Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell McKenzie was born on July 18, 1994, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She grew up in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal, and experienced frequent relocations due to her father’s career. As a child, Russell was interested in ballet and painting. She developed an interest in acting at 18, taking her first class, and subsequently funded her auditions in Los Angeles with savings from various jobs, including working at restaurants, a jewelry store, a butcher’s shop, and an Amazon warehouse. This routine continued for four years until she secured her first significant television role. In 2020, Russell co-directed, wrote, and produced the documentary short film “The Heart Still Hums,” which won the Palm Springs International ShortFest Award for Best Documentary Short.

Russell made her professional acting debut in 2012 with a guest role in “Emily Owens, M.D.” She gained early recognition for her portrayal of Lark Voorhies in the 2014 Lifetime television film “The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story” and Jennifer in the Disney XD film “Pants on Fire.” She also appeared in TV series like “Strange Empire” (2015), “Falling Skies” (2015), and “Dead of Summer” (2016), as well as films such as “Before I Fall” (2017) and “Down a Dark Hall” (2018).

Her breakthrough came in 2018 with her starring role as Judy Robinson in the Netflix science fiction series “Lost in Space,” a role for which she received critical praise and a Saturn Award nomination. In 2019, Russell starred as Zoey Davis in the commercially successful psychological horror film “Escape Room.” The same year, she earned widespread critical acclaim for her leading role as Emily in the drama film “Waves,” earning her the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Performer and the Virtuoso Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. She reprised her role as Zoey Davis in “Escape Room: Tournament of Champions” (2021) and starred in “Words on Bathroom Walls” (2020). Russell’s performance as Maren in the 2022 romance horror film “Bones and All” earned her the Marcello Mastroianni Award at the 79th Venice Film Festival. In 2023, she began starring as Connie in the play “The Effect” at the Royal National Theatre in London, with the production transferring to New York City in 2024. Russell continues to take on diverse roles, starring in the 2023 comedy film “Mother, Couch” and set to appear in the upcoming thriller “Hope” (2026). She also serves on the Luigi de Laurentiis jury at the Venice Film Festival.