Buck Waterfield still has vivid memories of his childhood, particularly the time he went grocery shopping with his mom, Jane Russell. "One day, this lady approached her and said, 'Are you Jane Russell?' And my mom, with her usual wit, replied, 'Not today, sweetheart!'" Buck told Closer Weekly, laughing at the memory. "She would intentionally dress in the strangest outfits just to avoid being recognized. It was her way of staying private, even when out in public."
The Two Sides of Jane Russell
Despite being one of the most recognizable and celebrated actresses of her time, Jane Russell was a master at separating her public persona from her private life. "She used to say, 'You have to turn it on when you're out there and turn it off when you're home,'" Buck recalled. "She wasn't your typical Hollywood star. She was grounded, real, and unpretentious."
From Minnesota to Hollywood: Jane's Early Years
Jane Russell was born in Minnesota but her journey to stardom began when her family moved to Southern California. There, she immersed herself in acting and music, eventually landing modeling gigs that caught the attention of Hollywood. In 1943, her life changed forever when director Howard Hughes cast her in the film The Outlaw. Though it took five years for the film to be widely released due to its controversial nature, it cemented her status as a global pin-up sensation.
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Family Ties and Career Success
In the same year, Jane married Bob Waterfield, who later became an NFL quarterback. Tragically, she couldn't have biological children due to a medical issue from her past, but she and Bob adopted three children: Buck, Tracy, and Thomas. Even as her career soared with films like Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Tall Men, Jane always prioritized her family. "When she was filming Underwater! in Hawaii, the director wanted to keep shooting through Christmas," Buck said. "But my mom stood her ground and insisted on going home. People usually gave in to her, and that was just who she was."
