Russell Andrews is a multi-talented individual, serving as an actor, director, producer, and the founding member of StageWalkers Productions, a Los Angeles-based stage company. As artistic director and managing producer, he has received numerous award nominations, including two NAACP Theatre Awards and two LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards.
Born in Huntsville, Texas, Russell grew up in Houston and attended Ross Sterling High School and Northwest Academy. He majored in sociology at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, before embarking on a career in acting.
Russell began his acting career in Houston at The Ensemble Theatre, before moving to Washington, D.C. to study Shakespeare at The Folger Shakespeare Library's Folger Theatre. He later relocated to New York City, where he performed at the famed Playwrights Horizons and became a regular face on the regional theatre and Off-Broadway circuit.
Andrews entered the August Wilson camp in 1990, when he was cast as Jeremy Furlough in Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone at Houston's Alley Theatre. This marked the beginning of a lifelong relationship with Wilson, as well as friend and mentor Claude Purdy. Andrews has since performed in numerous productions of Wilson's plays, including Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Seven Guitars, and King Hedley II.
In addition to his work in theatre, Russell has also had a successful career in television and film. His TV and Film highlights include Vice Principal Gaines in HBO's INSECURE, Principal Avery in HBO's STERLING, and roles in Michael Jackson: Searching for Neverland, Runaway Island, and The Punisher.
As an activist, Russell is dedicated to advocating for the homeless and is a volunteer for LA's homeless community. He lives in Los Angeles with his two children, Anya and Kai.
