Known for movies
Tommy (1975)
as Director
Altered States (1980)
as Director
The Devils (1971)
as Director
The Lair of the White Worm (1988)
as Director
Short Info
| Date Of Birth | July 3, 1927 |
| Died | November 27, 2011, London, United Kingdom |
| Spouse | Lisi Tribble, Hetty Baynes, Vivian Russell, Shirley Ann Russell |
| Mark | Frequent use of classical music, particularly from mid-19th century through mid-20th century |
| Fact | Was part of a legendary incident in British television when he appeared on Late Night Line-Up (1964) on BBC2 to discuss his new film The Devils (1971) alongside critic Alexander Walker, who did not like the film. As Walker began critiquing the film, Russell interrupted him repeatedly. The two began shouting at each other, and Russell eventually hit Walker over the head with a rolled-up copy of his own review. The incident took place on live television and no footage is known to exist. |
Ken Russell was born on July 3, 1927, in Southampton, England. His parents were Ethel (née Mudge) and Henry Russell, a shoe shop owner. He has two sisters, Peggy and Gillian. Russell’s early education was at a local primary school and then at secondary school in Southampton. He left school at age 14 to work in his father’s shop.
Russell’s career began as a photographer for the BBC. He then moved into directing documentaries and short films. His first feature film was French Dressing (1964). He is best known for his films The Devils (1971), Tommy (1975), Altered States (1980), and The Lair of the White Worm (1988).
Russell’s net worth is estimated to be $5 million. He has been married four times and has four children. His first wife was Shirley Kingdom (m. 1951-1957). His second wife was American actress and model Edith Bergman (m. 1961-1969). His third wife was American actress and producer Elise Hightower (m. 1974-1983). His fourth and current wife is American actress and producer Lisi Tribble (m. 1986-present).
Russell is 5 feet 10 inches tall and has blue eyes.
General Info
| Full Name | Ken Russell |
| Date Of Birth | July 3, 1927 |
| Died | November 27, 2011, London, United Kingdom |
| Place Of Birth | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Profession | Actor, Film director, Photographer, Film producer, Cinematographer, Screenwriter, Television Director, Dancer, Film Editor, Television producer |
| Education | Pangbourne College |
| Nationality | British |
Family
| Spouse | Lisi Tribble, Hetty Baynes, Vivian Russell, Shirley Ann Russell |
| Children | Victoria Russell, Alex 'Alien' Russell, Xavier Russell, Molly Russell, Rupert Russell, Toby Russell, James Russell, Rex Russell |
| Parents | Henry Russell, Ethel Russell |
Accomplishments
| Awards | National Board of Review Award for Best Director, British Academy Television Desmond Davis Award for Services to Television, British Academy Television Award for Best Specialised Programmes |
| Nominations | Academy Award for Best Director, Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, Golden Globe Award for Best Director - Motion Picture, BAFTA Award for Best Film, BAFTA Award for Best Direction, Writers Guild of America Award for Best Adapted Comedy, British Academy Television Awar... |
| Movies | The Devils, Women in Love, Tommy, Altered States, The Music Lovers, Lisztomania, The Boy Friend, The Lair of the White Worm, Crimes of Passion, Mahler, Savage Messiah, Salome's Last Dance, The Rainbow, Song of Summer, Billion Dollar Brain, Whore, French Dressing, Elgar, Gothic, The Fall of the Louse... |
| TV Shows | Lady Chatterley, Celebrity Big Brother |
Social profile links
Marks
| # | Marks / Signs |
|---|---|
| 1 | Frequent use of classical music, particularly from mid-19th century through mid-20th century |
| 2 | Deliberately theatrical acting |
| 3 | Frequent use of "outré" camera angles |
| 4 | Frequent use of moving camera shots |
| 5 | Frequent use of extreme facial close-ups |
| 6 | Frequent use of England's "Lake District" (Cumbria) as location |
| 7 | Frequent use of mountains |
| 8 | Frequent use of fire and fire imagery |
| 9 | Frequent use of baptism imagery |
| 10 | Frequent use of trains and train settings |
| 11 | Use of primary colors |
| 12 | Frequent snake imagery |
Quotes
| # | Quote |
|---|---|
| 1 | I believe in what I'm doing whole-heartedly, passionately, and what's more, I simply go about my business. I suppose such a thing can be annoying to some people. |
