George Russo is a talented English actor, writer, and producer with over two decades of experience in the television and film industries.
In his debut screenplay, the slice-of-life drama "Turnout" (2011),Russo took on the lead role alongside Neil Maskel, Ophelia Lovibond, and Ben "Plan B" Drew. The film was picked up and distributed by Revolver Entertainment, receiving a UK theatrical release.
Russo's second feature was the critically acclaimed crime drama "Villain" (2020),directed by BAFTA-nominated director Phil Barantini. The film garnered numerous glowing reviews, including a "critics' pick" from The New York Times, and went on to hold the number one film spot on Netflix UK's movie chart for over a week.
In September 2022, Russo made a guest appearance in a one-off special episode of the long-running and popular UK soap opera EastEnders. Set in the winter of 1979, he portrayed Eric Mitchell, the extremely abusive father of brothers Grant and Phil, and the husband of the iconic Peggy Mitchell, played by Jaime Winstone.
Russo's two short films, "Smack Edd" (2019) and "Baby Boy" (2021),have screened at film festivals worldwide, earning numerous awards along the way. The latter earned Russo an award for best actor at the BAFTA and BIFA qualifying BUFF film festival, and was selected as a finalist for the prestigious Iris Prize, resulting in multiple screenings on Channel 4 and becoming available on their streaming service All4 for a whole year.
In 2022, Russo reprised his role as Joey "Basildon Joe" Waller in the popular Rise of the Footsoldier franchise spin-off "Tate: Two Days of Blood" (2023). He also has several other projects set to be released in 2023, including supporting roles in two BBC dramas and a recurring role in an unannounced, high-profile HBO series.
