Elizabeth "Betsy" Russell (born September 6, 1963) is an American actress best known for her roles in Private School, Tomboy, and the Saw franchise.
She played Jill Tuck in Saw III, Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D.
Early Life[]
Betsy Russell was born to Constance and Richard Lion Russell, a stock analyst, in San Diego, California. Three of her grandparents were Jewish. Her maternal grandfather was journalist and educator Max Lerner. Russell wanted to be an actress since the age of eight and started acting in school plays. While in high school, she appeared in a Pepsi commercial taped locally. After graduating from Mission Bay High School in 1981, Russell moved to Los Angeles and took acting classes before landing her first role.
Career[]
In 1982, Russell landed her first role in the science fiction series The Powers of Matthew Star. That same year, she acted in T.J. Hooker and Family Ties as well as Let's Do It!, which was her first role in a feature film. In 1983, Russell's breakout role was Jordan Leigh-Jenson in the sex comedy Private School.
While shooting Avenging Angel, she was offered an audition for the 1985 film Silverado but turned it down. Instead, she starred in a series of B movies in the 1980s, including Tomboy and Cheerleader Camp. Russell also appeared on TV series such as The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, 1st & Ten, and an episode of Superboy.
After a brief retirement from acting, Russell appeared in a small role in Saw III as Jill Tuck, the ex-wife of the infamous Jigsaw Killer. She returned in the sequels Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D, where Jill became one of the series' primary characters. She played a role in the 2010 film Chain Letter, the SyFy film Mandrake, and My Trip Back to the Dark Side.
Personal Life[]
In August 1988, Russell was engaged to actor Vincent Van Patten, son of Dick Van Patten. They were married nine months later, on May 27, 1989, in North Hollywood. Their wedding reception was at Patten's father's home in Sherman Oaks. It was attended by Alan Alda, Carl Reiner, Valerie Perrine, Mel Brooks, Anne Bancroft, Wayne Gretzky, Janet Jones, Hugh Hefner, and Kimberley Conrad. They divorced in 2001 and have two children: Richard Van Patten, born in March 1993, and Vincent Van Patten, Jr., born on September 3, 1995. Russell was also once engaged to Mark Burg, a producer of the Saw film series.
She has completed a Master's Degree in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica and is a certified hypnotist and life coach.
Filmography[]
Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Private School | Jordan Leigh-Jenson |
| Let's Do It! | Kittie | |
| 1984 | Out of Control | Chrissie Baret |
| 1985 | Avenging Angel | Molly "Angel" Stewart |
| Tomboy | Tomasina 'Tomboy' Boyd | |
| 1988 | Cheerleader Camp | Alison Wentworth |
| 1989 | Trapper County War | Lacey Luddigger |
| 1991 | Camp Fear | Jamie |
| 1992 | Delta Heat | Vicky Forbes |
| 1993 | Amore! | Cheryl Schwartz |
| 1995 | The Break | Candy |
| 2000 | The Flunky | Candy |
| 2006 | Saw III | Jill Tuck |
| 2007 | Saw IV | Jill Tuck |
| 2008 | Saw V | Jill Tuck |
| 2009 | Saw VI | Jill Tuck |
| 2010 | Chain Letter | Sergeant Hamill |
| Saw 3D | Jill Tuck | |
| 2011 | I'm a Soap Star | Date |
| 2012 | Lose Yourself | Destiny |
| 2014 | My Trip Back to the Dark Side | Destiny |
| Knock 'em Dead | Louanne the Maid / Laurie Grant | |
| 2022 | Bully High | Beth White |
Television Series[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | The Powers of Matthew Star | Dawn |
| T.J. Hooker | Teenager | |
| Family Ties | Girl | |
| 1984-1986 | The A-Team | Adrian Prescott / Tina |
| 1986 | Murder, She Wrote | Doris Robinson |
| 1986-1987 | 1st & Ten | Christy |
| 1989 | Superboy | Serene |
| 1995 | Platypus Man | Becky |
| 2018 | Robot Chicken | Lori |
Television Films[]
| Year | Title | Role |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Roxanne: The Prize Pulitzer | Liza Pulitzer |
| 2010 | Mandrake | Felicia |
| 2013 | Non-Stop | Gayle |
| 2017 | Born and Missing | Dr. Taylor |
Gallery[]
External Links[]
- Official Website
Betsy Russell on Wikipedia
Betsy Russell at the Internet Movie Database
Betsy Russell on Twitter
Betsy Russell on Instagram