fbpx
Wikipedia

Russell Harvard

Russell Wayne Harvard (born April 16, 1981) is an American actor. He made his feature film debut in Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood (2007), playing opposite Daniel Day-Lewis as his adopted son, H.W. Plainview. In the 2010 biopic The Hammer, he portrayed deaf NCAA championship wrestler and UFC mixed martial arts fighter Matt Hamill. Harvard also won acclaim Off Broadway in 2012 as Billy, the deaf son in an intellectual, though dysfunctional, hearing British family, in Tribes by Nina Raine. For his interpretation, he won a 2012 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance[1] and nominations for Drama League,[2] Outer Critics Circle[3] and Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor.[4] He played Mr. Wrench in the first and third seasons of the television series Fargo.

Russell Harvard
Russell Harvard at the NY premiere of Tribes, March 4, 2012
Born
Russell Wayne Harvard

(1981-04-16) April 16, 1981 (age 42)
OccupationActor
Years active2006–present

Early life and education edit

Born in Pasadena, Texas, into a third-generation deaf family, Harvard is the younger of two deaf sons of Kay (Youngblood) and Henry Harvard.[5][6][7] Both his parents and his paternal grandmother are also deaf.[5][7] In the early 1980s, the Harvards moved to Austin, Texas so that their elder son Renny could enroll at their alma mater, Texas School for the Deaf (TSD).[8][9][10] The family initially placed Russell (due to his speech capability and residual hearing) in an oral college for children who learn to lip read exclusively. Finding he was unhappy there, his parents switched him to a deaf school education at TSD, which included training in lip reading and speech therapy in English.[10][11] Although he is able to hear some sound with the use of a hearing aid, including speech and music, he identifies himself Deaf and considers American Sign Language to be his first language.[7][12][13]

After graduating from TSD in 1999, Harvard began his studies at Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.[5][14] At various times during his college education he took a hiatus to work as a teacher's assistant for preschoolers at the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Anchorage, Alaska. (His mother later joined him, working for the American Red Cross.)[10][14] While there he contemplated a career as a teacher of theater,[7][10] and in 2008 he returned as Artist in Residence. At Gallaudet he maintained a high GPA and completed his bachelor's degree in Theatre Arts, graduating in 2008.[5]

Career edit

Film and television edit

While at Gallaudet, Harvard was prompted by one of his professors to submit a photo and resume to casting agents seeking a deaf actor for the film There Will Be Blood.[15] He received an audition and won the part of H.W., for which he had to research and perform a vintage form of American Sign Language for the father-son confrontation scene with Day-Lewis.[11]

Shortly after completing his scenes for There Will Be Blood, Harvard made his first network television appearance in the "Silent Night" episode of CBS's CSI: NY, opposite Marlee Matlin,[15] and later guest-starred in "The Box" episode (2010) of the Fox series Fringe.[6] Other TV appearances include Switched at Birth and Odd Mom Out. He has acted in the short films Signage (2007), Words (2010) and This Is Normal (2013), played the principal role of Tim in the independent feature Claustrophobia (2011), and had leading roles in the ASL Films Versa Effect and Gerald. Harvard is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Actors' Equity Association.

For The Hammer, Harvard was first cast as Matt Hamill's roommate Jay but inherited the lead role when the original choice to play Matt, the film's producer and cowriter, actor Eben Kostbar, ceded the part out of respect for the Deaf community's wishes to see an authentically Deaf actor in the role.[16] In the film, Kostbar played the role of Coach Cantrell, while the part of Jay went to Deaf actor Michael Anthony Spady. The Hammer won Audience Awards at numerous film festivals, including AFI FEST, the Cleveland International Film Festival, the Florida Film Festival, the Heartland Film Festival, the Miami Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival.[17]

Fargo edit

In August 2013, the FX/MGM production team of Fargo, the anthology TV miniseries adaptation of the 1996 Coen brothers' film, cast Harvard as Mr. Wrench, one of two hitmen who pursue Billy Bob Thornton's lead character Lorne Malvo throughout the first season of the series.

Writer-creator Noah Hawley, a part-time Austin resident who lives near the Texas School for the Deaf, cited his own neighborhood encounters with sign language as the inspiration for the "Mr. Wrench" character: a deaf assassin who uses his command of ASL as a means of menace toward his targets and of private communication with his partner Mr. Numbers (played by Adam Goldberg).[18] During the five-month shoot in Calgary, Alberta, Harvard and the show's ASL manager, Catherine MacKinnon, worked closely with Goldberg on translating the pair's dialogue into the most effective ASL exchanges for their scenes.[19]

Critical response to Harvard and Goldberg's seriocomic turn as bickering hired killers was overwhelmingly positive. Reviewers noted that they "steal scenes as Mr. Numbers and Mr. Wrench" (Time),[20] make up one of the "satisfying subplots" (HuffPost)[21] and "have their own original energy" (Vulture.com)[22] For Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx, "the relationship between Goldberg . . . and Harvard feels unlike any criminal twosome of its type I've seen before, even in the midst of a show that is otherwise cleverly rearranging familiar pieces of the movie and other crime stories."[23] And Tim Goodman, TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter, wrote, "Encapsulating everything that is joyously weird about Fargo, the killers are the dangerous—and deaf—Mr. Wrench (Russell Harvard) and his partner and translator, Mr. Numbers (Adam Goldberg). Already I want a separate series that just follows around Mr. Wrench and Mr. Numbers."[24] Series creator Hawley, moreover, who has described Harvard as "magnetic and charismatic" in the role of Mr. Wrench,[25] ended up extending the character's appearance in the series.[18] On June 19, 2014, the Broadcast Television Journalists Association honored Fargo with three awards (including Best Mini-series) at the Critics' Choice Television Awards ceremony.[26] Fargo also won three Emmys—most prominently Outstanding Miniseries—at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25, 2014;[27] Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 11, 2015;[28] and, for "majestically reinventing a beloved tale and for expanding and richly rendering a darkly comic world of crime, revenge, and comeuppance", was honored with a 2014 Peabody Award, whose citation recognized Fargo as having set "a new standard for what is possible in the process of adaptation."[29]

Harvard would reprise his role of Mr. Wrench in Season 3 of the series.

