Biography
An American actor with a long and distinguished theatrical career, Russell Collins is known to most audiences for his supporting roles on TV and in films like "Fail-Safe" and "Bad Day at Black Rock." Collins began his stage career in the 1930s and made his Broadway debut in "Success Story," a play directed by Lee Strasberg and featuring Stella Adler, two of the 20th century's foremost acting teachers. He also worked with Elia Kazan and Sanford Meisner, another great dramatic teacher. Some of the productions he participated in include Clifford Odets's "Waiting for Lefty," the musical "Carousel," and a long run of Eugene O'Neill's "The Iceman Cometh." On screen he was a regular on the late '40s anthology show "Actor's Studio" and supported star Audrey Hepburn in the comedy "We Go to Monte Carlo" in 1953. He was part of an impressive cast that included Rita Hayworth and José Ferrer in the musical "Miss Sadie Thompson," and in one of his highest-profile film roles, appeared with Spencer Tracy and Robert Ryan in the tense thriller "Bad Day at Black Rock" in 1955. He worked with director Edward Dmytryk in the drama "Soldier of Fortune" and the Civil War-era romance "Raintree County." On television he was a regular supporting player on the day's most popular dramas making multiple appearances on "Alfred Hitchcock Presents," "Kraft Theatre," and the FBI crime drama "The Untouchables." In one of his last roles he appeared in Sidney Lumet's memorable Cold War thriller, "Fail-Safe."
