaching men and women incarcerated. Russell says, "the moments I'm teaching them life skills, such as compassionate forgiveness is when I really feel I'm making a difference on the planet."- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- SpouseVincent Van Patten(May 27, 1989 - 2001) (divorced, 2 children)
- Children
- ParentsRichard RussellConstance Lerner
- RelativesMax Lerner(Grandparent)Lauren Russell(Half Sibling)
- After giving up acting in 1993 to raise her two boys Duke Van Patten and Vince Van Patten, Betsy was divorced from Vincent Van Patten.
- She has 3 sisters and a brother.
- Gave birth to her 2nd child at age 31, son Vince Van Patten (Vincent Russell Van Patten, Jr.), on September 3, 1995. Child's father is her ex-husband, Vincent Van Patten.
- Gave birth to her 1st child at age 29, son Duke Van Patten (Richard Duke Van Patten), in March 1993. Child's father is her ex-husband, Vincent Van Patten.
- Half sister of Lauren Russell.
- I completely believe that the 'Saw' movies do have heart and soul and morals and values.
- I really believe that 'Saw' makes us stop and think and question our motives and what we're doing here on Earth.
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