Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell McKenzie was born on July 18, 1994 in Vancouver, British Columbia, and was raised in Vancouver and Toronto, Ontario.[1] She is the child of a Black father and White mother, and states in interview that she grew up mostly with her mother's side of the family and that she identifies as mixed race. In TheGrio.com she recalls experiencing racism and colorism growing up, stating that she had "Black girls not accepting me because I’m too light-skinned… and white girls who reject[ing] me because I was different" from them also.[2]

Russell made her professional acting debut in 2012, with a small guest role in an episode of The CW medical drama series Emily Owens, M.D..[3] In 2014, she starred as Lark Voorhies in the Lifetime television film The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story,[4][5] and Jennifer in the Disney XD television film Pants on Fire.[6][7]

Rusell made guest appearances in the CBC Television drama series Strange Empire (2015), the TNT science fiction series Falling Skies (2015), and the Freeform supernatural horror series Dead of Summer (2016).[3] She also had roles in the teen drama film Before I Fall (2017) and the supernatural horror film Down a Dark Hall (2018).[8]

In 2018, Russell earned recognition for her starring role as Judy Robinson in the science fiction series Lost in Space, a Netflix remake of the original 1965 series, for which her earned critical praise and a nomination for the Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Streaming Presentation.[9][10] Essence magazine stated that she "impresses in her role as a genius medic and doctor, who is compassionate and caring even in the face of danger."[11] The series concluded in December 2021, after three seasons.[12]

In 2019, Russell had her film breakthrough with the leading role of Zoey Davis in the psychological horror film Escape Room, which was a major commercial success,[13] surpassing initial expectations and grossing $155.7 million.[14][15] Also in 2019, Russell garnered critical acclaim for her starring role in the drama film Waves, which was released by A24 Films on November 15, 2019.[16] IndieWire website dubbed her performance as a "revelation",[17] going on to write that "While Waves is filled with excellent performances from its stacked cast, it’s Russell that makes off with its most spectacular turn."[17] The Los Angeles Times called her and her co-star Kelvin Harrison Jr. "two of the fastest-rising stars of their generation."[18] For her performance in the film, Russell received the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and the Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, among several others.[19][20]

Russell starred in Thor Freudenthal's romantic drama Words on Bathroom Walls (2020), alongside Charlie Plummer, Andy Garcia, and AnnaSophia Robb, which earned positive responses both from critics and audiences (89 and 94% "fresh", respectively, as of January 2022).[21] She also co-directed, wrote, and produced the documentary short film The Heart Still Hums, which earned acclaim and numerous awards, including the Palm Springs International ShortFest Award for Best Documentary Short.[22]

In 2021, Russell starred in the comedy-drama film Dr. Bird's Advice for Sad Poets, and reprised the role of Zoey Davis in the Escape Room sequel Escape Room: Tournament of Champions,[23][24] which grossed $51.8 million.[25] She is set to star alongside Timothée Chalamet in the upcoming romance horror film Bones & All, directed by Luca Guadagnino.[26]

About the opportunity provided to women of color in science fiction productions, Russell has said, "[I]n space and in sci-fi and in worlds… there aren’t labels of what Black girls should and shouldn’t be… Because there are no stereotypes of being “sassy” or whatever box society puts us in now, we have this beautiful space where we’re able to be anything. I love seeing girls who are funny and strong and smart being celebrated. I love seeing more girls like that represented on TV and in movies."[2]

• Taylor Russell at IMDb