Russell’s career in Film, Television and Stage started when, at the age of 11, he conceived, produced and directed the first South African stage version of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I”. Russell went on to produce and direct numerous stage shows and corporate videos throughout Southern Africa. He was contracted by Panasonic World Wide to provide training to new camera operators for two years, finally settling in Cape Town. He began working as a casting assistant for European television commercials. During the same time, Russell set up a national marketing and communications company “Capital Communications” and a small events company “In ToTo Productions”, specializing in corporate entertainment, which constantly created employment for artists and actors. A year later he was hired to work with producer Lloyd Phillips and director Martin Campbell on “Beyond Boarders” starring Angelina Jolie, casting, briefing and setting up the coordination of locally cast featured actors and a contingent of 3500 extras per day for 4 months. Quickly becoming a talent in high demand, Russell had a 8 year stint working in over 9 countries around the world, and was soon working alongside talents like director John Boorman, with whom he cast the Samual L. Jackson/ Juliette Binoche film “In My Country”, and Eric Valli, winner of the Academy Award for best foreign film “Himalaya” in 1999. Russell decided to move to Los Angeles in early 2005. In the 7 years that Russell has been in Los Angeles he has been involved in the staging of over 27 theater productions, and has swiftly found himself in demand by the Hollywood Film and Television industry as an acting coach, producer, director and casting director. He currently works as a Casting Director alongside Rick Pagano (X-Men/ Alien/ Hotel Rwanda) and Debi Manwiller (24- The Series) for Pagano/ Manwiller Casting and is a founding partner of “Rocket Propelled Ltd.” with Rick Pagano.
Rick Pagano has been a casting director in Hollywood for more than 25 years working with some of the industry’s most renowned film-makers–Oliver Stone, James Cameron,Terry George, Luc Besson, Jean-Jacques Beineix, Gus Van Zant, Allison Anders, Kathyrn Bigelow, Cameron Crowe, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, Robert Towne, Sergei Bodrovand Carl Franklin, among many others. The range of projects he casts can be reflected in the honors they’ve won from Sundance to Cannes to Berlin to the Oscars.
LAUREN MONTGOMERY (MARKETING/ ADMINISTRATION)
As an actress Lauren has worked on such projects as Anne Jennings for which she won best actress at the 2010 LA Movie Awards, LA Reel Film Festival and the California Film Awards. Lauren grew up in Atlanta and attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After college she moved to New York City where she trained at the Michael Howard Conservatory. She then became a founding member of Maieutic Theater Works and performed in a number of off- off Broadway plays. She is currently producing a short film and will be starring in a quirky indie romantic comedy later this summer.
Email: thelivingactor@gmail.com4th Floor
Culver City, CA 90232
USA
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