Betsy Russell

Betsy Russell
Russell at the 2007 Scream Awards
Born	Elizabeth Russell (1963-09-06) September 6, 1963 (age 53) San Diego, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Actress
Years active	1982–present
Spouse(s)	Vincent Van Patten (m. 1989–2001)
Partner(s)	Mark Burg (2000's); separated
Children	2
Website	imbetsyrussell.com

Betsy Russell (born Elizabeth Russell; September 6, 1963) is an American actress who is best known for her early roles in Private School (1983) and Tomboy (1985), and as Jill Tuck, one of the primary characters of the Saw film series (2006–2010).

Russell was born in San Diego, California, to a Jewish family, the daughter of Constance (née Lerner) and Richard Lion Russell, a stock analyst. Her maternal grandfather was journalist and educator Max Lerner. Russell wanted to be an actress since the age of eight and started acting in school plays. She appeared in a Pepsi commercial that was taped locally while in high school. After graduating from Mission Bay High School in 1981, she moved to Los Angeles and began taking acting classes before landing her first role.

Russell's first role was in the 1982 film Let's Do It! That same year, she landed roles on T. J. Hooker, Family Ties and The Powers of Matthew Star. In 1983, Russell's breakout role came as Jordan Leigh-Jenson in the sex comedy, Private School. While shooting the film Avenging Angel, she was offered to audition for the 1985 film Silverado but turned it down. She said in an interview, "Everything happens for a reason. I always believe my career would have been different had I done that part. I can’t say if it would have been better or worse. I’ve had a great run". She went on to star in a series of B movies in the 1980s including Tomboy, and Cheerleader Camp. In addition to films, Russell also appeared on The A-Team, Murder, She Wrote, 1st & Ten, and an episode of Superboy, which was a reunion with her Tomboy co-star Gerard Christopher.