Happy birthday, actor Kurt Russell!

 

Kurt Russell, born March 17, 1951 in Springfield, Massachusetts, has had a stellar acting career and is still going strong.  He first appeared in an episode of Dennis the Menace in 1961. He starred in a number of television series such as Gilligan's Island and Daniel Boone.  In 1969, he landed one of his first starring roles in Disney's The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and went on to star in more Disney movies, such as The Barefoot Executive, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, and The Strongest Man in the World. 

He broke out of his squeaky-clean image by appearing as Snake Plissken in Escape from New York and edgier works such as The Thing, Big Trouble in Little China, and Tequila Sunrise. He appeared in Sky High and Guardian of the Galaxy 2.

He is currently working as Lee Shaw in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

in 2003, he was awarded the Life Career Award at the Oscars,  He passed away

Trailer for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Season 2

"Escape From New York" released 1981

John Carpenter released his dystopian future sci-fi flick Escape from New York, July 10, 1981 to positive reviews.  It starred a buffed-up Kurt Russell in a surprisingly tough role as Snake Plissken.  Apparently, Russell was wanting to shed his good-boy Disney image.  And it worked!

In 1997, Manhattan has been turned into a walled, maximum security prison.  When the president's plane crashes in the city, police try to rescue him but the local crime boss says that he has the president and if anyone else tries to save him, the president will be killed.

Snake Plissken is sent in to get the president out safely in 24 hours.

The movie also starred Ernest Borgnine, Harry Dean Stanton and Adrienne Barbeau.