UpDate - Vol. 13, No. 8, Page 7
October 21, 1993
Touring actor shares career experiences

     From his role as the Mock Turtle in Alice in Wonderland in grammar
school to his role as Polonius in Hamlet while an actor-in-residence at the
University of Delaware, William Russlell has had an exciting career doing
what he likes best.
     Currently with the troupe, Actors from the London Stage, Russell is
visiting U.S. colleges for eight weeks.
     He was performing in residence at the University of Delaware, along
with fellow thespians Sam Dale, Jonathan Donne, Miranda Foster and David
Howey, during the week of Oct. 11, beginning and ending with a minimalist
(minimal scenery and costumes) production of Hamlet. Russell plays not only
Polonius but four other roles in the production, including Marcellus, the
grave digger and the priest. "Sometimes it's difficult when you're on stage
playing opposite yourself," he said.
     During the week on the Newark campus, Russell, who worked with young
actors at the London Academy of Music and Drama, interacted with students
in classrooms, which he said he throughly enjoys.
     "I have a concern with language. The goal is to get students involved
in speaking Shakespeare and learning that the script is not complete until
performed. When students are responsive, it is rewarding," he said.
     After his early triumph as the Mock Turtle, Russell went on to more
exacting roles when he attended Fettes College, a preparatory school in
Edinburgh. After serving in World War II, he went to Oxford, which was very
lively, he said, and he became immersed in his studies in English
literature and drama.
     After he graduated, Russell looked up someone in the theatre from his
RAF days who suggested that he list himself in an actors' directory called
Spotlight.
     "I got a job in a local repertory company in Tonbridge and eventually
joined a professional group in Oxford. Then, I got a telegram asking me if
I would like to play the gentleman's role in Hamlet, starring Alec
Guinness. I looked up the gentleman's role, and he had a marvelous speech
about Ophelia. I chucked everything and went to London and found out I had
a 'mute' role. The gentleman's speech is traditionally given to another
actor in Hamlet, so my lines were five words, 'Letters, my lord, from
Hamlet.'"
     However, he and Guinness became good friends and still get together
whenever they are both in London.
     Movies then beckoned and Russell's first role was in The Gift Horse,
about Lend Lease destroyers in World War II, starring Trevor Howard and
Sonny Tufts.
     Television later was a vehicle for his talents. "I was in The
Adventures of Sir Lancelot and was to appear on a talk show to publicize
the show. In full armor, I rode my horse down Fifth Avenue to where I was
appearing, and we went to the studio via the elevator. It was great fun,"
Russell recalled.
     Russell's credits are impressive, He has performed in several
Shakespeare plays, including Royal Shakespeare Company productions, and in
several other dramas in Great Britian. He also has appeared in more than 20
films and has acted in innumerable television productions.
     Looking ahead and back on his career, Russell said, "I have been very
luck, and luck plays a big role in acting because there are so many
talented people who don't always have the opportunities to perform."
                                                  -Sue Swyers Moncure