Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell have been together for over 30 years, one of the most beloved couples in entertainment. Though Kurt became a father figure to Goldie's children from a prior relationship, Kate Hudson and Oliver Hudson, the couple only had one child together -- Wyatt Hawn Russell. Though he has now officially moved over to the family business of working in Hollywood, initially Wyatt wanted to be a hockey player.
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Who is Wyatt Hawn Russell?
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It all started back when a 3-year-old Wyatt was taken up to Toronto with his parents when his mom was shooting a film. His dad took him to a local skating rink for something to do and he was immediately hooked.
"It actually is my first vivid memory. The feeling of that glide, I loved it," Russell told the NHL. "My dad went up to the ticket counter and asked how much to buy skates. I went home and he put me in a league when I was 4. It was the only thing I wanted to do."
Wyatt Russell grew up playing hockey nonstop to the point that his family even moved from Los Angeles, California to Vancouver when Wyatt was in high school so that he could play for the Richmond Sockeyes of the Pacific Junior Hockey League. He even played hockey at the University of Alabama-Huntsville before playing professionally in Europe. Unfortunately, his professional hockey career playing goalie was cut short due to a hip injury when he was only 24, so lucky for him, acting was his backup plan.
Though we all know his famous parents, Wyatt says that Goldie and Kurt had a strict boundary between work and home life when he was growing up.
"My parents are actors and never brought work home. I didn't even know what they did until I was about 10 years old. We never talked about it."
It Runs In The Family
You'd think that being the son of Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn would come with a ton of inside secrets but the actor told Times Colonist that his parents had some very simple advice for his new career path: "Learn your lines. Show up on time. And don't be a jerk."
Wyatt had made small appearances in a couple of his father's films as a kid -- Escape From L.A. and Soldier, but he really moved his way up in Hollywood to get to where he is today. He started with small roles in This is 40, Cowboys & Aliens, and 22 Jump Street. He went on to appear in Everybody Wants Some!!, Ingrid Goes West, and the horror film Overlord.
Though he had previously been married once to a woman he met abroad playing hockey, Wyatt met his current wife Meredith Hagner on the set of the 2016 film Folk Hero & Funny Guy. Hagner is easily recognizable from starring in multiple Hallmark Christmas films as well as the TV show Search Party. Remember A Gift Wrapped Christmas and My Christmas Love? Hallmark classics! After a few years of dating, the couple was married in Aspen, Colorado in 2019. They even recently welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named Buddy Prine Russell.
The Big Break
After years of hard work, it seems like Wyatt is close to making it to the big leagues like his parents. He landed a lead role on the Disney Plus and Marvel Studios series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier playing the new Captain America, John Walker. Fans had mixed feelings about Russell stepping into Chris Evans' shoes as "The Cap" was one of the most popular characters in the Marvel cinematic universe. But I personally think he did a great job and had some funny moments that really reminded you of a young Kurt.
This wasn't his first time on a TV show either. Russell previously starred as Dud on Lodge 49 as well as appeared on Black Mirror and The Walking Dead: The Oath. It just goes to show that -- even if your parents are celebs -- you need to work hard and actually have talent to make it. As longtime fans of Kurt and Goldie, we can't wait to see where Wyatt's career takes him next.
This article was originally published in 2020.
