|
Home | Biography | Charities | Conventions | Current Projects | Interviews | Links | Mailing Lists | Pictures | Professional Career | Quiz | What's New |
|
|
Art Police | Awards | Bugsters | Credits | Déjà Vu | East of Hope Street | Eye of the Beholder | Highwayman | iCarly | Music | Roddenberry on Patrol | Samantha Who | Story by Amy Niles | Trust Me| Voyager Tim Russ - professional details
acting directing writing producing music
The following list is in no way complete, but will hopefully be corrected and updated with your help (if any of you has information on something that's missing here, please share it with me, so that this page can be as correct and as complete as possible!). It is meant to give you an insight into the many aspects of the career of Tim Russ, a man most of you will primarily know as an actor. While that's basically true he also has some other talents and interests in the entertainment industry you may not be aware of. This list serves as an introduction to all these facets of a truly "fascinating" artist.
"The college program I was enrolled in was set up almost like an internship. The university didn't require students to take a great deal of extra-curricular courses; most of my credit hours were devoted to theatre. This meant that I was allowed to take up to 16 or 17 hours of theatre courses a semester. We did four main stage shows during the school year and three during the summer, all in repertory style. The school had celebrities come out from Los Angeles to perform in the shows which drew in the audiences and gave the students a chance to work alongside professionals. As an undergraduate you had the chance not only to act in these shows but also to work in many other different areas such as the sound department, lighting, construction, costumes and the box office. The idea behind the four-year program was to give students enough background experience in each area so that upon graduation you had all the skills needed to start your own theatre. It was an excellent and intensive program and one that gave me a great deal of experience very early on." (Tim Russ in an interview conducted by Steven Eramo for Cult Times, issue #14, Nov. 1996)
Tim Russ the actorback to the top
"Acting is full of uncertainty. It's not a very secure lifestyle, but it is an exciting one." (Tim Russ in an interview conducted by Pete Hull for "Star Trek Communicator" #101, 1995)
Tim Russ graduated from Saint Edwards University, with a B.S. in Theater Arts and continued his studies at Illinois State University. He got his first acting job while still in University (Masterpiece Theater), and after a few years as part-time actor he began to make a living as an actor in 1985. Since then he's been working regularly on stage, in feature films and on TV. He has also done some voice-over work. A selected list of his credits will show you his wide range in all these media.
Theatre: Dream Girls (L.A., Shubert Theater) As You Like It Cave Dwellers Romeo and Juliet (CBS/MTM studios) Barrabas (as "prisoner" and "high priest", at Los Angeles Theater Center, which earned him the NAACP Image Award) Twelfth Night Macbeth ER (April 2001)
Movies Fire with Fire (1986) as "Jerry" Crossroads (1986) as "Robert Johnson" Spaceballs (1987) as "Trooper" (The one who, when combing the desert, says "we ain't found shit") Death Wish IV: The Crackdown (1987): as "Jesse" Bird (1988) as "Harris" (a musician) Pulse (1988) as "Policeman" Eve of Destruction (1991) as "Carter" Mr. Saturday Night (1992) as "A.D." Night Eyes II (1992) as "Jesse Younger" Dead Connection (1994) AKA "Final Combination" as "Detective Chuck Rowland" Star Trek Generations (1994) as "Enterprise-B Lieutenant" East of Hope Street (1996) as "Casey" (a social worker) Trekkies (1997) as himself Orbital Broadcast One (OB-1) (2002) as himself The Oh in Ohio (2004/5) as the owner of a company The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (2004/5) as "The Clerk" Unbeatable Harold (2004/5) as "Diner manager" Star Trek of Gods and Men (2006) as "Tuvok" - also directed Live Free or Die Hard (2007) as "Chuck Summers" Greyscale (2008) as "Gavin Calhoun" Series: a) as a regular The Highwayman (Mar.-May 1988) as "D.C. Montana" The People Next Door (Sept.-Oct. 1989) as "The Answering Machine Guy" Star Trek Voyager (1995-2001) as "Security Chief Tuvok" Samantha Who (previously known as Sam I Am or Samantha Be Good) (2007-) as "Frank"
b) as a recurring regular General Hospital (2006) as "Dr. Trent" Twenty Good Years (2006) as "Marty" iCarly (2007) as "School Principal" Trust Me (2009) as "Gordon Benedict"
c) Guest Appearances: Masterpiece Theater (1977) "Charlie Smith and the Fritter Tree" as "a young friend of Charlie's" Hunter (10/26/1985) "Killer in the Halloween Mask" (episode # 2.5), as "Sam" The New Twilight Zone (1985) ep.3/c "Kentucky Rye" as "Police Officer" Steven Spielberg's Amazing Stories (1986) "You Gotta Believe Me" as "Security Guard #1" Vietnam War Story (?) episode "The Mine" as "Sgt. Lemon" Samaritan: The Mitch Snyder Story (1986) Starman (1/9/87) ep. 12 "The System" as "Tyrone Washington" Hill Street Blues (3/31/1987) ep. 7.19 "Days of Swine and Roses" as "Ben Childers" The New Twilight Zone (1987) ep. 34/b "Voices in the Earth" as "Archer" Jake and the Fat Man (1987) "Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?" as "Pete" Thirtysomething (1987) premiere episode as "the guy who sold the sleeping bag" Police Story (1988) "The