Kurt Russell reflects on humble upbringing, says he once lived in an attic in LA

30 Mar 2026 By foxnews

Kurt Russell is always conscious that he came from humble upbringings and spent some of his childhood living in an attic.

During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Russell opened up about his younger years, including when he lived in the attic of a family friend's house in East Los Angeles.

"Our family started out in Rangeley, Maine. We lived in a log cabin that my grandparents built in 1939. My dad played professional baseball in the minor leagues, until an injury forced him to stop," Russell began.

"After his injury, he went to Florida to watch spring training and wound up cast in a movie playing an umpire. He and my mom, Louise, packed us up and we took off for California. I was 3 or 4. Dad was determined to become an actor," he continued.

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"For two years, we lived in the attic of a family friend's house in East Los Angeles," he said. Eventually, Kurt's dad, Bing, was able to save enough money to buy a home in Pacoima, which is located in the San Fernando Valley.

During his childhood, Russell landed his first one-line role in the TV sitcom "Our Man Higgins" when he was 10. He told the WSJ that his pay was $110 and decided to spend it on his sister, Jill.

"I took my sister Jill down to the local bike shop and bought us two new Schwinn bikes. I called my father's agent and said, 'Count me in, I like this,'" Russell told the outlet.

Now, Russell is one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. He is currently starring alongside Michelle Pfeiffer in Taylor Sheridan's "The Madison."

Speaking to Men's Health earlier this month, Russell shared that he relates to his character, Preston Clyburn, because he feels like he's "only got so much time left" as he's gotten older.

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"As you get older and you've only got so much time left, that doubles things up in terms of looking at what you've done in your life so far and what you want to do with the rest of your life," Russell said.

He also explained that conversations he had while filming with Pfeiffer made him think of his four-decade relationship with Goldie Hawn.

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"Well, some of the conversations that [Preston and Stacy] have, I've had. Goldie and I have had very similar conversations. Their relationship, it's the kind of relationship you almost never see anymore. It's a truly loving relationship. It's not like there's another shoe to drop," he began.

"That's what makes it so difficult for [Michelle's] character when she loses her husband. She's realizing how much more they could have had that they didn't have because of something she didn't do. I think a lot of people relate to that kind of regret," Russell continued.