Rene Russo Biography: Height, Ethnicity, Age, Net Worth, Siblings, Parents, Children, Husband, Awards

Rene Marie Russo is an American actress and former supermodel who first made her mark in the 1970s as a top fashion model gracing the covers of Vogue and Cosmopolitan.

She transitioned to acting with her debut in the 1989 sports comedy Major League, where her screen presence made an immediate impression.

Through the 1990s, she became widely recognized for roles in Lethal Weapon 3, In the Line of Fire and The Thomas Crown Affair.

Profile

• Full name: Rene Marie Russo
• Nickname: Jolly Green Giant
• Date of birth: February 17, 1954
• Age: 71 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Burbank, California, U.S.
• State of origin: California
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Actress, former model, producer
• Height: 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
• Parents: Father – Nino Russo; Mother – Shirley Balocca Russo
• Siblings: Sister – Toni Russo; plus three half‑brothers (Jim, Anthony, David) and half‑sister January Debra from father’s side
• Spouse: Dan Gilroy (m. March 14 1992)
• Children: Rose Jean Gilroy (born August 31 1993)
• Relationship status: Married
• Religion: Christianity (Raised) (N/A specifics)
• Ethnicity: Italian, German‑English‑Irish ancestry
• Net worth: US$40–45 million

Early Life and education

Rene Russo is now 71 years old and was born on February 17, 1954, in Burbank, California. She is the daughter of Nino Russo, a sculptor and mechanic, and Shirley Balocca Russo, a factory worker and barmaid.

Her father left when she was two, and she was raised by her mother along with her sister Toni. She struggled with scoliosis in junior high, wearing a full-­torso brace, and earned the nickname “Jolly Green Giant.”

She attended Burroughs High School but left in tenth grade to help support the family, taking jobs in an eyeglass factory and as a movie‐theater cashier. Russo later caught the eye of modeling scouts and launched her career.

Personal Life

Rene Russo married screenwriter Dan Gilroy on March 14, 1992, after meeting on the set of Freejack in 1992. Together they have a daughter, Rose Jean Gilroy, born August 31, 1993.

She has been open about living with bipolar disorder since childhood, beginning medication in her adult years to manage it. She is allergic to sesame.

Career

Russo’s modeling career began in the early 1970s after being discovered at a Rolling Stones concert. She signed with Ford Modeling Agency and appeared in high‑fashion magazines and Revlon campaigns.

Transitioning to acting in the mid‑1980s, she made her television debut in Sable (1987–88), followed by her film debut in Major League (1989). Her breakout role came in Lethal Weapon 3 (1992) as Detective Lorna Cole.

She went on to star in In the Line of Fire (1993), Outbreak (1995), Get Shorty (1995), Ransom (1996), Lethal Weapon 4 (1998) and The Thomas Crown Affair (1999).

After Yours, Mine & Ours (2005) she adopted a hiatus, returning as Frigga in Thor (2011), Thor: The Dark World (2013) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). Her performance in Nightcrawler (2014) earned critical acclaim and several awards.

Awards and Nominations

• Blockbuster Entertainment Award – Favorite Supporting Actress ‑ Action/Adventure for Lethal Weapon 4 (1999)
• San Diego Film Critics Society Award – Best Supporting Actress for Nightcrawler (2014)
• Saturn Award – Best Supporting Actress for Nightcrawler (2014)
• AARP Movies for Grownups Award – Best Supporting Actress for Nightcrawler (2015)
• Nominations include MTV Movie Award (Best Kiss), Saturn Awards for Freejack and The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle, Screen Actors Guild, BAFTA, among others

Net worth

Rene Russo’s net worth is estimated between US$40–45 million, earned through her earnings in modeling, high-profile acting roles, and producing ventures such as Two for the Money.

Social Media

• N/A

Filmography

• Major League as Lynn Wells (1989)
• Mr. Destiny as Cindy Jo Bumpers/Burrows (1990)
• One Good Cop as Rita Lewis (1991)
• Freejack as Julie Redlund (1992)
• Lethal Weapon 3 as Lorna Cole (1992)
• In the Line of Fire as Lilly Raines (1993)
• Major League II as Lynn Wells (1994)
• Outbreak as Robby Keough (1995)
• Get Shorty as Karen Flores (1995)
• Tin Cup as Molly Griswold (1996)
• Ransom as Kate Mullen (1996)
• Buddy as Gertrude Lintz (1997)
• Lethal Weapon 4 as Lorna Cole (1998)
• The Thomas Crown Affair as Catherine Banning (1999)
• Thor as Frigga (2011
• Nightcrawler as Nina Romina (2014)