Born in New York City, Russell made his debut in an uncredited part as a ball player in Ladies' Day (1943).

[3][4] Russell married fellow 20th Century-Fox contract player Nancy Guild in 1947,[5] and they had one child, a daughter, Elizabeth, in 1949.

[1] Russell moved into television producing working on shows such as The Untouchables and Naked City.

[6] John Cameron, head of drama at the ABC in the 1970s, said Russell "was a man of great talents, who had developed a drinking problem to help him cope with the pressures of Network American television.

He gave the ABC a great shot in the arm, and built a degree of professionalism in its drama filming that continued to pay dividends long after he returned to America.