Theater edit

Harvard cites his seeing, at age eight, his cousin perform on stage in The Wizard of Oz as the inspiration for his becoming an actor.[7][15] Subsequently, he became very involved in theater at TSD.[10] At Gallaudet he appeared in a 2006 stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire and as Claudio in their co-production with Amaryllis Theatre of Much Ado About Nothing.[15] His earliest professional stage work was in the twin roles of the Orderly and the Groundskeeper's Son in the world premiere of Rachel Sheinkin and GrooveLily's Sleeping Beauty Wakes for Deaf West Theatre (Center Theatre Group, 2007). With this dual performance, wrote TimeOut critic James Sims, "Harvard joins the rank of deaf actors transcending any perceived limitations due to a lack of speaking lines, capturing the heart of the newly created characters with ease."[30] The following year he played (also for Deaf West) Aesop in Aesop Who? In 2007, he assistant directed the young-audience musical Nobody's Perfect.

Harvard won the central role of Billy for the New York premiere of the British comic-drama Tribes after an extensive North American search for an authentically deaf actor who could handle the demands of both signing and speaking dialogue to hearing actors throughout the play.[12] He played the role to acclaim for over 400 performances Off Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre, where Tribes broke all box-office records there.[31][32] Critics uniformly praised his acting abilities: "Russell Harvard, himself deaf, turns in a powerful performance that ranges from adept romantic comedy to quiet sadness and heartbreaking anger" (Erik Haagensen, backstage.com);[33] "[Harvard is] terrific in charting forms and degrees of a private communication" (Ben Brantley, The New York Times);[34] "[Harvard] transforms almost effortlessly from sweetness to bitterness, all the while making us aware of both Billy's pain and strength" (Brian Scott Lipton, TheaterMania.com).[35] John Lahr of The New Yorker assessed this NY debut stage performance thus:

As Billy, Russell Harvard, who is deaf, brings an extraordinary restrained sweetness to the role. He's handsome, alert, and sensitive, and, without any mawkishness, he manages to convey the bravery both of Billy's resilience and of his rebellion.[36]

Harvard recreated the role in the NY production's transfer to the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in spring 2013, and later that summer at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego. On June 15, 2015, L.A. Theatre Works released an audio CD of Tribes, featuring Harvard and other original-cast members.

On August 10, 2015, Playbill.com announced the casting of Harvard for the Broadway company of Deaf West's revival production of the Duncan Sheik-Steven Sater musical Spring Awakening. This transfer production, which opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on September 27, 2015, marked the Broadway debuts of both Harvard and co-star Marlee Matlin.[37]

On February 28, 2019, Harvard opened at the Cort Theatre on Broadway as the Duke of Cornwall in Shakespeare's King Lear, with Glenda Jackson in the title role.[38] His presence in the role involved an interpreter for the deaf as an onstage character, signing to him and speaking most of his lines to the others when he signed back. He used his vocal skills to speak a few of his character's lines in moments of high emotion; in his death scene, the interpreter emerged as the servant who opposes and fatally wounds him, and their confrontation was done entirely in sign language.

From November 5, 2019, to March 11, 2020, Harvard assumed the roles of Link Deas and Boo Radley in Bartlett Sher's long-running production of Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway. The company gave a special performance, offered free to 18,000 New York City public middle and high school students, at Madison Square Garden on February 26, 2020. The city outbreak of COVID-19 in mid-March forced the production into hiatus until its reopening on October 5, 2021, when Harvard returned with original cast members Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan-Bolger. The production closed officially on January 16, 2022.

Harvard performed the principal role of the jailer "Rocco" in Beethoven's opera Fidelio in a unique coproduction between Deaf West Theatre and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall from April 14–16, 2022. He signed the role in tandem with bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green's singing, led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel. That September, he starred in Jenny Koons's acclaimed production of Oedipus in a Deaf West Theatre collaboration with the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades, CA. Critics' comments included: "As portrayed by the brave, sensitive, and fiery actor Russell Harvard, righteous and sensitive Oedipus knows he is the obvious choice to rescue Thebes . . . This still youthful king and undisputed hero rules with magisterial pride";[39] "Harvard presents a fascinating take on the doomed king, a man bristling with anger that he easily unleashes on everyone . . .";[40] and "the star quality this seasoned performer brings is impossible to deny.".[41]

When not performing professionally, he teaches theater and directs plays at Texas School for the Deaf.[12] He has staged several high school musical productions, including Grease and The Wizard of Oz.

