After an almost 40-year absence from television, Kurt Russell is back and believes that streaming shows pose a greater risk than movies. He explains, “there are a lot of eyeballs on it” and if a streaming show fails, “it’s gonna be there for as long as you want it to be there.”
This year, Russell received the prestigious Crystal Nymph Award for lifetime achievement at the Monte-Carlo Television Festival. He acknowledges that the stakes in television, especially on streaming platforms, are considerably higher than they were over 30 years ago.
Russell is currently the lead in two TV shows: “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” on Apple TV and “The Madison” on Paramount+. His last significant television role was in “Elvis” back in 1979.
“Elvis” was directed by John Carpenter, with whom Russell also worked on films like “Escape From New York,” “The Thing,” and “Big Trouble in Little China.” Although these movies did not initially perform well, they are now considered cult classics.
Speaking at a packed press conference in Monte-Carlo, Russell commented on the changing risks in Hollywood, saying, “With movies back then it was like ‘If you fail at it, so what? Nobody’s gonna probably see it.’” He argues that the perception of streaming being less risky than movies is “not true.”
Russell is fascinated by the different demographics of his two shows. He notes, “With the ‘Monarch’ show it is really dominated by audiences of like 40 and under and ‘Madison’ is dominated by like 30 and up.” The way he gauges audience reactions has evolved, as he used to assess a film’s success by public reactions within a week of its release.
Now, with streaming, “there are a lot of eyeballs on it.” He appreciates the immediate feedback, saying, “I’m 75 years old and now you can see if people are enjoying it and it’s such a large number. That’s really nice.”
Reflecting on films that initially flopped but later gained popularity, Russell credits cable TV and DVDs for giving them a second life. “Thank God for cable TV and DVDs and audiences being able to find something that they thought only they were finding,” he remarks.
In “The Madison,” Russell plays Preston Clyburn, a role he finds particularly rewarding. Created by Taylor Sheridan and co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer and Matthew Fox, the experience is described by Russell as a dream. “It’s really fun to do and Michelle is incredible. And I had a great time working with Matthew Fox. We did a picture that I liked very much called ‘Bone Tomahawk.’ It is just a dream experience. It’s just great from top to bottom, which is very rare.”
Despite his success, Russell has never embraced Method acting. He explains, “I never was [but] everybody works different ways. I work from experience. I’ve always been fascinated by human beings. My mother and I, from the time I was little, we used to see somebody and I’d look at my mum and go ‘What is that person doing?’”