Cop Killers" 21 Jump Street (1988) "Slippin' Into Darkness" Alien Nation (1989) pilot movie, as "Ketnes" Beauty and the Beast (1989) "Sticks and Stones" as "Lt. Parker" Mancuso, F.B.I. (1990) "Conspiracy" as "Rashad" Freddy's Nightmares (1990) "Dust to Dust" as "Dr. Herny Picard" Cop Rock (1990) ep "Marital Blitz" (1.9) and "No Noose is Good Noose" (1.10), as "Juror" Family Matters (1990) "Sitting Pretty" as "Jeff" The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990)"Someday Your Prince Will Be in Effect" as "Eugene the security guard" The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1992) "Those Were the Days" as "FBI agent Marcus Collins" Tequila & Bonetti (1992) "The Rose Cadillac" as "Link, the car thief" Arresting Behavior (1992) in a recurring part Murphy Brown (1993) "The Egg & I" as "Agent #1" Dark Justice (1993) "Night Games" ep. 3.2 Living Single (1993) "Burglar in the House" as " Officer Taylor" Seaquest DSV (1993) "Photon Bullet" as Martin Clemens aka "Mycroft" ST-TNG (1993) "Starship Mine" as "Devor" ST-DS9 (1993) "Invasive Procedure" as the Klingon mercenary T'Kar Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1993) "Seoul Shake" as "Victor" Hangin' with Mr. Cooper (1994) "Wedding Bell Blues" as "Victor" Melrose Place (1994) "It's a Bad World After All" as "a guy working for the District Attorney" Monty (1994) pilot as "Man #1" ST-DS9 (1995) "Through the Looking Glass" as the Mirror-Tuvok Any Day Now (2002) "The Real Thing" as "Juror" (ep. # 415, Jan. 6, 2002) E.R. (2005) "Alone In a Crowd" as "Dr. Medford" (season 11, ep. #15, Feb. 17, 2005) Unfabulous (2005) as "Officer Jones", a Cop (episode "The Job" Nickelodeon) Unfabulous (2005) - episode "The Perfect Moment, Pt. 2", playing the same policeman character again NCIS (2006) - "Jeopardy" as "Jerry Kemper" (season 3, ep #68) Without A Trace (2007) - "Tail Spin" as "Phil Hanson" (season 5, ep #106, Jan. 7, 2007) Hannah Montana (2007) - "I am Hannah, Hear Me Croak" as "Dr. Meyer" (season 2, April 27, 2007)
More guest-appearances: Hill Street Blues (a second episode) Hunter Life Stories War Stories The Young and the Restless The Jon Lovitz Special (pilot)
TV-Movies: Casebusters (1986) as "Dixon" Timestalkers (1987) Who Gets the Friends? (1988) as a "travel agent" Roots - the Gift (1988) as "House slave Marcellus" Dead Silence (1991) (aka as "Crash") as "Dep. Ryan" The Heroes of Desert Storm (1992) (aka "Heroes of the Storm") as "Julian Crumes, Navy" Journey to the Center of the Earth (1993) as "security officer Joe Briggs"<;;/SPAN> Bitter Vengeance (1994) as "Lt. James"
Voice:
Internet:
"Fahrenheit 452: The Art Police" (2000): 7 episodes, as "Mike"
DVD: "Roddenberry on Patrol" (2003), as "Red shirt bandit"
Tim Russ the director:
back to the top
"I think the best directors are ones in which their heart is really in the project. You really want to tell a story and you feel a story. It's much easier to direct something like that." (Tim Russ in an interview conducted by Kathy Krantz, for "The Trekker", July-August 1985)
Tim Russ has always been interested in directing. So it's no surprise that he took advantage of the directing internship offered by Paramount and finally got a chance to direct an episode of ST-Voyager in 1998. It was not exactly his first job as a director, but the first time he was in charge of such a large project. Needless to say that he got rave reviews...
Video Ballet 101 and Ballet 201
TV and short movies: ST-VOY (1998) "Living Witness" The Heartbreak Café (2001) Episode #37, "Decisions, Decisions" FBI Files (2002/3?), episode #1683 (about a bank robber and kidnapper). Should air in the Spring of 2003 on the Discovery Channel Critical Rescue (2002/3?), episode # 2307 (about the Oklahoma Tornado in 1999). Should air sometime late Spring 2003 on the Discovery Channel Psychic Investigators (2002): this is a pilot presentation which has not been sold yet. "Roddenberry on Patrol" (2003), short movie, parody, available on DVD "Mind Games" (2003), short movie, not available yet. "The Routine" (2003), short movie, not available yet. "Deja Vu" (2005, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Chase Masterson and Garrett Wang The Heartbreak Café (2005) Episode "Writer's Block" "Eye of the Beholder" (2006, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Chase Masterson and Menina Fortunato "Story by Amy Niles" (2006, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Crystal Allen and Menina Fortunato "Star Trek of Gods and Men" (2006, independent Star Trek movie) "Plugged" (2007, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Dominic Keating and Gary Graham "Super Heroes" (2007, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Gary Graham and Lynn-Holly Johnson "Mistaken Identity" (2008, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), with Gary Graham "Low Tech" (2008, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions) "Scene-5" (2008, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions) "Divas of Novella" (2008, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions), Tim also plays the ship computer "Night at the Silent Theater" (2008) "The Company Man" (2009), written by James Nestor, for Robert Michael Conrad Productions
Lou Anders, review of tape 4.12 in "Star Trek Monthly" #47, Dec. '98: "Brilliantly directed by regular cast member Tim Russ, Living Witness twists and turns to a final, unpredictable resolution that is sure to delight fans."
