Rene Russo giving an animated answer to fan's question at a Q&A

TV NEWS

Why Did Rene Russo Take A Break From Acting?
BY GABRAN GRAY

Rene Russo had a run of box office flops in the early ‘00s, like "The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle," which earned her a Razzie nom for worst supporting actress.

‘00s Flops

Russo took a long break from acting in 2005, but there were other factors at play in addition to her box office woes (which also included “Two for the Money” and “Big Trouble”).

Another reason she took a break was because she felt typecast for most of her career, and the more she played that same type of character, the worse the roles got.

Pigeonholed

She wanted to try something new, but making that kind of pivot can be challenging. Taking a break gave her breathing room to jump into roles she actually cared about later on.

In 2011, Russo returned to acting to play Frigga in "Thor" because, she said, "It was different [...] English accent, playing a queen. That was something I'd never done."

Her Return

Another reason she was reluctant to take more roles was difficulty finding the right Bipolar medication, a struggle she discussed on “The Queen Latifah Show” in ‘14.

Mental Health

Russo used the interview to encourage those living with mental illness, stating, "It's okay. You will make it through. It's not easy, but you will make it through."

In recent years, Russo's two biggest movies (2014’s "Nightcrawler" and "Velvet Buzzsaw" in 2017) were written and directed by her husband of over 30 years, Dan Gilroy.

Family Affair

"Nightcrawler" earned much acclaim and helped Russo get her second Saturn award for Best Supporting Actress and her very first BAFTA nomination.