Harold Russell 660337 225773776 2008-07-15T09:54:52Z 83.10.167.217 pl {{refimprove|date=February 2008}} {{Infobox Actor |bgcolour = silver |name = Harold Russell |image = Best Years of Our Lives 01 bar.jpg |caption = Russell in the film ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' for which he won two [[Academy Awards]]. |birthname = Harold John Russell |birthdate = {{birth date|1914|01|14|mf=y}} |location = [[North Sydney, Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] |deathdate = {{death date and age|2002|1|29|1914|1|14}} |deathplace = [[Needham, Massachusetts]] |spouse = Rita Russell-Nixon (1944-1978) <br/> Betty Marshallsee (1981-2002) |academyawards = '''[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]''' <br/> 1946 ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' <br/> '''[[Academy Honorary Award]]''' <br/> 1947 ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' |goldenglobeawards = '''Special Award''' <br/> 1947 ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' }} '''Harold John Russell''' ([[January 14]], [[1914]] - [[January 29]], [[2002]]) was a Canadian-American [[World War II]] veteran who became one of only two non-professional actors to win an [[Academy Awards|Academy Award]] for acting (the other being [[Haing S. Ngor]]).<ref>{{imdb name|id=0751174|name=Harold Russell}}.</ref> ==Biography== Harold Russell was born in [[North Sydney, Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] and moved to Massachusetts with his family in 1933. In [[1941]], he was so profoundly affected by the [[December 7]]th [[attack on Pearl Harbor]] that he enlisted in the [[United States Army|Army]] on the following day, [[December 8]]. While an Army instructor, and training with the [[U.S. 13th Airborne Division]] stateside in 1944, a defective fuse detonated an explosive he was handling while making a training film. As a result, he lost both hands and was given two [[Artificial limb|hooks]] to serve as hands. After his recovery, and while attending [[Boston University]] as a full-time student, an Army film called ''Diary of a Sergeant'' about rehabilitating war veterans was made featuring Russell. When film director [[William Wyler]] saw the film on Russell, he cast him in the film ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' starring [[Fredric March]] and [[Myrna Loy]]. Russell played the role of Homer Parrish, a sailor who lost both hands during the War. For his role as Parrish, Russell won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] in 1947. Earlier in the ceremony, he was awarded an honorary Oscar for "bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans." The special award had been created because the Board of Governors very much wanted to salute Russell, a non-professional actor, but assumed he had little chance for a competitive win. It is the only time the Academy has awarded two Oscars for the same role. Upon completion of the film, Wyler told Russell to return to school since there "weren't many roles for actors without hands." Russell returned to [[Boston University]] and graduated with a business degree in 1949. Russell authored two autobiographies: ''[[The Best Years of My Life]]'' in 1981 and ''[[Victory in My Hands]]'' in 1949. ===Later years=== Russell appeared in only two other films after his debut, ''[[Inside Moves]]'' in 1980 and ''[[Dogtown (film)|Dogtown]]'' in 1997. He also appeared in an episode of ''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' in 1981 and a two-part episode of the television series ''[[China Beach]]'' in 1989. Russell became active in [[AMVETS]], serving three terms as National Commander. As such, he wrote to President [[Harry S. Truman|Truman]] in 1951, supporting his decision to dismiss General [[Douglas MacArthur|MacArthur]]. In his letter, Russell wrote: "The issue is whether the ultimate [[civil authority]] of the United States can tolerate actions in contempt of constitutional lines of authority. Any lessening of civil power over military power must inevitably lead away from democracy." From the early 1960s to the late 1980s, Russell served as the Chairman of the President's Commission on Employment of the Handicapped, an unpaid position. In 1992, Russell needed money for his wife's medical expenses. In a controversial decision, he sold his Oscar to a private collector for $60,500. Russell defended his action, saying: "I don't know why anybody would be critical. My wife's health is much more important than sentimental reasons. The movie will be here, even if Oscar isn't."<ref name=obit>{{cite news |last=Bergan| first = Ronald | title =Harold Russell; Brave actor whose artificial hands helped him win two Oscars | publisher =''The Guardian'' | date = 2002-02-06 | url =http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,,645548,00.html |accessdate = 2008-02-05}}</ref> The [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences]] has required all Oscar recipients since 1950 to sign an agreement forbidding them from selling their award.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rothman| first=Heathcliff| title=I'd Really Like to Thank My Pal at the Auction House| publisher = ''New York Times'' | date =2006-02-16 | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/movies/redcarpet/12rothman.html | accessdate =2008-02-05}}</ref> ===Death=== On [[January 29]], [[2002]], Russell died of a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref name=obit /> ==Filmography== {|border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |- bgcolor="#B0C4DE" align="center" ! Year ! Film ! Role ! Other notes |- |1946 |''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' |Homer Parrish |[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]]<br/>[[Academy Award]] Honorary Award<br/>[[Golden Globes]] - Special Award for Non-professional acting |- |1980 |''[[Inside Moves]]'' |Wings | |- |1981 |''[[Trapper John, M.D.]]'' |Leo Hopkins |TV episode - The Days of Wine and Leo/aka: Harold Russell Story |- |1988 |''[[Payback]]'' |Policeman | |- |1989 |''[[China Beach]]'' |Uncle Conal |TV episodes - The World, Pts. 1 & 2 |- |1997 |''[[Dogtown (film)|Dogtown]]'' |Blessed William | |- |} {{start box}} {{s-awards}} {{succession box |title=[[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] |before=[[James Dunn (actor)|James Dunn]]<br/>for ''[[A Tree Grows In Brooklyn (film)|A Tree Grows In Brooklyn]]'' |years=1946<br/>'''for ''[[The Best Years of Our Lives]]'' ''' |after=[[Edmund Gwenn]]<br/>for ''[[Miracle on 34th Street]]'' }} {{end box}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== *{{imdb name|id= 0751174}} Retrieved on [[2008-02-07]] *{{Find A Grave|id=6182257}} Retrieved on [[2008-02-07]] <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]] --> {{Template:AcademyAwardBestSupportingActor 1941-1960}} {{Persondata |NAME= Russell, Harold |ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Russell, Harold John |SHORT DESCRIPTION= Actor |DATE OF BIRTH= [[January 14]], [[1914]] |PLACE OF BIRTH= [[North Sydney, Nova Scotia]], [[Canada]] |DATE OF DEATH= [[January 29]], [[2002]] |PLACE OF DEATH= [[Needham, Massachusetts]] }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Harold}} [[Category:American film actors]] [[Category:Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners]] [[Category:Academy Honorary Award recipients]] [[Category:Hollywood Walk of Fame]] [[Category:American military personnel of World War II]] [[Category:Canadian immigrants to the United States]] [[Category:Canadians of Scottish descent]] [[Category:Canadian film actors]] [[Category:Canadian television actors]] [[Category:People from North Sydney, Nova Scotia]] [[Category:American amputees]] [[Category:Canadian amputees]] [[Category:1914 births]] [[Category:2002 deaths]] [[Category:Boston University alumni|Russell]] [[Category:Deaths by myocardial infarction]] [[de:Harold Russell]] [[fr:Harold Russell]] [[it:Harold Russell]] [[no:Harold Russell]] [[pl:Harold Russell]]