Jan Russ

Jan Russ
Born	Maribyrnong, Melbourne
Nationality	Australian
Occupation	Casting director, actor

Jan Russ is an Australian casting director and actor best known for her work on the soap opera Neighbours from the show's beginning in 1985 to her departure in 2009. Russ was also the casting director on Prisoner until the show's cancellation. In 2009, Russ made a guest appearance in City Homicide, the first time she had acted since 1982.

Russ was a member of the Maribyrnong Youth Club when she was younger. In 1956, Russ, along with her drama group, won the Victorian Association of Youth Club's drama championship. Russ played Alice in an adaptation of Lewis Carroll's Through the Looking-Glass. She later worked in professional theatre shows such as Oliver!, Fiddler on the Roof and Godspell. Russ lived in New Zealand while she worked in musical theatre and appeared on television shows. She later decided to move behind the camera and worked as a Production Assistant and Floor Manager, which made her the first female to do so.

During the 1960s, Russ gave birth to a daughter. She was forced to give the child up for adoption as she was young and unwed. Russ's story was later turned into a play, The Show Must Go On, which was written by Robyn Bishop and directed by Mike Bishop. Russ's son Samuel Hammington is an actor and comedian.

In September 2014 Russ was featured in The Past Is A Foreign Country, a two part episode of the ABC documentary series Australian Story.

When Russ moved back to Australia, she began working as the casting assistant for Crawford Productions. In the early 1980s, Ian Smith called Russ and asked if she would like to meet with the Producer at Grundy Television, Russ met the producer and was offered the job of casting director on the television show Prisoner. Russ worked on the show for eighteen months until its cancellation.

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