Betsy Russell – Biography, Other Interesting Facts You Need To Know

Quick Facts

Although Betsy Russell did not come from a family of entertainers she had a childhood dream of becoming one; an actress to be precise. She nurtured this dream of hers and took all the necessary steps that formed the basis of her prominence in the present time. The American actress is notable for a lot of movies and is best remembered for her role of ‘Jill Tuck’ in the Saw Series. It will be interesting to find out more about the actress. Let’s get to meet her.

Betsy Russell Biography

She was born Elizabeth Russell on September 6, 1963, in San Diego California. She attended Mission Bay High School and also attended the University of Santa Monica, California, where she got a masters degree in Spiritual Psychology.

At the tender age of 8, Betsy who was always inclined to the creative arts was already participating in school plays and was quite remarkable. At 16, she made her first significant step towards stardom when she featured in a Pepsi commercial in San Diego. While she was a student of Mission Bay High School, she started grabbing the attention of stakeholders. After high school, Betsy Russell was more motivated than ever to become an actress. She moved to the city of Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting and started taking acting classes.

Russell soon got busy in the ’80s, landing her first role in the film Let’s Do It! (1982). The talented actress got her breakthrough from the comedy, Private School where she starred as Jordan Leigh-Jenson opposite . In the film which was a sex comedy, Betsy wowed everyone with an apt portrayal of her character, especially with the scene where she rode a horse topless. After the movie, the actress rose to popularity, with her name on the lips of many stakeholders in Hollywood.

More and more roles came her way and she went on to star in other movies like Tomboy, Bloody Pom Poms, Avenging Angel and many others. Russell did not stop at movies; she also embraced series that came her way. She starred in series like Family Ties, T.J Hooker, and many others.

Russell went on a long hiatus from acting after she got married in 1989, to cater to her family. She returned to the screens in the 2000s with full force and took on the notable role of Jill Tuck in the horror movie Saw III. She went on to star in the sequels that followed; Saw IV, Saw V, Saw VI, and Saw 3D: The Final Chapter (2010).

5 Interesting Facts You Need to Know About the Actress

1. Family 

Betsy of Jewish ancestry was born to Constance and Richard Lion Russell, her parents. Her family may not be full-blown entertainers like she is, but they are known for their writing exploits. For over fifty years, Betsy’s father, a stock analyst has written ‘The Dow Theory Letters’, a newsletter about the stock market. Her maternal grandfather, Max Lerner was a renowned journalist, an author, and a columnist. Hortense Lion, Russell’s paternal grandmother was also an author who wrote many bestsellers in her time.

2. Her Spouse and Kids

It can be recalled that Betsy Russell took a long hiatus from the industry towards the end of the 80s. This was after she got married to actor and tennis star, Vincent Van Patten. Betsy and Vincent grew from acquaintances to lovers through the actress’ frequent visits to the Playboy Mansion to see her grandfather who was a friend of . The two got married in 1989 after which they welcomed two sons; Richard Van Patten and Vincent Van Patten, Jr. Betsy then decided to take a break from her career to focus on her family. However, she returned to acting in the 2000s after their divorce in 2001. While filming the Saw franchise, she also dated the producer, Mark Burg.

3. Net Worth

Betsy Russell may not be the richest but is living quite comfortably with her earnings from her showbiz stints. The actress has an estimated net worth of $5 million and hopes to make more in the coming years.

4. Body Measurements – Height and Weight

Betsy Russell stands at a height of 5 feet 7 inches which is quite proportional to her weight of 59 kg. With her body stats of 39-27-32 inches, very few would doubt that the actress was once a model as reported by some sources.

5. Interests

Russell is not only an actress; as mentioned earlier, the Private School star bagged a masters degree in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Sancta Monica California. It was not just for the portfolio, Betsy is a certified hypnotherapist and is also a life coach. In addition, she is also a real estate investor.

Also Read: Top 10 Richest People in the world with full biography and details.