Music and dance edit

In interviews, Harvard has expressed his lifelong passion for music, which he performs both live at Deaf cultural events and in amateur videos.[7][11] He enjoys popularity on YouTube where he posts video recordings of himself performing American sign language renditions of contemporary songs. His versatile interpretive styles range from rock, pop ballad, rap and hip hop to dance-pop, alternative rock and synthpop. Harvard is also, along with Jessica (JessKay) von Garrel, Sabrina Valencia and Jesse Jones III, a founding member of the hip hop Deaf dance troupe HipZu Funk, based in Austin, US.[42]

Advocacy edit

On May 26, 2010, Harvard testified as a panel witness before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet in a hearing entitled "Innovation and Inclusion: The Americans with Disabilities Act at 20", which focused on the issues raised by the Equal Access to Communications in the 21st Century Act.[43] Speaking on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf and the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology (COAT), he argued the need for Congress to pass new legislation to require closed captioning on video programming on the Internet just as it had done for television broadcasting in 1990:

Closed captioning has made a huge impact on the lives of every deaf or hard of hearing person, including me. Captions allow me to be in sync with what is going on in the world. They let me watch television with my family and friends. They enable me to get the information I need to develop and share my views on political campaigns. They let me keep pace with current trends and maintain my independence and my sense of dignity.[44]

He explained that all modern devices, regardless of screen size, should have caption capability and easy activation controls. Because so few programming distributors currently offer Internet captioning, "we now find that when we turn to that video programming on the Internet, we are again left behind, unable to understand what is going on."[44] He closed by calling on Congress "not to leave us behind as new Internet and digital video programming technologies become available to the general public."[44]

Harvard has also been a strong proponent of exploring ways in which Deaf entertainment practitioners can work more independently to produce work for stage and screen. He envisions more creative uses of communication technology in the artistic process and in providing greater accessibility to Deaf audiences.[10] He also hopes to see an expanding range and type of film and TV acting roles in which Deaf professional performers may be cast: "We need writers and casting directors to be fearless in working with actors who happen to be deaf."[45][46]

Filmography edit

Film edit

Year Title Role Notes
2007 Signage Jonathan's friend Short
2007 There Will Be Blood H.W. Feature film debut
2008 S Is for Sexy Jonathan's friend Video anthology incl. Signage
2009 Gerald Corey ASL Films feature
2010 Words Owen Short
2010 The Hammer Matt Hamill aka Hamill - USA (original title)
2011 Claustrophobia Tim
2011 Versa Effect Seth ASL Films feature
2013 This Is Normal Alex Short
2017 Here We Are Trevor
2018 The Pastman The Pastman Short
2022 Far West Short
2022 Causeway Justin

Television edit

Year Title Role Notes
2006 CSI: NY Cole Rowen episode: "Silent Night"
2010 Fringe Joe episode: "The Box"
2014–2017 Fargo Mr. Wrench Season 1: 7 episodes
Season 3: 4 episodes
2015 Switched at Birth Julian Stanton episode: "Player's Choice"
2015 Odd Mom Out Sebastian episode: "Omakase"

Theatre edit

Year Play Role Production Notes
2007 Sleeping Beauty Wakes Orderly / Groundskeeper's Son Deaf West Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Aesop Who? Aesop Deaf West Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
2012 - 2013 Tribes Billy Barrow Street Theatre, NYC
Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, CA
La Jolla Playhouse, San Diego, CA
2015 - 2016 Spring Awakening (Broadway revival) Headmaster Knochenbruch / Herr Steifel / Father Kaulbach Brooks Atkinson Theatre, NYC Production by Deaf West Theatre
2016 I Was Most Alive with You Knox Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, MA
The Who's Tommy Tommy Open Circle Theatre, Silver Spring, MD
2017 Edward Albee's At Home at the Zoo Jerry Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Beverly Hills, CA
Our Town Mr. Webb Deaf West Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse, Pasadena, CA
2018 I Was Most Alive with You Knox Playwrights Horizons, NYC
2019 King Lear Duke of Cornwall Cort Theatre, NYC
To Kill a Mockingbird Link Deas / Boo Radley Schubert Theatre, NYC Replacement, 5 Nov. 2019 to 11 Mar. 2020; then 5 Oct. 2021 to 16 Jan. 2022
2022 Fidelio Rocco Deaf West Theatre, LA Phil, Walt Disney Concert Hall, LA, CA
Oedipus Oedipus Deaf West Theatre, Getty Villa, Pacific Palisades, CA

Awards and nominations edit

Year Work Award Category Result
2012 Tribes Theatre World Award Outstanding Debut Performance Won
Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated
Drama League Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated
2019 I Was Most Alive with You Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated
Drama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play Nominated