| 2 | [advert on his own website, through which he met his fourth wife Lisi Tribble] "Unbankable film director Ken Russell seeks soulmate. Must be mad about music, movies and Moet & Chandon champagne." |
| 3 | Sir Richard 'I'm-going-to-attack-the-Establishment-fifty-years-after-it's-dead' Attenborough is guilty of caricature, a sense of righteous self-satisfaction, and repetition which all undermine the impact of the film. |
| 4 | [on working with screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky on Altered States (1980)] I don't think Paddy had ever been involved with a director who wasn't malleable. He would make suggestions and I would listen courteously, and then disagree. |
| 5 | [on working with William Hurt on Altered States (1980)] I hired William Hurt for "Altered States" and found I was his analyst for six months. It wasn't the part he talked about, never that, but how it was such a terrible thing being a billionaire after being born in abject poverty. I was quite deferential to him, but my wife listened to the crap he was talking and said, "Okay, preppy, let's cut the shit." He was stunned and amazed but he was quite human after that. |
| 6 | [on Glenda Jackson] Glenda Jackson I'd never heard of. When she walked into the room I found myself watching her varicose veins more than her face, and only later in the movie of "Marat/Sade" [Marat/Sade (1967)] did I realize what a magnificent screen personality she was. I couldn't quite understand it. Sometimes she looked plain ugly, and sometimes just plain and then sometimes the most beautiful creature one had ever seen. |
| 7 | [on Stanley Kubrick] I find his films quite long and boring, but I quite liked Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964). |
| 8 | This is not the age of manners. This is the age of kicking people in the crotch and telling them something and getting a reaction. I want to shock people into awareness. I don't believe there is any virtue in understatement. |
| 9 | I know my films upset people. I want to upset people. |
| 10 | Life is too short to make destructive films about people one doesn't like. My films are meant to be constructive and illuminating. |
| 11 | I never want to do a violent, disturbing film like The Devils (1971) again. That's why I did The Boy Friend (1971). It's pure escapism and fun. |
| 12 | A critic's typical praise is "Beautifully understated." That means beautifully false . . . I'd rather go the other way - to gamble rather than play it safe. If I err it's by overstating, but I try to get it right. |
| 13 | It is a pity when one, either through force of circumstance or because one is afraid of being ridiculed by others, won't produce and expose to everyone that little spark of something special which is unique to him alone. |
| 14 | The Devils (1971) is a harsh film, but it's a harsh subject. I wish the people who were horrified and appalled by it had read the book, because the facts are more horrible than anything in the film. |
| 15 | [concerning his style of biographical films] The whole idea had degenerated into a series of third-rate clichés. I wanted to dress people in old clothes and do it in a totally unreal way, and thus make it more real than ever, and in the process send up this new civil service/academic way of doing films. |
Facts
| # | Fact |
|---|---|
| 1 | Retrospective at the 14th New Horizons Film Festival (2014). |
| 2 | Francis Ford Coppola told Rolling Stone magazine while promoting Apocalypse Now (1979), "People used to ask me, well, what's this movie gonna be like? I said, well, it's gonna be very stylized. And they said, well, like what? Like what director? And I would say, like Ken Russell.". |
| 3 | In the late 1960s, Russell took a serious interest in directing A Clockwork Orange (1971) for a while before turning to Aldous Huxley and The Devils (1971). |
| 4 | Currently a feature writer for the London Times film section. [March 2007] |
| 5 | Currently a house-mate in the UK TV series Celebrity Big Brother (2001), Episode #5.1 (2007). [January 2007] |
| 6 | Directing the play "Mindgame" by Anthony Horowitz in New York, starring Keith Carradine. [October 2008] |
| 7 | One of his staunchest allies was Stan Brakhage, the experimental American film-maker whose work was in a different world from Russell's, but who frequently showed his films to students as object lessons in effective audacity. |
