Directed credits
71
Prolific
Very extensive directing filmography.
Director
Ken Russell
Directing
Career Snapshot
ExplainedThese indicators come from TMDB. They are relative signals, not review ratings.
TMDB popularity
0.7
Low visibility
TMDB internal trend index. Higher usually means more searches and page activity now.
Directed movies: 69Directed series: 2All crew credits: 74
TMDB ID: 32327
IMDb ID: nm0001692
Known for: Directing
Born: July 3, 1927
Died: November 27, 2011
Age: 84
Place of birth: Southampton, Hampshire, England, UK
Gender: Male
Adult content flag: No
Career span: 1958 - 2025
Years active: 68
Average TMDB rating: 6.14
Wikidata: Q55249
Also known as
Alfred Russell • Alf Russell
Frequent jobs
Director (71)Writer (2)Thanks (1)
Biography
Henry Kenneth Alfred "Ken" Russell (3 July 1927 – 27 November 2011) was an English film director. He is known for his pioneering work in television and film, and for his controversial style. He has been criticized as being over-obsessed with sexuality and the church. His subject matter is often about famous composers, or based on other works of art which he adapts loosely. Russell began directing for the BBC, where he did creative adaptations of composers' lives which were unusual for the time. He also directed many feature films independently and for studios. He is best known for his Oscar-winning romantic drama Women in Love (1969), the notoriously controversial The Devils (1971), the rock musical Tommy (1975), and the science fiction film Altered States (1980). One noted admirer, British film critic Mark Kermode, attempting to sum up the director's achievement, called Russell; "somebody who proved that British cinema didn't have to be about kitchen-sink realism – it could be every bit as flamboyant as Fellini. He now makes very strange experimental films like Lion's Mouth and Revenge of the Elephant Man, and they are as edgy and out there as the work he made in the 1970s."
Photos
Movies
Directed Movies
Movies directed by Ken Russell.
4.7
A Kitten for Hitler
Director
2007 Movie
5.0
Trapped Ashes
Director
2006 Movie
7.5
Elgar: Fantasy of a Composer on a Bicycle
Director
2002 Movie
4.1
The Fall of the Louse of Usher
Director
2002 Movie
5.5
Dogboys
Director
1998 Movie
6.5
Ken Russell: In Search of the English Folk Song
Director
1997 Movie
3.5
Mindbender
Director
1996 Movie
3.4
Tales of Erotica
Director
1996 Movie
5.5
Treasure Island
Director
1995 Movie
4.3
The Insatiable Mrs. Kirsch
Director
1995 Movie
Alice in Russialand
Director
1995 Movie
6.2
Prisoner of Honor
Director
1991 Movie
5.2
Whore
Director
1991 Movie
4.1
Women and Men: Stories of Seduction
Director
1990 Movie
Pandora's Box: It's All Coming Back to Me Now
Director
1989 Movie
5.5
The Rainbow
Director
1989 Movie
5.8
A British Picture: Portrait of an Enfant Terrible
Director
1989 Movie
5.0
Il Mefistofele
Director
1989 Movie
5.9
The Lair of the White Worm
Director
1988 Movie
6.1
Salome's Last Dance
Director
1988 Movie
10.0
Ken Russell's ABC of British Music
Director
1988 Movie
5.3
Aria
Director
1987 Movie
5.6
Gothic
Director
1987 Movie
6.0
Faust
Director
1985 Movie
Series
Directed Series
Series directed by Ken Russell.
Movies
Top Rated Movies
Highest rated movies linked with Ken Russell.
7.5
The Devils
Director
1971 Movie
6.7
Altered States
Director
1980 Movie
6.6
Women in Love
Director
1969 Movie
6.5
Tommy
Director
1975 Movie
6.3
Crimes of Passion
Director
1984 Movie
6.1
Mr. Nice
as Russell Miegs
2010 Movie
6.1
The Russia House
as Walter
1990 Movie
5.9
The Lair of the White Worm
Director
1988 Movie
5.7
Colour Me Kubrick
as The Man In Nightgown
2005 Movie
5.6
Gothic
Director
1987 Movie
5.6
Billion Dollar Brain
Director
1967 Movie
5.2
Whore
Director
1991 Movie
Series
Top Rated Series
Highest rated series linked with Ken Russell.
Movies
Most Popular Movies
Most viewed movie titles linked with Ken Russell.
5.7
Valentino
Director
1977 Movie
6.5
Tommy
Director
1975 Movie
6.7
Mahler
Director
1974 Movie
6.0
Faust
Director
1985 Movie
5.5
Treasure Island
Director
1995 Movie
5.2
Whore
Director
1991 Movie
7.5
The Devils
Director
1971 Movie
6.7
Altered States
Director
1980 Movie
3.5
100 Greatest Sexy Moments
as Self
2003 Movie
6.3
Crimes of Passion
Director
1984 Movie
6.0
Bela Bartók
Director
1964 Movie
5.7
Colour Me Kubrick
as The Man In Nightgown
2005 Movie
Series
Most Popular Series
Most viewed series linked with Ken Russell.
7.8
Agatha Christie's Marple
as Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop • 1 eps
2004 Series
7.2
Waking the Dead
as Gerry Raistrick • 1 eps
2001 Series
7.2
Omnibus
as Self • 3 eps
1967 Series
4.9
Celebrity Big Brother
as Self • 1 eps
2001 Series
5.6
The South Bank Show
Director • 1 eps
1978 Series
6.2
Lady Chatterley
Writer • 4 eps
1993 Series
6.0
Frank Stubbs Promotes
as Self • 1 eps
1993 Series
5.0
Clouds of Glory
Director • 2 eps
1978 Series
Movies
Other Crew Work in Movies
Additional movie credits for Ken Russell.
Series
Other Crew Work in Series
Additional series credits for Ken Russell.
Movies
Acting Appearances in Movies
Movie cast credits for Ken Russell.
7.9
Twiggy
as (archival footage)
2025 Movie
8.0
The Who: One Band's Explosive Story
as Self (archive footage)
2022 Movie
Director of Devils
as Self
2012 Movie
8.0
Ken Russell: A Bit of a Devil
as Self (archive footage)
2012 Movie
6.1
Mr. Nice
as Russell Miegs
2010 Movie
The Aristofrogs
2010 Movie
4.7
A Kitten for Hitler
as Santa
2007 Movie
10 Best Elgar
as Self (archive footage)
2007 Movie
4.5
The Real Blue Nuns
as Self
2006 Movie
5.0
Trapped Ashes
as Dr. Lucy (segment "The Girl with Golden Breasts")
2006 Movie
5.4
Brothers of the Head
as Himself
2006 Movie
5.7
Colour Me Kubrick
as The Man In Nightgown
2005 Movie
Series
Acting Appearances in Series
Series cast credits for Ken Russell.
7.8
Agatha Christie's Marple
as Rev Caleb Dane Calthrop • 1 eps
2004 Series
7.2
Waking the Dead
as Gerry Raistrick • 1 eps
2001 Series
4.9
Celebrity Big Brother
as Self • 1 eps
2001 Series
6.0
Frank Stubbs Promotes
as Self • 1 eps
1993 Series
6.2
Lady Chatterley
as Sir Michael Reid • 2 eps
1993 Series
5.6
The South Bank Show
as Self • 1 eps
1978 Series
7.2
Omnibus
as Self • 3 eps
1967 Series