Voting Station

John Russell (Actor)

Please vote to return to collections.

Actor

The Resume

    (January 3, 1921-January 19, 1991)
    Born in Los Angeles, California
    John Lawrence Russell
    Portrayed Tim Kelly in the series, 'Soldiers of Fortune' (1955-1957)
    Best known as Marshal Dan Troop in ABC's western series 'Lawman' (1958 - 1962)
    Acted in 'Yellow Sky,' 'Forever Amber,' 'A Bell for Adano,' 'Untamed Youth,' 'Rio Bravo,' 'Jubilee Trail,' 'Yellowstone Kelly,' 'Pale Rider,' 'Oklahoma Annie,' and 'Apache Uprising'

Why he might be annoying:

    He was twice divorced.
    His second marriage barely lasted a year.
    He shot ads for Camel Cigarettes as Marshal Dan Troop.
    He replaced James Doohan as the blue-skinned (mustached) Alpha Centauri in 'Jason of Star Command' after he left to film 'Star Trek: The Movie.'
    Outside of 'Lawman,' he was overwhelmingly typecast as boorish, sneering outlaws (and the occasional Indian Chief).
    Those who aren't diehard Western fans can easily confuse him with Richard Boone (Paladin from 'Have Gun Will Travel').
    But Google searches for his name tend to turn up content related to the Pittsburgh Pirates' team manager.
    The running joke was that 'had it not been for Guadalcanal, [he] would never have been an actor' because he contracted malaria while serving, resulting his discharge (the vacuum left by other actors serving proved advantageous to his own career).

Why he might not be annoying:

    His first movie role was a bit part in 'Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.'
    Marc Lawrence described him as one of the easiest actors to work with.
    During his Marine entrance exam, he shaved the heels off of his boots so he would squeeze through their maximum height requirements.
    He harbored a guilt about being 'involuntarily retired,' and would later be rejected on medical grounds when he attempted to waive his disability status/enlist during the Vietnam War.
    He was strikingly handsome without being 'a pretty boy,' very much resembling a young Burt Reynolds.
    He had excellent chemistry with 'Lawman' co-star Peter Brown, and was very much his off-screen mentor as well.
    He reasoned that a Marshal of Dan Troup's years would have looked much older, so he not only grew facial hair but added white streaks to his hair so that he would appear less youthful.
    He was a favorite of Clint Eastwood who frequently used him in his films (most notably 'Pale Rider,' in which the two faced off in a climactic gun duel).
    He filmed a very cute 'Family Guide' video for Crosman Airguns, in 1987, in which he teaches the grandkid he's babysitting how to fire his first rifle (safely).
    He made a guest appearance on an episode of 'The Fall Guy,' alongside fellow Western TV legends Peter Breck (of 'The Big Valley'), Jock Mahoney ('Range Rider), and Roy Rogers with his horse Trigger. 

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 6 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 4 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 14 Votes: 64.29% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 25.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 12.50% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 24 Votes: 54.17% Annoying