| 8 | He is survived by his four sons, Alex Russell, James Russell, Xavier Russell, and Toby Russell; a daughter, Victoria Russell from his first marriage to costume designer, Shirley Kingdon; a daughter, Molly Russell and a son, Rupert Russell from his second marriage to photographer Vivian Jolly; and a son Rex Russell from his third marriage to actress, Hetty Baynes; and is survived by his fourth wife, Lisi Tribble Russell, an actress. |
| 9 | He served in the British Merchant Navy and the Royal Air Force before moving to London, England where he studied dance before turning to photography in his late 20s. |
| 10 | Directed 2 actresses to Oscar nominations: Glenda Jackson (Best Actress, Women in Love (1969)) and Ann-Margret (Best Actress, Tommy (1975)). Jackson won an Oscar for her performance. |
| 11 | Considered his best film to have been The Rainbow (1989). |
| 12 | Considers his best film to be Omnibus: Song of Summer: Frederick Delius (1968), which he directed for the BBC. When discussing the film he said, "This is the best film I have ever made... I don't think I would have done a single shot differently". |
| 13 | Visited the Andy Worhol 'Factory' in 1964 and appeared in Worhol's famous "screen tests", but the scene he filmed was eventually cut. |
| 14 | Was part of a legendary incident in British television when he appeared on Late Night Line-Up (1964) on BBC2 to discuss his new film The Devils (1971) alongside critic Alexander Walker, who did not like the film. As Walker began critiquing the film, Russell interrupted him repeatedly. The two began shouting at each other, and Russell eventually hit Walker over the head with a rolled-up copy of his own review. The incident took place on live television and no footage is known to exist. |
| 15 | He had a variety of jobs before he got into the film industry, including at one point a ballet dancer in a troupe in Norway. |
| 16 | Was sometimes called the "Fellini of the North". |
| 17 | Was dubbed "England's Orson Welles" early in his career. |
| 18 | His first wife, Shirley Russell, was the costume designer on all of his films until 1978 when they divorced. She was later nominated for two Oscars: Michael Apted's Agatha (1979) and Warren Beatty's Reds (1981). |
| 19 | During his stay at Belgrade as a guest of FEST film festival he was awarded with a Golden Seal Award from Yugoslav Cinematheque for his complete work and contribution to world cinema and film. |
| 20 | He was a guest of Belgrade Film Festival - FEST 2003. |
| 21 | His favorite film is Jean Vigo's L'Atalante (1934). |
| 22 | Stanley Kubrick once called him in the early 1970s to ask him where he had found the lovely locations for his films. Russell complied and Kubrick used the locations in his next film Barry Lyndon (1975). Russell later said, "I felt quite chuffed". |
| 23 | Alumni of East London University. |
| 24 | In the early 1980s during preproduction for the film version of the stage hit "Evita", he was so impressed with Liza Minnelli's screen test that he refused to direct the film without her. But the producers wanted Elaine Paige and the production came to a halt. The film was eventually made by Alan Parker starring Madonna. |
| 25 | After the controversy surrounding Altered States (1980), he found it hard to get financial backing, so he directed opera for a while, including a version of Madame Butterfly. |
| 26 | His films were popular in Italy. At the 1971 Venice Film Festival he won Best Director-Foreign Film for The Devils (1971). |
| 27 | According to Russell, he once met Federico Fellini, of whom he had been a fan, outside an Italian movie studio. They approached each other and spoke briefly, complimenting each other by calling themselves, "the Italian Ken Russell," and "the English Federico Fellini," respectively. |
| 28 | Became interested in making movies after frequenting the cinema after school with his mother. |
| 29 | Has tried to work on film with Barbra Streisand twice, first in the early 1970s on a biography of Sarah Bernhardt, and then in the version of the stage musical "Evita". |
| 30 | Father of Alex Russell, Molly Russell, Rupert Russell, Toby Russell and Victoria Russell. |
Pictures
Movies
Director
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boudica Bites Back | 2009 | Short | |
| A Kitten for Hitler | 2007 | Short | |
| Trapped Ashes | 2006 | segment "The Girl With Golden Breasts" | |
| Sarah Brightman: Diva - The Video Collection | 2006 | Video videos "The Phantom of the Opera", "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" | |
| Revenge of the Elephant Man | 2004 | Short | |
| Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | |
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | ||
| Lion's Mouth | 2000 | Short | |
| Dogboys | 1998 | TV Movie | |
| Ken Russell 'In Search of the English Folk Song' | 1997 | Documentary | |
| Tales of Erotica | 1996 | segment "Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch, The" | |
| Mindbender | 1996 | TV Movie | |
| Alice in Russialand | 1995 | TV Movie | |
| Classic Widows | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Treasure Island | 1995 | TV Movie | |
| The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch | 1995 | Short | |
| The Mystery of Dr Martinu | 1993 | TV Movie | |
| Lady Chatterley | 1993 | TV Mini-Series 4 episodes | |
| The Secret Life of Arnold Bax | 1992 | TV Movie | |
| Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Premiere Collection Encore | 1992 | Video segment "The Phantom of the Opera" | |
| Road to Mandalay | 1991 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Prisoner of Honor | 1991 | TV Movie | |
| Whore | 1991 | ||
| The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner | 1990 | TV Movie | |
| Women and Men: Stories of Seduction | 1990 | TV Movie segment "Dusk Before Fireworks" | |
| Il Mefistofele | 1989 | TV Movie | |
| The Rainbow | 1989 | ||
| A British Picture | 1989 | TV Movie | |
| The Lair of the White Worm | 1988 | ||
| Salome's Last Dance | 1988 | ||
| Ken Russell's ABC of British Music | 1988 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Aria | 1987 | segment "Nessun dorma" | |
| Gothic | 1986 | ||
| Faust | 1985 | TV Movie | |
| Crimes of Passion | 1984 | ||
| The South Bank Show | 1984 | TV Series documentary 1 episode | |
| The Planets | 1983 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Altered States | 1980 | ||
| Clouds of Glory | 1978 | TV Mini-Series 2 episodes | |
| Valentino | 1977 | ||
| Lisztomania | 1975 | ||
| Tommy | 1975 | ||
| Mahler | 1974 | ||
| Savage Messiah | 1972 | ||
| The Boy Friend | 1971 | ||
| The Devils | 1971 | ||
| The Music Lovers | 1970 | ||
| Omnibus | 1967-1970 | TV Series documentary 5 episodes | |
| Women in Love | 1969 | ||
| Billion Dollar Brain | 1967 | ||
| Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World | 1966 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Sunday Night | 1966 | TV Series documentary 1 episode | |
| Monitor | 1959-1965 | TV Series documentary 23 episodes | |
| Lonely Shore | 1964 | TV Movie | |
| Six | 1964 | TV Series 1 episode | |
| French Dressing | 1964 | as Kenneth Russell | |
| Mr. Chesher's Traction Engines | 1962 | TV Movie | |
| Preservation Man | 1962 | TV Movie | |
| Antonio Gaudi | 1961 | TV Short documentary | |
| London Moods | 1961 | TV Short documentary | |
| Cranko at Work | 1960 | TV Short documentary | |
| Shelagh Delaney's Salford | 1960 | TV Short documentary | |
| A House in Bayswater | 1960 | Documentary short | |
| Architecture of Entertainment | 1960 | TV Short documentary | |
| Portrait of a Goon | 1959 | TV Short documentary | |
| Guitar Craze | 1959 | TV Short | |
| Amelia and the Angel | 1959 | Short | |
| Poet's London | 1959 | TV Short documentary | |
| Lourdes | 1958 | Short | |
| Knights on Bikes | 1956 | Short incompleted | |
| Peepshow | 1956 | Short |
Writer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisztomania | 1975 | ||
| Tommy | 1975 | screenplay | |
| Mahler | 1974 | ||
| The Boy Friend | 1971 | screenplay | |
| The Devils | 1971 | screenplay | |
| Omnibus | TV Series documentary scenario - 2 episodes, 1967 - 1968 scenario and dialogue - 1 episode, 1970 | ||
| Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World | 1966 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Monitor | TV Series documentary scenario - 3 episodes, 1964 - 1965 written by - 1 episode, 1962 | ||
| Six | 1964 | TV Series screenplay - 1 episode | |
| A House in Bayswater | 1960 | Documentary short | |
| Amelia and the Angel | 1959 | Short original idea / script / written by | |
| Boudica Bites Back | 2009 | Short | |
| Revenge of the Elephant Man | 2004 | Short | |
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | ||
| Lion's Mouth | 2000 | Short | |
| Ken Russell 'In Search of the English Folk Song' | 1997 | Documentary | |
| Tales of Erotica | 1996 | segment "Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch, The 1993" | |
| Mindbender | 1996 | TV Movie | |
| Treasure Island | 1995 | TV Movie screenplay | |
| The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch | 1995 | Short | |
