Hollywood is wrought with stories of the blessings and curses of being the offspring of famous parents, but this versatile performer has managed to avoid these trappings to establish his own, unique identity. Born into Hollywood royalty as the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn, Wyatt Russell was already in front of the cameras as a child, playing an infant in the 1987 comedy Overboard, starring both his parents, an orphan boy in the 1996 sequel to John Carpenter’s cult classic film Escape From New York, Escape from LA, and the 11-year-old version of his father’s stoic, trained-from-birth character, in the 1998 film Soldier.
It wasn’t until a series of injuries cut short his career as a goaltender for several amateur and professional ice hockey teams that Russell gave acting serious consideration. Since then, he has carved out quite a path for himself in movies and TV. Displaying an undeniable charisma and a boyish charm reminiscent of his legendary parentage, Russell is quickly becoming a sought-after performer capable of playing both comedic and dramatic roles. And he even shows signs of a burgeoning action star like his father before him. Coincidentally, Russell is set to star alongside his father in the upcoming Apple TV+ Monsterverse series Godzilla & The Titans. Until then, here's a list of Wyatt Russell's best performances to date.
10 The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Russell plays John Walker, the government-appointment replacement for Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) as the new Captain America in the Disney+, Marvel series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which continues the story of Sam Wilson aka The Falcon (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes aka The Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan) following the events of Avengers: Endgame. Russell imbues the character with a mixture of charm and hubris, owing to his feelings that he is a better representation of American values than the more altruistic Rogers. He is also conflicted by Roger’s decision to hand over the mantle of Captain America to Sam. After publicly killing a member of the terrorist group The Flag Smashers, Walker is defeated by Sam and Bucky, and is stripped of the Captain America title. He is then recruited by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and becomes the U.S. Agent.
9 22 Jump Street
.jpeg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Based on the classic 80s TV series that skyrocketed Johnny Depp to stardom, and launched the careers of Holly Robinson Peete and Dustin Nguyen, this sequel to the 2016 remake starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum follows the fresh-faced undercover cops as they attempt to infiltrate a drug ring supplying a synthetic narcotic to college students. In 22 Jump Street, Russell plays a jock who befriends Tatum’s Jenko, and who may or may not be a member of the drug ring. There’s a certain “Who is that guy?” quality to Russell’s performance in the role as the boyish charisma, inherited from his father, is on full display here.
8 This is 40
Billed as a sort-of-sequel to Judd Apatow’s hit 2007 comedy Knocked Up, starring Seth Rogen and Katherine Heigl, This is 40 sees Paul Rudd and Leslie Mann reprise their roles as Debbie and Pete, the sister and brother-in-law of Alison, Heigl’s character, in Knocked Up. This is 40 focuses on the challenges faced by married couples as they approach middle age. Russell steals the scene in his brief turn as a member of the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team who hits on Mann’s character during a night out on the town.
7 Overlord
In the 2018 action/horror film Overlord, produced by J.J. Abrams and directed by Julius Avery, a squad of paratroopers set out to destroy a Nazi-controlled radio tower a day before the infamous D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. When their plane is shot down en route to the rendezvous point, the surviving soldiers, including Russell, who plays Corporal Lewis Ford, continue the mission and soon find an underground lab where secret Nazi experiments to create a super soldier are being conducted. Russell’s character is initially against deviating from the mission in order to destroy the lab, but he ultimately acquiesces. Upon infiltrating the lab, Russell sacrifices himself so that the others can escape and complete the mission, destroying the lab and the radio tower in the process.
6 Black Mirror: Playtest
Directed by Prey’s Dan Trachtenberg, this British Academy Television Craft Award-nominated episode of the hit, British science fiction/horror series Black Mirror casts Russell as a young man traveling the world following the death of his father from Alzheimer’s disease. After a chance encounter in a London bar with a British girl named Sonja (Hannah John-Kamen), he finds that he has become the victim of identity-theft and, as a result, has no money. He then convinces Sonja to let him stay with her in her flat while he figures out his next move. He soon finds a money-making opportunity playtesting an augmented reality game that taps into the player’s worst fears to create an experience unique to each player. Soon, the lines between reality and virtual reality become quickly blurred.
