The Russo brothers | |
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Anthony Russo (right) and Joe Russo at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con International
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Born | United States |
Occupation | Film directors, producers, screenwriters, actors, film editors |
Years active | 1997–present |
Anthony Russo and Joseph "Joe" V. Russo (collectively known as the Russo brothers) are American film and television directors. The brothers direct most of their work jointly, and also occasionally work as producers, screenwriters, actors, and editors. The brothers directed the superhero films Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Captain America: Civil War (2016), and will be directing Avengers: Infinity War (2018) and its untitled sequel (2019). They are also known for their work on the comedy series Arrested Development, for which they won an Emmy Award, and Community.
Anthony and Joe Russo were raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and attended Benedictine High School. Their parents are Patricia and Basil Russo, an attorney and former judge. Joe graduated from The University of Iowa and majored in English and writing. The Russos were graduate students at Case Western Reserve University when they began directing, writing, and producing their first feature, Pieces. They financed the film with student loans and credit cards. After viewing Pieces at a film festival, Steven Soderbergh approached the duo and offered to produce their next film, along with his producing partner George Clooney. This project was the crime comedy Welcome to Collinwood, starring William H. Macy, Sam Rockwell, and Clooney.
FX network executive Kevin Reilly hired the Russos to direct the pilot for the series Lucky, having liked the pair's work on Collinwood.Ron Howard was a fan of the pilot, and he had a hand in hiring the brothers to direct the pilot for Fox's Arrested Development. The brothers won an Emmy for their work on the episode.