Russell Craig "Rusty" Hamer (February 15, 1947 – January 18, 1990) was an American stage, film and television actor.

[3] The following year, Hamer won his first acting role in the 3-D Western Fort Ti, starring George Montgomery and Joan Vohs.

[8] In 1953, entertainer Danny Thomas' secretary saw Hamer in a stage production and was impressed by the child's talent and charm.

In 1959, Hamer released his only single, a "rockaballad" called "Two-of-a-Kind" (with the b side "If Only Mother Would Let Me") written by Wally Gold and Aaron Schroeder, through Mercury Records.

[7][9] Shortly before graduating in June 1964, Hamer was interviewed by reporter Bob Thomas and stated that he intended to continue his acting career and hoped to branch out into dramatic roles.

Hamer said that he was under consideration for roles in several television series including Mr. Novak, Arrest and Trial and Ben Casey.

[16] After recovering, he appeared in a second reunion special, "Make More Room For Daddy", that aired during a segment of the NBC anthology series The Danny Thomas Hour, in 1967.

[8][17] Hamer's only non-"Rusty Williams" acting role post-1964 was a guest spot on the CBS sitcom Green Acres that aired in November 1969.

[19] Due to the ratings success of the reunion specials, ABC created a weekly sequel series, also titled Make Room for Granddaddy, for their fall 1970 schedule.

In the 1970s, Hamer moved to southwestern Louisiana where he worked on an off-shore oil rig for Exxon and delivered newspapers.

[9][23][24] In 1976, he relocated to DeRidder, Louisiana, to be closer to his ailing mother, Dorothy, who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and lived with his elder brother John.

[25] On the night of January 18, 1990, John Hamer found his brother's body in his trailer home in DeRidder, Louisiana.

The group seeks to improve working conditions for young actors and assists former child entertainers in making the transition from past fame to adult life.