References edit

  1. ^ 2011-2012 Theatre World Award Recipients, Theatre World Awards, retrieved 27 January 2013
  2. ^ , The Drama League, archived from the original on 20 January 2013, retrieved 27 January 2013
  3. ^ , Outer Critics Circle, 22 May 2012, archived from the original on 17 September 2007, retrieved 27 January 2013
  4. ^ , The Lucille Lortel Awards, archived from the original on 28 July 2018, retrieved 27 January 2013
  5. ^ a b c d Oliver, M.L. (n.d.) "Biography for Russell Harvard", The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved 1 January 2013.
  6. ^ a b Mulvey, Ricky (25 April 2011). "An Interview With Actor Russell Harvard: Plays Loveland's Matt Hamill" 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine, Loveland Magazine. Retrieved 29 January 2013.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Tyler, Dana (24 June 2012), "The Star Of Tribes, New York Sizzles In The Summer Heat, And More", Eye on New York, CBS New York, retrieved 27 January 2013
  8. ^ Pinto, Jackie (8 March 2010), "Pursuing Life with Passion", Deccan Herald, retrieved 29 January 2013
  9. ^ Harvard, Russell (13 March 2012). "Tribes star Russell Harvard on His Deaf Heritage and Joining a New Off-Broadway Family". Broadway.com. Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  10. ^ a b c d e f Rampell, Ed (10 April 2013), , lastagetimes.com, archived from the original on 6 January 2015, retrieved 10 April 2013
  11. ^ a b c Lacher, Irene (7 April 2013). "'Tribes' star Russell Harvard talks deaf community culture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 11 April 2013.
  12. ^ a b c Taylor, Kate (10 April 2012). "Aspiring to Conquer Crossover Acting Path". The New York Times. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  13. ^ Hetrick, Adam (6 May 2012). "Tribes Actor Russell Harvard Finds His Pack". Playbill.com. Retrieved 29 December 2012.
  14. ^ a b The Hammer (2010/2011), Covering Media, retrieved 30 December 2012
  15. ^ a b c d Jonas, Jane (2006). "There Will Be Russell". Gallaudet University.[dead link]
  16. ^ Mulvey, Ricky (February 21, 2010). . Loveland Magazine. Archived from the original on September 3, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2013.
  17. ^ "The Hammer - Awards". IMDb. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  18. ^ a b Sullivan, Becky (1 June 2014). "In 'Fargo,' A Deaf Actor Gets His Chance To Be Wicked." <https://www.npr.org/2014/06/01/317945736/in-fargo-a-deaf-actor-gets-his-chance-to-be-wicked>. npr.org. https://www.npr.org/2014/06/01/317945736/in-fargo-a-deaf-actor-gets-his-chance-to-be-wicked. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  19. ^ Fienberg, Daniel (May 5, 2014). "Interview: 'Fargo' co-star Adam Goldberg on ASL challenges and Calgary cold". UPROXX. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  20. ^ Poniewozik, James (April 14, 2014). "REVIEW: In FX's Fargo, the Devil Goes Up to Minnesota". Time. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  21. ^ Ryan, Maureen (April 15, 2014). "This New 'Fargo' Is Worth Seeing, You Betcha". HuffPost. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  22. ^ Seitz, Matt Zoller (April 15, 2014). "Seitz on FX's Fargo: Misanthropic, Ruthless, and Very Smart". Vulture. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  23. ^ SepinwallFacebookTwitter, Alan (April 15, 2014). "Review: FX's 'Fargo' reinvents the Coen brothers movie". UPROXX. Retrieved October 20, 2021. {{cite web}}: |last1= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ Goodman, Tim (April 11, 2014). "Fargo: TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  25. ^ Roe, Dale (April 28, 2014). "Austinites Noah Hawley and Russell Harvard provide 'Fargo' with plenty of heat". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  26. ^ Sandberg, Bryn (June 19, 2014). "Critics' Choice Television Awards 2014: Complete Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  27. ^ "Fargo". Television Academy. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  28. ^ 12 January 2015. "Awards Search: Fargo." hfpa.org. http://www.hfpa.org/browse/?param=/film/26520. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  29. ^ "Fargo". The Peabody Awards. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  30. ^ Sims, James (April 8, 2007). ""Beauty Wakes" is Pure Magic". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  31. ^ Lee, Felicia R. (December 21, 2012). "'Silence,' 'Tribes' and 'Fuerza Bruta' Aren't Closing Just Yet". ArtsBeat. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  32. ^ Hetrick, Adam (November 9, 2012). "Off-Broadway Hit Tribes, Starring Russell Harvard, Will End Celebrated Run in January". Playbill. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  33. ^ Haagensen, Erik (March 4, 2012). "NY Review: 'Tribes'". Backstage. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  34. ^ Brantley, Ben (March 5, 2016). "World of Silence and Not Listening". The New York Times. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  35. ^ Lipton, Brian Scott (March 4, 2012). "Tribes". TheaterMania. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  36. ^ Lahr, John. "The Theatre: Minority Reports." The New Yorker 12 March 2012: 80-81. Print.
  37. ^ Gioia, Michael (August 10, 2015). "Tribes Deaf Actor Russell Harvard, Patrick Page and Camryn Manheim Complete Spring Awakening Cast". Playbill. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  38. ^ Playbill, March 2019
  39. ^ Frankel, Tony. "A BLINDINGLY BRILLIANT PRODUCTION," stageandcinema.com, 19 Sept. 2022. https://stageandcinema.com/2022/09/19/oedipus-deaf-west/.
  40. ^ Henerson, Evan. "Review: Worlds and Tragedy Collide In Bilingual OEDIPUS TYRANNUS at Getty Villa." Broadwayworld.com, 15 Sept. 2022. https://www.broadwayworld.com/los-angeles/article/Review-Worlds-and-Tragedy-Collide-In-Bilingual-OEDIPUS-TYRANNUS-at-Getty-Villa-20220915.
  41. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee. "Oedipus: Deaf West returns the tragedy to its most physical form." ew.com. 17 Sept. 2022. https://ew.com/theater/theater-reviews/oedipus-review-deaf-west-returns-tragedy-to-most-physical-form/
  42. ^ "The Crew" <http://www.funkyybeats.com/#!hipzu-funk/c9a0 2016-01-20 at the Wayback Machine>. Funkyybeats.com. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
  43. ^ Simpson, Jenifer (May 27, 2010). "Senate Hears Testimony on Communication Access". JFActivist. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  44. ^ a b c Harvard, Russell (May 27, 2010). "Hearings". U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  45. ^ Kragen, Pam (June 22, 2013). "Playhouse reteams New York 'Tribes' cast". San Diego Union-Tribune. Retrieved November 10, 2021.
  46. ^ Hodgins, Paul (March 11, 2013). "Actor wants Hollywood to see him as more than 'that deaf guy'". Orange County Register. Retrieved November 10, 2021.