| Lady Chatterley | 1993 | TV Mini-Series screenplay - 4 episodes | |
| The Secret Life of Arnold Bax | 1992 | TV Movie | |
| Road to Mandalay | 1991 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Whore | 1991 | screenplay | |
| The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner | 1990 | TV Movie | |
| The Rainbow | 1989 | screenplay | |
| A British Picture | 1989 | TV Movie | |
| The Lair of the White Worm | 1988 | screenplay | |
| Salome's Last Dance | 1988 | writer | |
| Aria | 1987 | segment "Nessun dorma" | |
| Clouds of Glory | 1978 | TV Mini-Series 2 episodes | |
| Valentino | 1977 | screenplay |
Actor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack Parsons Project | Short filming | Aleister Crowley | |
| Zero | 2011/II | Sam | |
| Puzzleface | 2011 | Short | God |
| The Aristofrogs | 2010 | Short | |
| Mr. Nice | 2010 | Russell Miegs | |
| Boudica Bites Back | 2009 | Short | Roman Senator |
| A Kitten for Hitler | 2007 | Short | Santa Claus |
| Trapped Ashes | 2006 | Dr. Lucy (segment "The Girl with Golden Breasts") | |
| Agatha Christie's Marple | 2006 | TV Series | Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop |
| Color Me Kubrick | 2005 | The Man in a Nightgown | |
| Revenge of the Elephant Man | 2004 | Short | |
| Waking the Dead | 2003 | TV Series | Gerry Raistrick |
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | Dr. Calahari | |
| Lion's Mouth | 2000 | Short | Ken the Clown |
| Tales of Erotica | 1996 | Mr. Kirsch (segment "Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch, The") | |
| The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch | 1995 | Short | Mr. Kirsch |
| Lady Chatterley | 1993 | TV Mini-Series | Sir Michael Reid |
| The Secret Life of Arnold Bax | 1992 | TV Movie | Sir Arnold Bax |
| Whore | 1991 | Waiter (uncredited) | |
| The Russia House | 1990 | Walter | |
| The Lair of the White Worm | 1988 | Police Radio (voice) | |
| Salome's Last Dance | 1988 | Cappadocian / Kenneth (as Alfred Russell) | |
| Gothic | 1986 | Tourist (uncredited) | |
| Valentino | 1977 | Rex Ingram (uncredited) | |
| Tommy | 1975 | Cripple (uncredited) | |
| Savage Messiah | 1972 | Passenger Getting Off Train (uncredited) | |
| Omnibus | 1968 | TV Series documentary | Priest |
| Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World | 1966 | TV Movie documentary | Captain Patterson (cameo) (uncredited) |
| Walk with the Damned | 1962 | A Hood |
Producer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Invasion of the Not Quite Dead | executive producer filming | ||
| Revenge of the Elephant Man | 2004 | Short producer | |
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | producer | |
| Dogboys | 1998 | TV Movie producer | |
| The Rainbow | 1989 | producer | |
| The Lair of the White Worm | 1988 | producer | |
| Ken Russell's ABC of British Music | 1988 | TV Movie documentary producer | |
| The South Bank Show | 1984 | TV Series documentary producer - 1 episode | |
| The Planets | 1983 | TV Movie documentary producer | |
| Tommy | 1975 | producer | |
| Savage Messiah | 1972 | producer | |
| The Boy Friend | 1971 | producer | |
| The Devils | 1971 | producer | |
| The Music Lovers | 1970 | producer | |
| Omnibus | 1967-1970 | TV Series documentary producer - 3 episodes | |
| Isadora Duncan, the Biggest Dancer in the World | 1966 | TV Movie documentary producer | |
| Sunday Night | 1966 | TV Series documentary producer - 1 episode | |
| Monitor | 1965 | TV Series documentary producer - 2 episodes | |
| A House in Bayswater | 1960 | Documentary short producer |
Camera Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Widows | 1995 | TV Movie documentary camera operator - as Alf Russell | |
| Lady Chatterley | 1993 | TV Mini-Series camera operator - 4 episodes | |
| Whore | 1991 | camera operator - as Alf Russell | |
| The Strange Affliction of Anton Bruckner | 1990 | TV Movie camera operator - as Alf Russell |
Cinematographer
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Kitten for Hitler | 2007 | Short | |
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | ||
| Amelia and the Angel | 1959 | Short |
Soundtrack
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Honey | 2016 | writer: "Bounce It" - as Henry Russell Walter | |
| Valentino | 1977 | lyrics: "The Sheik of Araby" | |
| Lisztomania | 1975 | lyrics: "Excelsior Song" |
Editor
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Fall of the Louse of Usher: A Gothic Tale for the 21st Century | 2002 | ||
