Russell Craig Eadie (January 10, 1948 – October 30, 1990), better known by his stage name Craig Russell, was a Canadian

female impersonator A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have usually been gay men, and part of ...

and actor.Peter Knegt
"For 40 years, this classic Canadian film has had an 'Outrageous!' impact on the LGBTQ community"

CBC Arts CBC Arts (french: Radio-Canada Arts) is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that creates and curates written articles, short documentaries, non-fiction series and interactive projects that represent the excellence of Canada's div ...

, December 5, 2017.

Early life and career

Born in Toronto, Russell became president of

Mae West Mae West (born Mary Jane West; August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American stage and film actress, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and sex symbol whose entertainment career spanned over seven decades. She was known for her breezy ...

's fan club as a teenager, and he briefly worked and lived in Los Angeles as her secretary. He returned to Toronto, where he moved in with the writer Margaret Gibson. He worked as a hairdresser while pursuing his career as a stage entertainer. By 1971, he was a regular performer in Toronto gay clubs and had a burgeoning international following. He toured Las Vegas, Hollywood, San Francisco, Berlin, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Sydney. His celebrity impersonations included

Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, singer, dancer and comedian who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Her characters usually had a fervent expressiveness and an easily identifiable voice, ...

Bette Davis Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis (; April 5, 1908 – October 6, 1989) was an American actress with a career spanning more than 50 years and 100 acting credits. She was noted for playing unsympathetic, sardonic characters, and was famous for her pe ...

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Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

, Bette Midler, Anita Bryant, Shirley Bassey, Peggy Lee and

Judy Garland Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; June 10, 1922June 22, 1969) was an American actress and singer. While critically acclaimed for many different roles throughout her career, she is widely known for playing the part of Dorothy Gale in '' The ...

. In 1977, Russell starred in the film ''

Outrageous! ''Outrageous!'' is a 1977 Canadian comedy drama film written and directed by Richard Benner. The film stars Craig Russell as female impersonator Robin Turner, and Hollis McLaren as Turner's schizophrenic roommate Liza Conners. The plot begins i ...

'', based on a short story written by Gibson about their time as roommates. The film was entered into the

28th Berlin International Film Festival The 28th annual Berlin International Film Festival was held from 22 February to 5 March 1978. Director Wolf Donner successfully managed to shift the festival's date from June to February, a change which has remained ever since. This was the firs ...

, where Russell won the

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

, and Russell was a

Canadian Film Award The Canadian Film Awards were the leading Canadian cinema awards from 1949 until 1978. These honours were conducted annually, except in 1974 when a number of Quebec directors withdrew their participation and prompted a cancellation. In the 1970s ...

nominee for Best Actor in 1977. A decade later, in 1987, he starred in a sequel to ''Outrageous!'', titled '' Too Outrageous!''.

Personal life and death

Russell fathered a daughter, Susan Allison (“Allison”), who was born January 6, 1973, in Toronto. Father and daughter developed a relationship in the years before his death. Although he publicly identified as gay rather than bisexual, Russell married his close friend Lori Jenkins in 1982.Peter Knegt
"Craig Russell revolutionized Canadian drag, and he finally has the outrageous biography he deserves"

, November 18, 2020. Russell remained married to Lori until his death in 1990 of a stroke related to complications from AIDS. He was cremated and buried at Pine Grove Cemetery in Port Perry, Ontario. His widow Lori died on August 15, 2008 at Toronto Grace Hospital after a long battle with cancer. Her body was buried beside her husband in Port Perry. A play titled ''Margaret and Craig'', written by David Solomon, based on the writing of both Russell and Gibson, was in development. The play was produced in workshop at Vassar College's Powerhouse Theater in Summer 2011 with

Mario Cantone Mario Cantone (born December 9, 1959) is an American comedian, writer, actor, and singer with numerous appearances on Comedy Central including ''Chappelle's Show''. He also played Anthony Marentino in ''Sex and the City'' and Terri in ''Men In T ...

as Russell and Jeni Verdon as Gibson. In 2020, Brian Bradley published the biography ''Outrageous Misifts: Female Impersonator Craig Russell and His Wife, Lori Russell Eadie''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* *
Craig Russell Glbtq.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Russell, Craig 1948 births 1990 deaths Male actors from Toronto AIDS-related deaths in Canada Canadian male film actors Canadian male television actors Canadian gay actors Silver Bear for Best Actor winners 20th-century Canadian male actors Canadian drag queens 20th-century LGBT people