Internet: "Fahrenheit 452: The Art Police": Among other things, Tim has co-director credit for the comedy short mini-series. Tim Russ the producer:
back to the top
"This has been... I suppose 'educational' would be putting it mildly... Making the film, of course, involved a series of headaches, but those are the problems you want - the creative challenges." (Tim Russ to John Walsh about his first project as a producer)
Tim Russ recently started another career as producer of independent films. His first work in that regard, a thought-provoking drama, was a collaboration with a colleague from University, Nate Thomas.
"East of Hope Street" (1996) independent movie, directed by Nate Thomas, script co-written by Nate Thomas and Tim Russ. A true story about a young Hispanic girl from El Salvador, who finds herself in an out-of-headlines urban drama, wherein she must learn to survive the inner city, a foster home, and a social system in a Los Angeles, most of us have never seen. Awards: Best Urban Drama (Film Festival in New York), successful at the Louisiana Film Festival, First Place in the Cross Cultural Category at the Black Film Makers Hall of Fame in Oakland It also screened at the Latino Film Festival in Universal Studios and Paramount Theatres venues, where it was introduced by no less than Edward James Olmos! Academy Winner Gregory Nava said after seeing the film: "If blacks and Latinos would stick together, we'd make a better place to live." (information quoted from "The Vulcan Insider", Winter 1998-issue, the newsletter of Tim Russ' official fanclub).
"Fahrenheit 452: The Art Police" (2000): press release on this comedy- short mini-series used to be found at http://www.galaxy.tv/free/art_police/art_police.html, but Galaxytv as a whole seems to be offline right now. Maybe they are re-designing. Tim is credited as creator, producer, writer, director and star. He shares all these credits with his co-stars, Bruce A. Young (The Sentinel) and Dan Chase (East of Hope Street). The music was written and performed by Bill Burchell and Neil Norman. Originally the series was supposed to run for 24 episodes, but was cut short when galaxyonline.com changed ownership. So only 7 episodes were produced and are up on the galaxy.tv-page - assuming your internet connection is fast enough and assuming the link works, which it does not always do.
"Bugsters!" (2001): an audio book for young children, written, produced and performed by Tim Russ and Jedda Roskilly. Narrator: Jedda Roskilly, characters: Tim Russ, Ethan Phillips, Chase Masterson and Jedda Roskilly. Music by Bill Burchell.
"Kushangaza" (2001): Tim also produced his latest CD himself, together with Bill Burchell from "The Cosmic Orchestra" "Brave New World" (2003): yet another CD produced by Tim Russ and Bill Burchell "Bugsters Tunes & Tales" (2004): A new release of "Bugsters!" with nine all new original songs, five of them also in an instrumental version. Tim wrote the songs, performed them and produced the new CD. "...2nd Thoughts" (2007): the new songs for this CD were also produced by Tim.
Tim Russ the writer:
back to the top
"Left to my own devices, I would probably write everything from satire to science fiction, action-adventure to thrillers. I enjoy developing, creating and building projects from the ground up, but not as a solitary writer." (Tim Russ in an interview conducted by John S. Hall for "Dreamwatch")
Writing may not be as important a part of Tim Russ' professional life as acting or directing, but he's had some success in that area as well, including an award ...
Tim is also a song-writer. The following songs that you can find on his CDs were written by him: "I Can't Imagine" "Crazy" "Strangers" "Kushangaza" "We" (together with Bill Burchell) "Brave New World" Tim also wrote the lyrics for all the Bug-songs on "Bugsters Tunes & Tales", though he shares writing credits for the lyrics of "Camouflage" with his girlfriend Jedda Roskilly. Tim Russ the musician:
back to the top
"I've been a musician for 25 years, a guitarist and a vocalist; I used to make my living at it six nights a week. I've played in all sizes of bands and played solo. I really haven't been doing it that much lately although I played a gig last night - I'll do that every two or three months. It's very easy material and fairly well-known and recognizable stuff which doesn't take long to put together." (Tim Russ in an interview conducted by John S. Hall for "Dreamwatch")
What else is there to say - except: if you get a chance to catch one of his performances, do it! He is *fantastic*!
Some of his more memorable outings as a musician:
|
