Legendary Director of ‘The Mask’ Dead at 74
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Chuck Russell, the director of The Mask and many other hit movies, died on Wednesday at 74. A San Diego local fire department responded to his home after reports involving an unconscious man were filed.
No cause of death has been disclosed.
Russell was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Illinois.
He worked his way up the ladder, beginning as a production assistant for low-budget films early in his career.
He earned his first major writing credit with 1984’s sci-fi thriller Dreamscape.
Russell’s directorial debut was the iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, which helped launch Patricia Arquette’s career.
He also directed Girls Just to Have Fun in 1985, helping to launch the careers of Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt, as well as Junebug in 2005, which marked the first of six Oscar nominations for its star, Amy Adams.
In 1994, he directed the hit The Mask, turning Jim Carrey into a household name and serving as Cameron Diaz’s feature film debut.
Russell’s 2002 action-fantasy film The Scorpion King was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first leading role in a major Hollywood film.
His final completed project was writing and directing the 2024 supernatural horror remake of Witchboard. Russell is survived by his wife, Ania Zeyne Russell, and three children, Logan, Riley, and Carlyn.
https://www.tmz.com/2026/07/24/chuck-russell-dead/">Read it at TMZ
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