[2] She attended the Prospect High School and began perform in Goodman Theatre Young People's Drama Workshop alongside Jennifer Beals.
[11][12] Russell made her television debut in 1997 playing guest-starring roles on Silk Stalkings and Pensacola: Wings of Gold.
She also appeared in films Corn (2004), Revolutionary Road (2008), You Don't Know Jack (2010), Kilimanjaro (2013), Freeheld (2015) and Bikini Moon (2017).
In 2018, Russell starred as inmate Carol Denning in the Netflix comedy-drama series, Orange Is the New Black during the show' sixth season.
In 2023 she had a supporting role in the drama film The Magnificent Meyersons starring opposite her Orange Is the New Black co-star, Kate Mulgrew.