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Born in Chicago and raised in the Windy City until the age of 18, T.E. Russell, who plays aspiring singer T.J. Barron in the series FAME L.A., got a taste of acting at an early age. "I played Gonzorgo the Pirate in a 4th grade production of 'Babes in Toyland'" says Russell. "I knew then that acting was exactly what I wanted to do." He transferred out of regular high school to attend the Chicago Academy for the Arts, where he began studying acting seriously.
Russell moved to Los Angeles with $400 in his pocket. A talent agency in Chicago helped him land an agent in Los Angeles, who sent him out auditioning. "I knew I had to stay focused and positive," says Russell, who endured working for room and board at a retirement home, walking to auditions, and once being evicted along with some friends from an apartment where he was sleeping on the floor.
Russell landed a small role in the feature film TOY SOLDIERS. Since then he has appeared in GLADIATORS, TRESPASS, and the acclaimed film SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, in which he played the young, sought-after director Foster Kane.
- On television, Russell has garnered several series regular roles on shows such as CBS's "704 Hauser Street," and WB's "Muscle." Russell co-starred in the television movies "The Howard Beach Story: Making The Case for Murder" (NBC) and "Heatwave" (TNT), and has also appeared in series such as "Roc," "Jag," "The Jeff Foxworthy Show," and "Pacific Blue," and Fox's "Booker" with Richard Grieco.