External links edit

  • Russell Harvard at IMDb
  • Russell Harvard on YouTube
  • Unofficial Russell Harvard fan site

russell, harvard, russell, wayne, harvard, born, april, 1981, american, actor, made, feature, film, debut, paul, thomas, anderson, there, will, blood, 2007, playing, opposite, daniel, lewis, adopted, plainview, 2010, biopic, hammer, portrayed, deaf, ncaa, cham. Russell Wayne Harvard born April 16 1981 is an American actor He made his feature film debut in Paul Thomas Anderson s There Will Be Blood 2007 playing opposite Daniel Day Lewis as his adopted son H W Plainview In the 2010 biopic The Hammer he portrayed deaf NCAA championship wrestler and UFC mixed martial arts fighter Matt Hamill Harvard also won acclaim Off Broadway in 2012 as Billy the deaf son in an intellectual though dysfunctional hearing British family in Tribes by Nina Raine For his interpretation he won a 2012 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance 1 and nominations for Drama League 2 Outer Critics Circle 3 and Lucille Lortel Awards for Outstanding Lead Actor 4 He played Mr Wrench in the first and third seasons of the television series Fargo Russell HarvardRussell Harvard at the NY premiere of Tribes March 4 2012BornRussell Wayne Harvard 1981 04 16 April 16 1981 age 42 Pasadena Texas United StatesOccupationActorYears active2006 present Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Career 2 1 Film and television 2 2 Fargo 2 3 Theater 2 4 Music and dance 2 5 Advocacy 3 Filmography 3 1 Film 3 2 Television 4 Theatre 5 Awards and nominations 6 References 7 External linksEarly life and education editBorn in Pasadena Texas into a third generation deaf family Harvard is the younger of two deaf sons of Kay Youngblood and Henry Harvard 5 6 7 Both his parents and his paternal grandmother are also deaf 5 7 In the early 1980s the Harvards moved to Austin Texas so that their elder son Renny could enroll at their alma mater Texas School for the Deaf TSD 8 9 10 The family initially placed Russell due to his speech capability and residual hearing in an oral college for children who learn to lip read exclusively Finding he was unhappy there his parents switched him to a deaf school education at TSD which included training in lip reading and speech therapy in English 10 11 Although he is able to hear some sound with the use of a hearing aid including speech and music he identifies himself Deaf and considers American Sign Language to be his first language 7 12 13 After graduating from TSD in 1999 Harvard began his studies at Gallaudet University in Washington D C 5 14 At various times during his college education he took a hiatus to work as a teacher s assistant for preschoolers at the Alaska State School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Anchorage Alaska His mother later joined him working for the American Red Cross 10 14 While there he contemplated a career as a teacher of theater 7 10 and in 2008 he returned as Artist in Residence At Gallaudet he maintained a high GPA and completed his bachelor s degree in Theatre Arts graduating in 2008 5 Career editFilm and television edit While at Gallaudet Harvard was prompted by one of his professors to submit a photo and resume to casting agents seeking a deaf actor for the film There Will Be Blood 15 He received an audition and won the part of H W for which he had to research and perform a vintage form of American Sign Language for the father son confrontation scene with Day Lewis 11 Shortly after completing his scenes for There Will Be Blood Harvard made his first network television appearance in the Silent Night episode of CBS s CSI NY opposite Marlee Matlin 15 and later guest starred in The Box episode 2010 of the Fox series Fringe 6 Other TV appearances include Switched at Birth and Odd Mom Out He has acted in the short films Signage 2007 Words 2010 and This Is Normal 2013 played the principal role of Tim in the independent feature Claustrophobia 2011 and had leading roles in the ASL Films Versa Effect and Gerald Harvard is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and the Actors Equity Association For The Hammer Harvard was first cast as Matt Hamill s roommate Jay but inherited the lead role when the original choice to play Matt the film s producer and cowriter actor Eben Kostbar ceded the part out of respect for the Deaf community s wishes to see an authentically Deaf actor in the role 16 In the film Kostbar played the role of Coach Cantrell while the part of Jay went to Deaf actor Michael Anthony Spady The Hammer won Audience Awards at numerous film festivals including AFI FEST the Cleveland International Film Festival the Florida Film Festival the Heartland Film Festival the Miami Film Festival and the Newport Beach Film Festival 17 Fargo edit In August 2013 the FX MGM production team of Fargo the anthology TV miniseries adaptation of the 1996 Coen brothers film cast Harvard as Mr Wrench one of two hitmen who pursue Billy Bob Thornton s lead character Lorne Malvo throughout the first season of the series Writer creator Noah Hawley a part time Austin resident who lives near the Texas School for the Deaf cited his own neighborhood encounters with sign language as the inspiration for the Mr Wrench character a deaf assassin who uses his command of ASL as a means of menace toward his targets and of private communication with his partner Mr Numbers played by Adam Goldberg 18 During the five month shoot in Calgary Alberta Harvard and the show s ASL manager Catherine MacKinnon worked closely with Goldberg on translating the pair s dialogue into the most effective ASL exchanges for their scenes 19 Critical response to Harvard and Goldberg s seriocomic turn as bickering hired killers was overwhelmingly positive Reviewers noted that they steal scenes as Mr Numbers and Mr Wrench Time 20 make up one of the satisfying subplots HuffPost 21 and have their own original energy Vulture com 22 For Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx the