David Russell was born in New York City, New York, the son of Maria (née Muzio) and Bernard Russell, who was a sales executive for Simon & Schuster. His father was from a Russian Jewish family, while his mother was Italian American and Catholic. He was raised in an atheist household.
From Chris Weitz, director of About a Boy and producer of A Single Man and In Good Company, comes A Better Life – a poignant, multi-generational story about a father’s love and everything a parent will sacrifice to build a better life for his child. The movie stars Demian Bichir and José Julián and was written by Roger L. Simon.
The Fighter is a 2010 biographical sports film directed by David O. Russell, and starring Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale. The film centers on the life of professional boxer “Irish” Micky Ward (Wahlberg) and his older half-brother Dicky Eklund (Bale).