5 Everybody Wants Some
Known for classics like Slackers and Dazed and Confused, director Richard Linklater is considered by many as one of the originators of the independent film movement of the 90s. His films often examine the coming-of-age years of suburban youth in a more stripped-down, pragmatic fashion than his 80s predecessor John Hughes. Released in 2016, Everybody Wants Some follows the lives of a group of college baseball players in Texas in the 1980s. Russell plays transfer student Charlie Willoughby, who imparts his marijuana-fuelled philosophy on the freshman. We later learn that Charlie is actually a 30-year-old, with a Peter Pan Complex, who scams the system so that he can repeatedly transfer to new colleges to play for their baseball teams.
4 We Are What We Are
.jpeg?q=50&fit=crop&w=1500&dpr=1.5)
Coming on the heels of director Jim Mickle’s critically-acclaimed film Stakeland, this 2013 remake of a Mexican horror film of the same name tells the story of a reclusive family who secretly practices cannibalism under the leadership of their deeply religious father Frank (Bill Sage), and was called "a dreamy commentary on the ravages of extreme religious observance," by Jeannette Catsoulis of The New York Times. In We Are What We Are, Russell plays Deputy Anders, who is charged with investigating evidence of human remains found in a creek near the family’s home. Anders is no stranger to the family and even has a crush on one of the daughters Iris (Ambyr Childers). During his investigation, he is confronted by Iris, whom he proceeds to have sex with. During the encounter, he is attacked from behind and killed by Frank.
3 Under the Banner of Heaven
The controversial true-crime drama miniseries Under the Banner of Heaven, starring Andrew Garfield and Gil Birmingham, was based on a non-fiction book of the same name by Jon Krakauer. Released on FX and Hulu in 2022, the story follows two detectives who investigate the murders of Brenda Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones), a Mormon woman, and her infant daughter Erica, against the backdrop of devout Mormonism. While criticized by some for painting the Mormon faith in a bad light, the miniseries went on to achieve critical acclaim. Russell plays Dan Lafferty, one of the elder sons of the prominent Mormon family in the fictional city of East Rockland, Utah. Chosen, along with his brother Robin (Seth Numrich), to look after the family and their chiropractic business while their parents are away on a two-year mission, the brothers ultimately face financial problems. Known for his extreme views, Dan takes issue with Brenda, whom he views as too independent. This casts a shadow over Dan as a possible suspect in Brenda and Erica’s murders.
2 Lodge 49
Russell plays a prominent role as Dud, an ex-surfer searching for direction following the death of his father and the failure of their family’s pool supply business in the AMC comedy-drama Lodge 49, which ran from 2018 to 2019. After finding a strange ring on the beach with a medieval lynx engraved in it, Dud learns that the ring belongs to an organization called the Order of the Lynx. By mere happenstance, Dud finds himself broken down, in his car, outside of Lodge 49, the headquarters of the Order of the Lynx. Seeing this as a sign, Dud takes a tour and decides to join the order in an effort to find happiness and reclaim his life. Although the show was praised by critics, with Russell’s performance specifically being called "one of the best, most under-the-radar performances of the year," by The A.V. Club’s Danette Chavez, the show was ultimately canceled after only two seasons, due to low ratings.
1 Ingrid Goes West
In Ingrid Goes West, rising star Aubrey Plaza plays the titular Ingrid, a mentally unstable woman from Pennsylvania who, upon reading about a social media influencer named Taylor (Elizabeth Olsen) in a magazine article, develops an obsession with her. This satirical 2017 black comedy serves as a scathing study of social media stardom. Following a stint in rehab, Ingrid uses money inherited from her mother, who has recently passed away, to move to Los Angeles in an attempt to meet the object of her obsession. When Taylor’s dog goes missing, Ingrid, who stole the dog, unbeknownst to Taylor, “finds” and returns it to her. Taylor invites Ingrid to stay for dinner to show her appreciation for the good deed. Russell stands out in the relatively small role as Taylor's painter husband, Ezra.