relationship between Goldberg and Harvard feels unlike any criminal twosome of its type I ve seen before even in the midst of a show that is otherwise cleverly rearranging familiar pieces of the movie and other crime stories 23 And Tim Goodman TV critic for The Hollywood Reporter wrote Encapsulating everything that is joyously weird about Fargo the killers are the dangerous and deaf Mr Wrench Russell Harvard and his partner and translator Mr Numbers Adam Goldberg Already I want a separate series that just follows around Mr Wrench and Mr Numbers 24 Series creator Hawley moreover who has described Harvard as magnetic and charismatic in the role of Mr Wrench 25 ended up extending the character s appearance in the series 18 On June 19 2014 the Broadcast Television Journalists Association honored Fargo with three awards including Best Mini series at the Critics Choice Television Awards ceremony 26 Fargo also won three Emmys most prominently Outstanding Miniseries at the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards on August 25 2014 27 Best Mini Series or Motion Picture Made for Television at the 72nd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 11 2015 28 and for majestically reinventing a beloved tale and for expanding and richly rendering a darkly comic world of crime revenge and comeuppance was honored with a 2014 Peabody Award whose citation recognized Fargo as having set a new standard for what is possible in the process of adaptation 29 Harvard would reprise his role of Mr Wrench in Season 3 of the series Theater edit Harvard cites his seeing at age eight his cousin perform on stage in The Wizard of Oz as the inspiration for his becoming an actor 7 15 Subsequently he became very involved in theater at TSD 10 At Gallaudet he appeared in a 2006 stage production of A Streetcar Named Desire and as Claudio in their co production with Amaryllis Theatre of Much Ado About Nothing 15 His earliest professional stage work was in the twin roles of the Orderly and the Groundskeeper s Son in the world premiere of Rachel Sheinkin and GrooveLily s Sleeping Beauty Wakes for Deaf West Theatre Center Theatre Group 2007 With this dual performance wrote TimeOut critic James Sims Harvard joins the rank of deaf actors transcending any perceived limitations due to a lack of speaking lines capturing the heart of the newly created characters with ease 30 The following year he played also for Deaf West Aesop in Aesop Who In 2007 he assistant directed the young audience musical Nobody s Perfect Harvard won the central role of Billy for the New York premiere of the British comic drama Tribes after an extensive North American search for an authentically deaf actor who could handle the demands of both signing and speaking dialogue to hearing actors throughout the play 12 He played the role to acclaim for over 400 performances Off Broadway at the Barrow Street Theatre where Tribes broke all box office records there 31 32 Critics uniformly praised his acting abilities Russell Harvard himself deaf turns in a powerful performance that ranges from adept romantic comedy to quiet sadness and heartbreaking anger Erik Haagensen backstage com 33 Harvard is terrific in charting forms and degrees of a private communication Ben Brantley The New York Times 34 Harvard transforms almost effortlessly from sweetness to bitterness all the while making us aware of both Billy s pain and strength Brian Scott Lipton TheaterMania com 35 John Lahr of The New Yorker assessed this NY debut stage performance thus As Billy Russell Harvard who is deaf brings an extraordinary restrained sweetness to the role He s handsome alert and sensitive and without any mawkishness he manages to convey the bravery both of Billy s resilience and of his rebellion 36 dd Harvard recreated the role in the NY production s transfer to the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles in spring 2013 and later that summer at La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego On June 15 2015 L A Theatre Works released an audio CD of Tribes featuring Harvard and other original cast members On August 10 2015 Playbill com announced the casting of Harvard for the Broadway company of Deaf West s revival production of the Duncan Sheik Steven Sater musical Spring Awakening This transfer production which opened at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on September 27 2015 marked the Broadway debuts of both Harvard and co star Marlee Matlin 37 On February 28 2019 Harvard opened at the Cort Theatre on Broadway as the Duke of Cornwall in Shakespeare s King Lear with Glenda Jackson in the title role 38 His presence in the role involved an interpreter for the deaf as an onstage character signing to him and speaking most of his lines to the others when he signed back He used his vocal skills to speak a few of his character s lines in moments of high emotion in his death scene the interpreter emerged as the servant who opposes and fatally wounds him and their confrontation was done entirely in sign language From November 5 2019 to March 11 2020 Harvard assumed the roles of Link Deas and Boo Radley in Bartlett Sher s long running production of Aaron Sorkin s To Kill a Mockingbird on Broadway The company gave a special performance offered free to 18 000 New York City public middle and high school students at Madison Square Garden on February 26 2020 The city outbreak of COVID 19 in mid March forced the production into hiatus until its reopening on October 5 2021 when Harvard returned with original cast members Jeff Daniels and Celia Keenan Bolger The production closed officially on January 16 2022 Harvard performed the principal role of the jailer Rocco in Beethoven s opera Fidelio in a unique coproduction between Deaf West Theatre and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Concert Hall from April 14 16 2022 He signed the role in tandem with bass baritone Ryan Speedo Green s singing led by conductor Gustavo Dudamel That September he