Kurt Russell's first acting gig came in 1962, when he played a character named Kevin in the "Dennis the Menace" sitcom. He was 11 years old. Russell was following in the footsteps of his father, Bing Russell, who had made a decent living as a supporting player in many, many 1950s TV shows. Bing also owned a minor-league baseball team, so young Kurt followed his father's passions for the sport as well. Indeed, as a youth, Russell frequently considered leaving acting to pursue a career in baseball. Special scheduling had to be arranged so Russell could keep acting .

Walt Disney, however, saw something in the young Russell, knowing that the lad might very well be one of the company's biggest superstars. Russell has spoken frequently about how he and Walt used to hang out in the Disney offi

See Full Page