Rene Marie Russo was born on February 17, 1954, in Burbank, California, to Nino Russo and Shirley Russo. Her father left the family when she was very young, and she was raised primarily by her mother alongside her sister. Russo attended Burroughs High School but dropped out early to help support her family financially. She began working by selling refreshments at a movie theater and later took on roles such as a restaurant hostess, eventually juggling multiple part-time jobs to contribute to the household.
At the age of 17, Russo was discovered by talent manager John Crosby at a Rolling Stones concert in 1972. Encouraged by Crosby to pursue modeling, she had her first test photos taken and soon after signed with the Ford Modeling Agency. Russo quickly rose to prominence in the fashion industry, gracing the covers of major publications including Cosmopolitan, Mademoiselle, and Vogue — with her appearance on the latter considered a pivotal moment in her modeling career. Throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, she became one of the most in-demand models of her time.
In her early thirties, Russo shifted her focus to acting. She began studying acting and performing in theater productions before making her screen debut in 1987 as Eden Kendell in the television series Sable. She broke into film with her role as Lynn Wells in the 1989 comedy Major League.
| Birth Date: | 17 Feb, 1954 |
| Age: | 66 yrs |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | Burbank |
| residence: | Brentwood |
| Gender: | Female |
| Description: | Actress, model |
| Spouse: | Dan Gilroy [M. 1992] |
| Net Worth 2021: | 40 million |
