Description:
Born in 1954, Rene Russo grew up on the wrong side of the
tracks in Burbank, a Los Angeles suburb. Her father, a sculptor and mechanic,
left the family when Rene was just two, leaving her mother, Shirly, as a single
mom with two daughters. (Rene has one sister, named Toni). In junior high school,
Rene was plagued with scoliosis and had to wear a back brace for four years,
making her look unusually skinny to her classmates. She was already a tall girl,
which earned her the nickname "Jolly Green Giant" from her classmates.
She entered Burroughs High School, along with classmate Ron Howard, and even
though her brace had been removed, she was still somewhat of a loner. Unable
to deal with academics and the school social scene, Rene dropped out of school
in the tenth grade. Since money was tight, she began to take a variety of part-time
jobs over the next 18 months, many for the free benefits. She sold refreshments
at a movie theater, where she could see free movies; worked as a restaurant
hostess, where her meals were free; and worked as a store cashier at Disneyland,
where she had free admission. She often had two jobs at one time. Her last job,
which was solely for the paycheck, was a full-time job at an eyeglass factory,
inspecting contact lenses.
In 1972, the 17 year old was attending a Rolling Stones concert
when she was approached by John Crosby, a scout and manager from International
Creative Management. He told her she should be a model and had test photos made
of her. Within a few months, Rene signed a contract with Ford Modeling Agency
and within a year had become a successful print and photographers model. Soon
her modeling breakthrough came when she graced the cover of Vogue. By 1975,
she had appeared on numerous magazine covers, was one of the most successful
models in America, and was also starting to be seen in several TV commercials
through the 1980s. She would define what a top fashion model was for years to
come.
By her 30th birthday, demand for her began to dwindle, as it
did for most models at that age. She did a few more commercials and then turned
her back on modeling and show business for a while. Financially secure for the
next several years, she began an intense period of literature and Christian
theology. She also began to study theater and acting, and began appearing in
theater roles at small regional theaters in Los Angeles and elsewhere in California.
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