Russell was born and raised in South Africa. His career in the movie business began when he was hired to work with producer Lloyd Phillips and director Martin Campbell on Beyond Borders starring Angelina Jolie and Clive Owen in 2002. He moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and swiftly found himself in demand by the Hollywood Theatre, Film and Television industries. Russell is the former President of the Casting Society of America (CSA) and spearheaded the organisations Inclusion and Diversity and Training and Education Committees. His commitment to Inclusion and Diversity has led to dozens of roundtable and teaching events and he and his team were awarded the Media Access Award (MMA) in 2018, for their significant contribution in raising the visibility and awareness of disability issues in the broadcast, sound recording, and entertainment industries.
Russell has been casting and working with actors in Hollywood for over two decades, working for all the major studios and networks.
