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Personal Info
Known For
Directing
Birthday
July 3, 1927
Died
November 27, 2011
Place of Birth
Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK
Also Known As
- Alfred Russell
- Alf Russell
Ken Russell
0.7 Popularity
Biography
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film, and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning romantic drama Women in Love (1969), the notoriously controversial The Devils (1971), the rock musical Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). One noted admirer, British film critic Mark Kermode, attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell; "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism – it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. He now makes very strange experimental films like Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and out there as the work he made in the 1970s."
Known For
7.9
(archival footage)
Twiggy
2025
8.0
Self (archive footage)
The Who: One Band's Explosive Story
2022
0.0
Self
Director of Devils
2012
8.0
Self (archive footage)
Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil
2012
🎬
0.0
The Devils Original on-set footage
2012
6.1
Russell Miegs
Mr. Nice
2010
0.0
The Aristofrogs
2010
🎬
0.0
Roman Senator
Boudica Bites Back
2009
4.7
Santa
A Kitten for Hitler
2007
0.0
Self (archive footage)
10 Best Elgar
2007
Credits
Twiggy
as (archival footage)
2025
7.9
The Who: One Band's Explosive Story
as Self (archive footage)
2022
8.0
Director of Devils
as Self
2012
0.0
Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil
as Self (archive footage)
2012
8.0
🎬
The Devils Original on-set footage
2012
0.0
Mr. Nice
as Russell Miegs
2010
6.1
The Aristofrogs
2010
0.0
🎬
Boudica Bites Back
as Roman Senator
2009
0.0
A Kitten for Hitler
as Santa
2007
4.7
10 Best Elgar
as Self (archive footage)
2007
0.0
The Real Blue Nuns
as Self
2006
4.5
Trapped Ashes
as Dr. Lucy (segment "The Girl with Golden Breasts")
2006
5.0
Brothers of the Head
as Himself
2006
5.4
Colour Me Kubrick
as The Man In Nightgown
2005
5.7
Agatha Christie's Marple
as Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop
2004
7.8
🎬
Revenge of the Elephant Man
2004
0.0
100 Greatest Sexy Moments
as Self
2003
3.5
Hell on Earth: The Desecration & Resurrection of The Devils
as Self
2002
6.4
Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle
as Narrator (voice)
2002
7.5
The Fall of the Louse of Usher
as Dr. Calahari
2002
4.1
Waking the Dead
as Gerry Raistrick
2001
7.2
Celebrity Big Brother
as Self
2001
4.9
The Real Oliver Reed
as Self
2000
0.0
🎬
Lion's Mouth
as Ken
2000
0.0
Ken Russell: In Search of the English Folk Song
as Himself
1997
6.5
Vem Var Dracula
as Self
1996
0.0
Tales of Erotica
as Mr. Kirsch (segment 'The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch') (uncredited)
1996
3.4
🎬
Empire of the Censors
as Self
1995
3.5
Music for the Movies: Georges Delerue
as Self
1995
0.0
Alice in Russialand
1995
0.0
The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch
as Mr. Kirsch
1995
3.8
Frank Stubbs Promotes
as Self
1993
6.0
Lady Chatterley
as Sir Michael Reid
1993
6.2
The Secret Life of Arnold Bax
as Sir Arnold Bax
1992
6.0
Whore
as Waiter (uncredited)
1991
5.2
The Russia House
as Walter
1990
6.1
🎬
Plunder
1990
0.0
A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible
1989
5.8
The Lair of the White Worm
as Police Radio (voice) (uncredited)
1988
5.9
Salome's Last Dance
as Cappadocian
1988
6.1
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music
as Himself
1988
10.0
Your Honour, I Object! Guccione V Russell
1987
0.0
Gothic
as Tourist
1987
5.7
A Turnip Head's Guide To The British Cinema
as Self
1986
0.0
Vaughan Williams: A Symphonic Portrait
as Self
1983
6.0
The Who: The Kids Are Alright
as Self
1979
7.3
The South Bank Show
as Self
1978
5.6
Valentino
as Rex Ingram (uncredited)
1977
5.7
Tommy
as Cripple (uncredited)
1975
6.5
Savage Messiah
as Passenger getting off train in station (uncredited)
1972
6.1
Song of Summer
as Priest
1968
6.2
Omnibus
as Self
1967
7.2
Don’t Shoot the Composer
as Himself
1966
0.0
Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World
as Captain Patterson
1966
4.9
🎬
Russell at Work
1966
0.0
Walk With The Damned
as Hood
1961
0.0
PuzzleFace
as god
N/A
0.0