| Lion's Mouth | 2000 | Short |
Miscellaneous
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Il Mefistofele | 1989 | TV Movie staged by | |
| Faust | 1985 | TV Movie directed for stage: Production |
Sound Department
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lion's Mouth | 2000 | Short supervising sound editor |
Thanks
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitsune | 2016 | Video short special thanks | |
| Spidarlings | 2016 | in memory of | |
| Nosferatu vs. Father Pipecock & Sister Funk | 2014 | special thanks | |
| The Devil's Violinist | 2013 | dedicatee | |
| Edición Especial Coleccionista | 2011 | TV Series in memory of - 1 episode | |
| Wonderland | 2011 | acknowledgment | |
| Sanitarium | 2001 | Video thanks |
Self
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Living the Life | 2012 | TV Series | Himself |
| Celebrity Naked Ambition | 2011 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Newsnight | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| In the House with Peter Bart & Peter Guber | 2010 | TV Series | Himself |
| The South Bank Show Revisited | 2010 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Rich Man, Poor Man: Ben Dover Straightens Up | 2009 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Composing Aria | 2009 | Video documentary | Himself |
| The South Bank Show | 1984-2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Most Annoying Pop Songs.... We Hate to Love | 2007 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| British Film Forever | 2007 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Channel 4 News | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Sunday Programme | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Return of 'Allo 'Allo! | 2007 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 5 News | 2007 | TV Series | Himself - BAFTA Guest |
| Celebrity Big Brother | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| Celebrity Big Brother's Big Mouth | 2007 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Real Blue Nuns | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Ballet Hell | 2006 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Brothers of the Head | 2005 | Himself | |
| X-Rated | 2004 | TV Mini-Series documentary | Himself |
| Ken Russell on 'Tommy' | 2004 | Video documentary short | |
| The 100 Greatest Musicals | 2003 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Reflections on Golden Pond | 2003 | Video documentary short | Himself |
| 100 Greatest Sexy Moments | 2003 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Rossetti: Sex, Drugs and Oil Paint | 2003 | Documentary | Himself |
| Celebrity Naked Ambition | 2003 | TV Movie documentary | Himself - Contributor |
| Hell on Earth | 2002 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Funny Turns | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Art That Shook the World | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Open House | 2001 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Legends | 2000 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| For the Love of... | 1999 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Peculiar Memories of Bruce Robinson | 1999 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Carry on Darkly | 1998 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Ken Russell 'In Search of the English Folk Song' | 1997 | Documentary | Presenter |
| Light Lunch | 1997 | TV Series | Himself |
| Great Composers | 1997 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| A History of British Art | 1996 | TV Series documentary | Music Hall performer |
| Això no és tot! | 1996 | TV Series | Himself |
| In Search of Dracula with Jonathan Ross | 1996 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Classic Widows | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Interviewer |
| Empire of the Censors | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Mondo Rosso | 1995 | TV Series documentary | |
| Music for the Movies: Georges Delerue | 1995 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Denton | 1994 | TV Series | Himself |
| The Who's Tommy, the Amazing Journey | 1993 | Documentary | Himself |
| Inside Victor Lewis-Smith | 1993 | TV Series | Himself |
| Masterchef | 1993 | TV Series | Himself |
| Without Walls | 1991-1993 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Road to Mandalay | 1991 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| The Media Show | 1990 | TV Series | Himself |
