David O. Russell Net Worth

David O. Russell's Quotes

• There's nothing better than an actor who is really, really hungry to show everything they've got.
• It's imperative for me to tell everybody that this is personal, it means a lot to me. You have to impart how much it means to you in a personal way, which will bring everybody into it, and get you closer to working with that horse, whether that's a Steadicam operator or an actor. That's the thing I'm most proud of. You know, ironically given how you can get tagged, exaggerated from one or two past incidents, is that I'm most proud of being in sync and feeling like a family with the crew...and having everybody being willing to go through fire for this vision. That's a wonderful thing. It's a little sad when it ends. (...) That's why I start every day in the van. I have a van, like the van that they drove me to the set in, and I want the actors, I want the head of every department to come with me in the van at the very first moment I arrive there, and let's talk about what the day is, so that everybody has a very intimate feeling of what we're doing. Because the movie's not out there on the set with all those extras trying to look at the camera. You can get out there, and the energy's very dissipated, and it's very chaotic and the whole thing can be misdirected, the energy. And you want everyone to be feeling what you feel in your heart.
• [on directing Amy Adams in American Hustle (2013)] I just really wanted to challenge her. I wanted her to do a role that was as strong as the guy parts, and more cunning in certain respects. Appetite has a lot to do with it. And she has an enormous appetite. It's almost athletic. She rises to the challenge...I have a musical idea that I would like to discuss with her.
• I make every movie and scene as if it could be my last.
• People go to the movies because they want a full experience. If you're not gonna give it to them with guns or bombs, you've gotta give it to them with human opera.

Interesting Facts about David O. Russell

1. Honored at Manhattan's Museum of Modern Art in April 2002 by guests such as Lily Tomlin, Mark Wahlberg and Sandra Bernhard. Ironic site for tribute, since Russell once served as a waiter at parties there, to the likes of Martin Scorsese.
2. Graduated from Amherst College 1981, majoring in English and Political Science.
3. Former Son-in-law of Angela Grillo
4. Was member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 2003.
5. Went to Mamaroneck High School in Mamaroneck, New York with Bennett Miller and Dan Futterman.
6. Father of actor Matthew Antonio Grillo Russell with producer/actress Janet Grillo.
7. Directed 7 different actors in Oscar-nominated performances: Christian Bale (twice), Amy Adams (twice), Melissa Leo, Bradley Cooper (twice), Jennifer Lawrence (three times), Robert De Niro, and Jacki Weaver. Bale and Leo won Oscars for their performances in The Fighter (2010); Lawrence won for her performance in Silver Linings Playbook (2012).
8. His father was of Russian Jewish descent and his mother was of Italian ancestry.
9. The only director to helm two consecutively-released films (Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013)) that were nominated for Academy Awards in all acting categories.
10. Finally exited his directorial project Accidental Love (2015) (then still titled "Nailed") in June 2010 after many financial and legal troubles during the shooting of the film and negotiations with film financier Ron Tutor eventually broke down. The movie was shelved ever since ending principal photography in November 2008. It was rumored that the film was never fully finished and that crucial parts of the plot were never shot. It was eventually released in 2015. However, Russell's name is no longer associated with the film. Therefore, he receives directing credit as "Stephen Greene" (similar to the old "Alan Smithee" pseudonym used by directors who disown the final product of a film they may have directed at one point but eventually were not able to exercise creative control over (due to producers' or financiers' interference, for example)).
11. Wrote the screenplay adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016), with the intention of directing it. After he dropped out, Burr Steers revised and polished the script and directed it. In the end, Russell didn't receive any credit.
12. Did uncredited rewrites on the script for Meet the Fockers (2004).
13. Wrote early drafts of the screenplay for Stuart Little (1999), but didn't earn any credit.
14. Cousin of Matthew Muzio.
15. Directed three Oscar Best Picture nominees in a row from 2010-2013: The Fighter (2010), Silver Linings Playbook (2012), American Hustle (2013), all three films were also at least nominated for Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress.
16. His favorite movie is blue velvet(1986).
17. His favorite movies are blue velvet(1986), chinatown(1974), the discreet charm of the bourgeoisie(1972), the godfather(1972), goodfellas(1990), it's a wonderful life(1946), pulp fiction(1994), raging bull(1980), vertigo(1958), and young frankenstein(1974).