starred in Jenny Koons s acclaimed production of Oedipus in a Deaf West Theatre collaboration with the Getty Villa in Pacific Palisades CA Critics comments included As portrayed by the brave sensitive and fiery actor Russell Harvard righteous and sensitive Oedipus knows he is the obvious choice to rescue Thebes This still youthful king and undisputed hero rules with magisterial pride 39 Harvard presents a fascinating take on the doomed king a man bristling with anger that he easily unleashes on everyone 40 and the star quality this seasoned performer brings is impossible to deny 41 When not performing professionally he teaches theater and directs plays at Texas School for the Deaf 12 He has staged several high school musical productions including Grease and The Wizard of Oz Music and dance edit In interviews Harvard has expressed his lifelong passion for music which he performs both live at Deaf cultural events and in amateur videos 7 11 He enjoys popularity on YouTube where he posts video recordings of himself performing American sign language renditions of contemporary songs His versatile interpretive styles range from rock pop ballad rap and hip hop to dance pop alternative rock and synthpop Harvard is also along with Jessica JessKay von Garrel Sabrina Valencia and Jesse Jones III a founding member of the hip hop Deaf dance troupe HipZu Funk based in Austin US 42 Advocacy editOn May 26 2010 Harvard testified as a panel witness before the U S Senate Subcommittee on Communications Technology and the Internet in a hearing entitled Innovation and Inclusion The Americans with Disabilities Act at 20 which focused on the issues raised by the Equal Access to Communications in the 21st Century Act 43 Speaking on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf and the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology COAT he argued the need for Congress to pass new legislation to require closed captioning on video programming on the Internet just as it had done for television broadcasting in 1990 Closed captioning has made a huge impact on the lives of every deaf or hard of hearing person including me Captions allow me to be in sync with what is going on in the world They let me watch television with my family and friends They enable me to get the information I need to develop and share my views on political campaigns They let me keep pace with current trends and maintain my independence and my sense of dignity 44 He explained that all modern devices regardless of screen size should have caption capability and easy activation controls Because so few programming distributors currently offer Internet captioning we now find that when we turn to that video programming on the Internet we are again left behind unable to understand what is going on 44 He closed by calling on Congress not to leave us behind as new Internet and digital video programming technologies become available to the general public 44 Harvard has also been a strong proponent of exploring ways in which Deaf entertainment practitioners can work more independently to produce work for stage and screen He envisions more creative uses of communication technology in the artistic process and in providing greater accessibility to Deaf audiences 10 He also hopes to see an expanding range and type of film and TV acting roles in which Deaf professional performers may be cast We need writers and casting directors to be fearless in working with actors who happen to be deaf 45 46 Filmography editFilm edit Year Title Role Notes2007 Signage Jonathan s friend Short2007 There Will Be Blood H W Feature film debut2008 S Is for Sexy Jonathan s friend Video anthology incl Signage2009 Gerald Corey ASL Films feature2010 Words Owen Short2010 The Hammer Matt Hamill aka Hamill USA original title 2011 Claustrophobia Tim2011 Versa Effect Seth ASL Films feature2013 This Is Normal Alex Short2017 Here We Are Trevor2018 The Pastman The Pastman Short2022 Far West Short2022 Causeway JustinTelevision edit Year Title Role Notes2006 CSI NY Cole Rowen episode Silent Night 2010 Fringe Joe episode The Box 2014 2017 Fargo Mr Wrench Season 1 7 episodesSeason 3 4 episodes2015 Switched at Birth Julian Stanton episode Player s Choice 2015 Odd Mom Out Sebastian episode Omakase Theatre editYear Play Role Production Notes2007 Sleeping Beauty Wakes Orderly Groundskeeper s Son Deaf West Theatre Los Angeles CA2008 Aesop Who Aesop Deaf West Theatre Los Angeles CA2012 2013 Tribes Billy Barrow Street Theatre NYCMark Taper Forum Los Angeles CALa Jolla Playhouse San Diego CA2015 2016 Spring Awakening Broadway revival Headmaster Knochenbruch Herr Steifel Father Kaulbach Brooks Atkinson Theatre NYC Production by Deaf West Theatre2016 I Was Most Alive with You Knox Huntington Theatre Company Boston MAThe Who s Tommy Tommy Open Circle Theatre Silver Spring MD2017 Edward Albee s At Home at the Zoo Jerry Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts Beverly Hills CAOur Town Mr Webb Deaf West Theatre Pasadena Playhouse Pasadena CA2018 I Was Most Alive with You Knox Playwrights Horizons NYC2019 King Lear Duke of Cornwall Cort Theatre NYCTo Kill a Mockingbird Link Deas Boo Radley Schubert Theatre NYC Replacement 5 Nov 2019 to 11 Mar 2020 then 5 Oct 2021 to 16 Jan 20222022 Fidelio Rocco Deaf West Theatre LA Phil Walt Disney Concert Hall LA CAOedipus Oedipus Deaf West Theatre Getty Villa Pacific Palisades CAAwards and nominations editYear Work Award Category Result2012 Tribes Theatre World Award Outstanding Debut Performance WonLucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play NominatedDrama League Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play NominatedOuter Critics Circle Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play Nominated2019 I Was Most Alive with You Lucille Lortel Award Outstanding Lead Actor in a Play NominatedDrama Desk Award Outstanding Actor in a Play NominatedReferences edit 2011 2012 Theatre World Award Recipients Theatre World Awards retrieved 27 