# Tony Russel
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{{Short description|American actor}}
{{Use American English|date=October 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Tony Russel
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name = Antonio Pietro Russo
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1925|11|23}}
| birth_place = [Kenosha, Wisconsin](/source/Kenosha%2C_Wisconsin), U.S.
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2017|03|18|1925|11|23}}
| death_place = [Las Vegas](/source/Las_Vegas), [Nevada](/source/Nevada), U.S.
| resting_place = Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery, [Boulder City, Nevada](/source/Boulder_City%2C_Nevada), U.S.
| occupation = Actor
| years_active = 1952–1992
| spouse = {{unbulleted list
|{{marriage|Jodean Lawrence|1951|1974|reason=divorced}}
|{{marriage|Sascha Corwin|1985|2017}}[{{cite web | url=https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/kenoshanews/name/tony-russel-obituary?id=6646909 | title=Tony Russo AKA Russel Obituary (2017) Kenosha News | website=[Legacy.com](/source/Legacy.com) }}]
}}
| children = 1[{{cite web | url=https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/obituary-jodean-lawrence/ | title=Obituary: Jodean Lawrence | date=11 May 2010 }}]
}}
'''Tony Russel''' (born '''Antonio Pietro Russo''', and sometimes credited as '''Tony Russo''' or '''Tony Russell'''; November 23, 1925 – March 18, 2017) was an American actor. He was noted for having worked extensively in the [Italian](/source/Italy) film industry in the mid-1960s, and for his work as a [voice actor](/source/voice_actor) where he was the founder and president of the English Language [Dubbers](/source/Dubbing_(filmmaking)) Association (ELDA) in Italy. He was one of several American actors who turned down the lead of ''[A Fistful of Dollars](/source/A_Fistful_of_Dollars)''.[Barnum, Michael ''Tony Russel Our Man On Gamma 1 -The Wild Wild Interview'' ''Video Watchdog'' No. 128 Dec/Feb 2007]
==Biography==
Born in [Kenosha, Wisconsin](/source/Kenosha%2C_Wisconsin), from Italian immigrants, Russel served in the [United States Army Air Forces](/source/United_States_Army_Air_Forces) during [World War II](/source/World_War_II). He then studied at [University of Wisconsin–Madison](/source/University_of_Wisconsin%26ndash%3BMadison).
Russel founded the English Languages Dubbers Association of Rome (ELDA)[[Variety](/source/Variety_(magazine)) advert from issue dated 12th May 1971.] He was responsible for uniting all of the rival organizations operating in the city,[[http://www.coolasscinema.com/2018/08/an-american-gladiator-in-rome-interview.html?m=1 Roger Browne interview]]
After making [Burt Topper](/source/Burt_Topper)'s ''[War is Hell](/source/War_Is_Hell_(film))'' (1963), he went to Italy first appearing in the title role of ''La leggenda di [Fra Diavolo](/source/Fra_Diavolo)''. He then appeared in several [sword and sandal](/source/sword_and_sandal) and [Eurospy](/source/Eurospy) films, including ''[Secret of the Sphinx](/source/Secret_of_the_Sphinx)'' (1964) and ''[Gladiators Seven](/source/Gladiators_Seven)'' (1964). Russel played [Zorro](/source/Zorro) in ''[Behind the Mask of Zorro](/source/Behind_the_Mask_of_Zorro)'' (1965); he had originally tested for the role of [Walt Disney](/source/Walt_Disney)'s ''[Zorro](/source/Zorro_(1957_TV_series))'' but lost out to [Guy Williams](/source/Guy_Williams_(actor)).[{{cite web|url=http://www.guywilliams.tv/book.html|title=Mary's Guy Williams Fan Site - Guy Williams: The Man Behind the Mask|website=guywilliams.tv|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100305013823/http://www.guywilliams.tv/book.html|archivedate=2010-03-05}}] Among Russel's [starring roles](/source/lead_actor) are parts in the [sci-fi](/source/sci-fi) epics ''[Wild, Wild Planet](/source/Wild%2C_Wild_Planet)'' (1965) and its [sequel](/source/sequel), ''[War of the Planets](/source/War_of_the_Planets_(1966))'' filmed concurrently.
He left Italy for America in 1967, and later appeared in such films as ''[The Hard Ride](/source/The_Hard_Ride)'' (1971) and ''[Soul Hustler](/source/Soul_Hustler)'' (1973).
He died on March 18, 2017, in Las Vegas, Nevada, aged 91, and is buried in Southern Nevada Veterans Memorial Cemetery under his birth name, Antonio P. Russo.[{{cite web|url=http://obits.reviewjournal.com/obituaries/lvrj/obituary.aspx?https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tony_Russel&action=editn=tony-russo&pid=184692254&fhid=10864|title=TONY RUSSO's Obituary on Las Vegas Review-Journal|website=Las Vegas Review-Journal}}]
==Filmography==
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Year
!Film
!Role
!Notes
|-
|1952
|[''Hiawatha''](/source/Hiawatha_(1952_film))
|
|Uncredited role. Directed by Kurt Neumann.
|-
|1954
|[''The Silver Chalice''](/source/The_Silver_Chalice_(film))
|Sicarii
|Uncredited role. Directed by Victor Saville
|-
| rowspan="2" |1955
|''[Jump into Hell](/source/Jump_into_Hell)''
|Radio Operator
|Uncredited role. Directed by David Butler
|-
|''[Highway Patrol](/source/Highway_Patrol_(American_TV_series))''
|Jimmy Wilson[{{Cite web |title=Highway Patrol - Season 1, Episode 11: "Retired Gangster" on IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106985/?ref_=ttfc_fcr_epp_sm_1 |access-date=2026-04-01 |website=www.imdb.com}}]
|Season 1, Episode 11: "Retired Gangster", directed by [Alvin Ganzer](/source/Alvin_Ganzer).