Montae Russell is a seasoned actor, having spent a significant portion of his career in television, theatre, and film. His most notable role was as Paramedic Dwight Zadro on NBC's ER, a position he held for an impressive 15 seasons. During his time on the show, he was part of the ensemble that won the SAG Award for Best Dramatic Ensemble a total of four times.
Montae's film and cable credits are equally impressive, including appearances in The Player's Club, Laurel Avenue on HBO, Lily in Winter opposite Natalie Cole, and a three-year stint on the soap opera One Life to Live. He has also made numerous guest appearances on various television shows, such as Shameless, Detroit 187, Cold Case, and many others.
In addition to his acting credits, Montae is also a skilled writer. He has written and directed the award-winning short film Something for Nothing, starring Sharif Atkins and Brent Jennings, and The Art of Theft, which won the Feeding Frenzy Screenwriting competition.
Montae's extensive stage credits include a range of productions, from Broadway shows like King Hedley II, A Few Good Men, and Prelude to a Kiss, to performances at the Kennedy Center, the NY Public Theatre, and the Cleveland Playhouse. He has also appeared in numerous productions of August Wilson's plays, including Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Fences, and The Glass Menagerie.
More recently, Montae has been involved in the critically acclaimed production of BIRD LIVES!, in which he played the legendary jazz saxophonist Charlie "Bird" Parker. He has also performed in the one-man show Thurgood, racking up an impressive 132 performances. Additionally, he has appeared in The Road Weeps, the Well Runs Dry at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, earning a NAACP Best Ensemble Award.
Montae's relationship with August Wilson began when he originated the role of Youngblood in the first production of Jitney at the Allegheny Repertory Theatre in Pittsburgh. August later wrote a letter of recommendation for Montae, allowing him to pursue his conservatory actor training at Rutgers University's Mason Gross School of the Arts. Since then, Montae has performed in 9 of the 10 August Wilson "Pittsburgh Cycle" plays, with his next appearance in The Piano Lesson set for October 2015, making him the first actor to perform all 10 of the Wilson plays.
Montae earned his Bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh and his MFA from Rutgers' Mason Gross School of the Arts. He is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and is actively involved in the South LA area with his non-profit organization Successful Youth Los Angeles.