| Aspel & Company | 1990 | TV Series | Himself |
| Brit Awards 1989 | 1989 | TV Special | Himself |
| Star Test | 1989 | TV Series | Himself |
| A British Picture | 1989 | TV Movie | Himself |
| The Last Resort with Jonathan Ross | 1987-1988 | TV Series | Himself - Guest / Himself |
| Ken Russell's ABC of British Music | 1988 | TV Movie documentary | |
| Omnibus | 1971-1986 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Roger Daltrey | 1983 | TV Special | Himself |
| The Kids Are Alright | 1979 | Documentary | Himself |
| New York, New York | 1977 | TV Series | Himself |
| All You Need Is Love | 1977 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| The Elstree Story | 1976 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| 2nd House | 1974 | TV Series | Himself |
| Ken Russell, with Colin Wilson | 1973 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Film Night | 1972 | TV Series | Himself |
| All Talking... All Singing... All Dancing | 1971 | Short documentary | Himself |
| Director of Devils | 1971 | Documentary short | Himself |
| Aquarius | 1971 | TV Series | Himself |
| Film Review | 1968 | TV Mini-Series | Himself |
| Sunday Night | 1966 | TV Series documentary | Himself |
| Late Night Line-Up | 1966 | TV Series |
Archive Footage
| Title | Year | Status | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| The 84th Annual Academy Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself - Memorial Tribute |
| The Orange British Academy Film Awards | 2012 | TV Special | Himself - Memorial Tribute |
| Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil | 2012 | TV Movie documentary | Himself |
| Días de cine | 2011 | TV Series | Himself |
| Timeshift | 2011 | TV Series documentary | Himself - Film Director |
| SpaceDisco One | 2007 | Ken Russell on 'Big Brother' |
Awards
Won Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Alexander Lifka Achievement Award | Palic Film Festival | Contribution to World Cinema | Tommy (1975) |
| 2006 | Lifetime Achievement Award for Directing | Camerimage | ||
| 2005 | German Independence Honorary Award | Oldenburg Film Festival | ||
| 2004 | Lifetime Achievement Award | Istanbul International Film Festival | ||
| 2001 | Silver Medallion Award | Telluride Film Festival, US | ||
| 1989 | ACE | CableACE Awards | Writing a Music Special or Series | The South Bank Show (1978) |
| 1975 | Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award | Writers' Guild of Great Britain | Best British Original Screenplay | Mahler (1974) |
| 1974 | Technical Grand Prize | Cannes Film Festival | Mahler (1974) | |
| 1972 | Silver Ribbon | Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists | Best Foreign Director (Regista del Miglior Film Straniero) | The Devils (1971) |
| 1972 | NBR Award | National Board of Review, USA | Best Director | The Devils (1971) |
| 1971 | Pasinetti Award | Venice Film Festival | Best Foreign Film | The Devils (1971) |
| 1963 | Writers' Guild of Great Britain Award | Writers' Guild of Great Britain | Best British Documentary Script | Monitor (1958) |
Nominated Awards
| Year | Award | Ceremony | Nomination | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | CableACE | CableACE Awards | Writing a Dramatic Series | The South Bank Show (1978) |
| 1989 | ACE | CableACE Awards | Directing a Music Series | The South Bank Show (1978) |
| 1989 | International Fantasy Film Award | Fantasporto | Best Film | The Lair of the White Worm (1988) |
| 1989 | Golden St. George | Moscow International Film Festival | The Rainbow (1989) | |
| 1987 | Palme d'Or | Cannes Film Festival | Aria (1987) | |
| 1987 | International Fantasy Film Award | Fantasporto | Best Film | Gothic (1986) |
| 1981 | Saturn Award | Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA | Best Director | Altered States (1980) |
| 1974 | Palme d'Or | Cannes Film Festival | Mahler (1974) | |
| 1972 | WGA Award (Screen) | Writers Guild of America, USA | Best Comedy Adapted from Another Medium | The Boy Friend (1971) |
| 1971 | Oscar | Academy Awards, USA | Best Director | Women in Love (1969) |
| 1971 | Golden Globe | Golden Globes, USA | Best Director | Women in Love (1969) |
| 1971 | BAFTA TV Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Specialised Production | Omnibus (1967) |
| 1970 | BAFTA Film Award | BAFTA Awards | Best Direction | Women in Love (1969) |
Source: IMDb, Wikipedia
