Absolute Beginners

The people Ken Russell has worked with.

William Hurt

Hurt´s first film was Altered States (below). He went on to create interesting roles in The Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Accidental Tourist (above) and Children of a Lesser God. His popularity has waned recently though he appeared in AI which Spielberg has taken over, after the death of Kubrick, and The Village.

Donald Sutherland

Sutherland has a bit part (one line) in Billion Dollar Brain, playing the computer operator.

 Sutherland´s career which included such films as Kelly´s Heroes, Robert Altman´s M*A*S*H (below), Bertolucci´s 1900, Fellini´s Casanova, Roeg´s Don´t Look Now, Euzhan Palcy´s A Dry White Season as well as guest appearances in Stone´s JFK and Kate Bush´s video Cloudbursting. Canada´s most famous actor? Canada´s most famous export?

Helen Mirren

One of Mirren´s first films was Savage Messiah including a nude scene.  Other films include Paul Schrader´s The Comfort of Strangers, Peter Greenaway´s The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, the sublime Cal, Peter Weir´s The Mosquito Coast, as well as James Bond films including Skyfall (above) and recently Altman´s Gosfield Park.

Alita Naughton

Cute in French Dressing, and she has a minor role in Isadora Duncan. Russell met her when filming his documentary on David Hurn Watch the Birdie, she being Hurn´s then girlfriend.  Below in French Dressing.

Twiggy

After her model career was ending she looked for new career. The Boyfriend was her only significant film role. Bowie calls her "Twig the Wonder Kid" (Life on Mars). She was the original choice for The Fall of the Louse of Usher.  Twiggy says "I first met Ken when I was 17 when he was looking for a young character to appear in a film based on William Faulkner's The Wishing Tree and although it didn't happen, we became friends.  Then, three years later, he cast me in The Boy Friend. Even though I had never acted, danced or sung before, he sent me to classes. God bless him. He refused to do the film without me, fought my cause and even picketed Equity to get me a card. Ken Russell completely changed my life - it's thanks to him that I'm here now." (info from here).

Imogen Millais Scott

Spectacular as the drab maid who turns into seductress in Salome. Her only other acting role seems to be a small part as Mrs Bee in Little Dorrit. Ken Russell says she was very frail, too weak to perform the  dance in Salome, and on the commentary to the DVD Ken reveals that the actress is almost blind. Knowing this, you can see her using her hands to find objects.  In 1999 she was given a double transplant of kidney and pancreas, and now seems healthy again.

Scott Antony

Scottt Amthony plays the character closest to an autobiogaphical Ken Russell- the sculptor Henri Gaudier in Savage Messiah (below). Since the film he has acted in a drab horror film The Mutations and Toni Richardson´s Dead Cert.  He now makes excellent short documentaries.

Murray Melvin, Georgina Hale, Scott Anthony and Iain Fisher at the showing of Savage Messiah in the British Film Institute, 2014.

Any further information on Alita or Imogen welcome!!