Kurt Russell Has the Same Hunky Charm He Did in the 70s and 80s — Check Out His Best Movies & TV Shows Over the Years

Kurt Russell has lived many lives: Sure, we've seen him act in some of the most beloved movies and TV shows of the past several decades, but the 73-year-old actor also had a career in minor league baseball, and even served in the California Air National Guard.

The actor's television debut came in 1962 in Dennis the Menace followed by The Dick Powell Theatre. His first film role was in 1963's It Happened at the World's Fair.

The year of 1966 marked the beginning of Russell's contract with Walt Disney Productions, which gave us films such as Follow Me, Boys! (1966), The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) and Superdad (1973).

By 1973, after an injury ended his minor league baseball career, Kurt Russell focused his attention fully on acting. As he began taking on more adult roles, he earned positive feedback for his performances, one being Elvis (1979), a biopic of the superstar.

As the years went on, Russell's roles become more diverse, including action films, thrillers, romances and more. Today, he remains one of the most beloved actors on our screens, who still has the same charm he did in the early days of his career.

Here, take a look at our favorite Kurt Russell movies and TV shows from over the years — Do your favorites make the list?

10. The Quest (1976)

While perhaps not a smashing success, The Quest had Kurt Russell acting alongside Tim Matheson in this short-lived western. The duo led the series as two brothers who had long been separated from one another and reunite to find their long-lost sister, Patricia, who they believe may be held by the Cheyenne.

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Embarking on a trek throughout the American west, this series took inspiration from the popular westerns of the time.

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9. Backdraft (1991)

Two firefighting siblings, played by Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, must put their differences aside when they find themselves working to solve a series of mysterious arson attacks. The cast also features Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

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8. Overboard (1987)

A wealthy heiress (Goldie Hawn) cheats a carpenter she hired out of his pay when he comes and works on her yacht. Soon enough, she falls off the boat and ends up losing her memory. When the carpenter, Dean (Russell), sees her story on the news, describing a Jane Doe who has no recollection of who she is, he sees his golden opportunity to get back at the woman.

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Dean makes a claim that the heiress is actually his wife and the mother of his four children, "Annie." Now, Annie is the caretaker of Dean and his four rambunctious boys, under the impression that this is the life she had prior to her fall.

The chemistry between real-life twosome Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell makes this movie iconic in its own right — and the duo has remained couple goals for decades. Kurt Russell shared in a 2019 interview with Men's Health that he and his long time partner had recently seen the movie playing on TV.

"We watched all of it! And we don’t usually watch our own stuff. With most actors, you see it once when it’s finished, at the premiere or something, and that’s it, you move on," he recalled.

"It was very weird to see it again, after all these years. You remember things you didn’t realize you remembered, and you’re completely inundated with the sweep of memory."

7. The Hateful Eight (2015)

Kurt Russell stars as John "The Hangman" Ruth, a bounty hunter transporting fugitive "Crazy" Daisy Domergue (Jennifer Jason Leigh), who runs into Major Marquis Warren (Samuel L. Jackson), another bounty hunter, and another man who claims he is the sheriff.

Looking to escape a blizzard, the foursome make a stop to find shelter, encountering four other unique characters, complicating the dynamics.

6. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

Jack (Russell) is a truck driver who takes his friend Wang to pick up his fiancée at the airport. When she is unexpectedly kidnapped, Jack must help his friend rescue her before she and her striking green eyes can be used to break an ancient curse plaguing the evil Lo Pan.

5. Miracle (2004)

Herb Brooks (Russell) is hired to coach the 1980 US men's Olympic hockey team. With the players struggling to look past their college rivalries and unite as a team, Brooks resorts to unorthodox methods to push them to their limits and play to their fullest potential to ultimately beat their greatest rivals at the time, the heavily favored Soviet team.

4. The Thing (1982) Kurt Russell movies and TV shows

In the cold depths of Antarctica, a group of scientists take in a dog that was being shot at by a Norwegian helicopter that ultimately blows up. An American pilot (Russell) and members of his team visit the Norwegian site to discover ruins and bodies, complete with an unsightly humanoid.

As their research progresses, they learn that this humanoid can take over other life forms, leaving the scientists to wonder who amongst the group is already infected, unbeknownst to them.

3. Silkwood (1983) Kurt Russell movies and TV shows

Silkwood tells the true story of a woman named Karen Silkwood (Meryl Streep) who worked at a nuclear facility, sharing a home with her boyfriend (Russell) and friend (Cher). When she raises concerns about conditions and safety standards at her job, she faces extreme repercussions — ones that may have even led to her death.

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2. Escape From New York (1981)

In a dystopian version of the United States, the entirety of Manhattan has been turned into a maximum security prison. When the president's plane is hijacked and he is dropped in the island, he's taken hostage. Now, it's up to ex-Special Forces soldier who is currently imprisoned (Russell), to save the president in exchange for his freedom.

1. Tombstone (1993) Kurt Russell movies and TV shows

Wyatt Earp (Russell) and his brothers are leaving their lives as gunslinging lawmen behind in exchange for a more peaceful existence in Tombstone, Arizona. Before long, a gang of cowboys are stirring up trouble — forcing the Earps and others to fight back. The film also features Val Kilmer and Sam Elliott.

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