Happy Birthday, Russell Harvard!

Russell Harvard was born on this day (April 16, 1981) in Pasadena.

Harvard has made his mark in both film and stage. The Austin, Texas native grew up deaf, communicating in ASL and lip-reading. Harvard’s mother was born deaf and did not learn sign until she was six years old. After playing roles in stage productions at Gallaudet University such as Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, Harvard has had parts in CBS’ CSI: New York with Marlee Matlin and in Deaf West Theatre’s Sleeping Beauty. The actor had a role in the 2022 film Causeway and played Daniel Day-Lewis’s grown son in the 2007 film There Will Be Blood. He played the role of Matt Hamil in the 2010 film The Hammer. Harvard won a Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance in the Off-Broadway show Tribes and played a role in Deaf West Theater's Spring Awakening. He played a hitman in the FX series Fargo. He received a BA in Theater Arts from Gallaudet University in 2008. He won a 2012 Theatre World Award for Outstanding Debut Performance for his performance of Billy in the off-Broadway production of Tribes in 2012.