January 2013 2011 2012 Drama League Awards Nominations The Drama League archived from the original on 20 January 2013 retrieved 27 January 2013 Outer Critics Circle Announce 2011 12 Season Winners Outer Critics Circle 22 May 2012 archived from the original on 17 September 2007 retrieved 27 January 2013 2012 Nominations by Category The Lucille Lortel Awards archived from the original on 28 July 2018 retrieved 27 January 2013 a b c d Oliver M L n d Biography for Russell Harvard The Internet Movie Database Retrieved 1 January 2013 a b Mulvey Ricky 25 April 2011 An Interview With Actor Russell Harvard Plays Loveland s Matt Hamill Archived 2011 09 27 at the Wayback Machine Loveland Magazine Retrieved 29 January 2013 a b c d e f Tyler Dana 24 June 2012 The Star Of Tribes New York Sizzles In The Summer Heat And More Eye on New York CBS New York retrieved 27 January 2013 Pinto Jackie 8 March 2010 Pursuing Life with Passion Deccan Herald retrieved 29 January 2013 Harvard Russell 13 March 2012 Tribes star Russell Harvard on His Deaf Heritage and Joining a New Off Broadway Family Broadway com Retrieved 2 July 2013 a b c d e f Rampell Ed 10 April 2013 Russell Harvard Travels Between Tribes at the Taper lastagetimes com archived from the original on 6 January 2015 retrieved 10 April 2013 a b c Lacher Irene 7 April 2013 Tribes star Russell Harvard talks deaf community culture Los Angeles Times Retrieved 11 April 2013 a b c Taylor Kate 10 April 2012 Aspiring to Conquer Crossover Acting Path The New York Times Retrieved 30 November 2021 Hetrick Adam 6 May 2012 Tribes Actor Russell Harvard Finds His Pack Playbill com Retrieved 29 December 2012 a b The Hammer 2010 2011 Covering Media retrieved 30 December 2012 a b c d Jonas Jane 2006 There Will Be Russell Gallaudet University dead link Mulvey Ricky February 21 2010 Hamill Exclusive Interview with Screenwriter and Actor Eben Kostbar Loveland Magazine Archived from the original on September 3 2010 Retrieved February 10 2013 The Hammer Awards IMDb Retrieved November 30 2021 a b Sullivan Becky 1 June 2014 In Fargo A Deaf Actor Gets His Chance To Be Wicked lt https www npr org 2014 06 01 317945736 in fargo a deaf actor gets his chance to be wicked gt npr org https www npr org 2014 06 01 317945736 in fargo a deaf actor gets his chance to be wicked Retrieved 30 June 2014 Fienberg Daniel May 5 2014 Interview Fargo co star Adam Goldberg on ASL challenges and Calgary cold UPROXX Retrieved October 20 2021 Poniewozik James April 14 2014 REVIEW In FX s Fargo the Devil Goes Up to Minnesota Time Retrieved October 20 2021 Ryan Maureen April 15 2014 This New Fargo Is Worth Seeing You Betcha HuffPost Retrieved October 20 2021 Seitz Matt Zoller April 15 2014 Seitz on FX s Fargo Misanthropic Ruthless and Very Smart Vulture Retrieved October 20 2021 SepinwallFacebookTwitter Alan April 15 2014 Review FX s Fargo reinvents the Coen brothers movie UPROXX Retrieved October 20 2021 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a last1 has generic name help Goodman Tim April 11 2014 Fargo TV Review The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved October 20 2021 Roe Dale April 28 2014 Austinites Noah Hawley and Russell Harvard provide Fargo with plenty of heat Austin American Statesman Retrieved October 20 2021 Sandberg Bryn June 19 2014 Critics Choice Television Awards 2014 Complete Winners List The Hollywood Reporter Retrieved October 20 2021 Fargo Television Academy Retrieved November 30 2021 12 January 2015 Awards Search Fargo hfpa org http www hfpa org browse param film 26520 Retrieved 12 January 2015 Fargo The Peabody Awards Retrieved October 20 2021 Sims James April 8 2007 Beauty Wakes is Pure Magic BroadwayWorld com Retrieved October 20 2021 Lee Felicia R December 21 2012 Silence Tribes and Fuerza Bruta Aren t Closing Just Yet ArtsBeat Retrieved October 20 2021 Hetrick Adam November 9 2012 Off Broadway Hit Tribes Starring Russell Harvard Will End Celebrated Run in January Playbill Retrieved October 20 2021 Haagensen Erik March 4 2012 NY Review Tribes Backstage Retrieved October 20 2021 Brantley Ben March 5 2016 World of Silence and Not Listening The New York Times Retrieved October 20 2021 Lipton Brian Scott March 4 2012 Tribes TheaterMania Retrieved October 20 2021 Lahr John The Theatre Minority Reports The New Yorker 12 March 2012 80 81 Print Gioia Michael August 10 2015 Tribes Deaf Actor Russell Harvard Patrick Page and Camryn Manheim Complete Spring Awakening Cast Playbill Retrieved November 10 2021 Playbill March 2019 Frankel Tony A BLINDINGLY BRILLIANT PRODUCTION stageandcinema com 19 Sept 2022 https stageandcinema com 2022 09 19 oedipus deaf west Henerson Evan Review Worlds and Tragedy Collide In Bilingual OEDIPUS TYRANNUS at Getty Villa Broadwayworld com 15 Sept 2022 https www broadwayworld com los angeles article Review Worlds and Tragedy Collide In Bilingual OEDIPUS TYRANNUS at Getty Villa 20220915 Lenker Maureen Lee Oedipus Deaf West returns the tragedy to its most physical form ew com 17 Sept 2022 https ew com theater theater reviews oedipus review deaf west returns tragedy to most physical form The Crew lt http www funkyybeats com hipzu funk c9a0 Archived 2016 01 20 at the Wayback Machine gt Funkyybeats com Retrieved 30 June 2014 Simpson Jenifer May 27 2010 Senate Hears Testimony on Communication Access JFActivist Retrieved November 10 2021 a b c Harvard Russell May 27 2010 Hearings U S Senate Committee on Commerce Science amp Transportation Retrieved November 10 2021 Kragen Pam June 22 2013 Playhouse reteams New York Tribes cast San Diego Union Tribune Retrieved November 10 2021 Hodgins Paul March 11 2013 Actor wants Hollywood to see him as more than that deaf guy Orange County Register Retrieved November 10 2021 External links editRussell Harvard at IMDb Russell Harvard on YouTube Unofficial Russell Harvard fan site Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Russell Harvard amp oldid 1182006592, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.