Goldie Hawn & Kurt Russell's Son Wyatt Has Seriously Transformed

Wyatt Russell's career and reputation have climbed considerably in recent years, an achievement for which, despite his last name, he has no one but himself to thank. Amid all the drama and controversy that the entertainment industry manages to cultivate off-screen, Russell has escaped both up until this point. On a personal level, Russell doesn't divulge more than he has to. Professionally, his interviews usually interweave humor with motivational and-or grounded statements. 

Regardless of the members in his prolific family tree, Russell has forged his own path. Although people may recognize him for the main roles he's taken since the turn of the 2020s, Russell has actually been around for quite some time, and unlike other people with famous parents, he's made a considerable effort to do his own thing without complete reliance on nepotism. From the '80s to the present, Russell's transformation has been inspirational and eye-opening.  

Wyatt Russell was born on July 10, 1986, in Los Angeles, California. From day one, Russell was practically destined to become an actor. His father, Kurt Russell, was a Disney child actor who successfully transitioned to adult blockbusters (Fun fact: According to Britannica, one of the last things Walt Disney reportedly wrote before his death was his dad's name, misspelled as "Kirt Russell"). His mother, Goldie Hawn, rose to fame in the 1960s and has appeared in a plethora of comedies since. 

While Russell's maternal grandparents worked relatively ordinary jobs — although Hawn's father, Edward, was a music conductor in his prime — his paternal grandparents were full-fledged entertainers. Kurt's father, Bing Russell, was a baseball club owner and actor; he appeared in movies like "The Magnificent Seven" (1960) and TV shows such as "Bonanza" (1959 to 1973). Kurt's mother, Julia Crone Russell, was a professional dancer. 

Russell has three half-siblings from Kurt and Hawn's previous relationships, almost all of whom have become actors. The eldest, Boston Russell, is a therapist. Oliver Hudson's film credits include "Grown Ups 2" (2013) and "Happy Gilmore 2" (2025). Kate Hudson's filmography is more extensive and includes films like "Almost Famous" (2000), "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" (2022), and "Song Sung Blue" (2025). 

While several celeb takes on being nepo babies have had us cringing over the years, Wyatt Russell has bluntly acknowledged his unconventional childhood and automatic life of privilege. "People talk about nepo babies and stuff ... is it 1000 times easier? F**k yeah. Are you kidding me? It's a million times easier," Russell told MovieWeb in 2025. 

Let's flash back to 1987, when Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn collaborated in Garry Marshall's "Overboard." The romcom, an American version of Italy's "Swept Away" (1974), starred Hawn as Joanna Stayton, an affluent woman with amnesia; Russell portrayed Dean Proffitt, Joanna's fake husband and slow-burn love interest. Blink, and you'll miss it, but a third member of the family made an appearance, too: baby Russell, who briefly appeared in the movie's golf course scene. 

The father-and-son duo appeared on the "Table Manners" podcast in 2026 and briefly talked about "Overboard," spurred by the hosts' love of the movie. During the conversation, Russell revealed that he had walked for the first time on the set, which was captured in the trailer, "I have a picture of Mom going [he feigns surprise] with her face." Kurt then confirms the lore, "You did take your first steps on that, yeah."

Wyatt Russell wasn't a child actor, per se, but he starred in two more movies in the 1990s — both of which became some of Kurt Russell's most recognized credits. In 1996, Russell briefly appeared in John Carpenter's "Escape from L.A.," in which Kurt famously reprised the role of Snake Plissken. Russell, who was 10 years old, played an uncredited orphan. After that, he had a bigger role in the 1998 sci-fi flop "Soldier," one of Paul W.S. Anderson's first films. Russell portrayed the 11-year-old version of Kurt's character, Todd, an incredibly strong yet emotionally stunted veteran. 

If there's one thing that Russell has made clear, it's that he has no interest in putting his own spin on Kurt's iconic characters. So even though 2026 reports abound that "Escape from New York," the predecessor to "Escape from L.A.," would be getting a reboot, do not expect a cameo from him. Years before that, in 2021, Russell responded to a fan question on Esquire about whether he would consider replacing his father as Plissken. "That will not be happening. There will be no Snake reboot from me. That's like career suicide 101," he responded.

Plenty of nepo babies want nothing to do with fame, and for a while, Wyatt Russell shared that sentiment. Although Russell starred in some of his father's projects as a child, he wasn't interested in being an actor. Instead, he was dead-set on becoming a professional ice hockey player. "It was my life. I wanted it so bad ... it was everything to me because it gave me an identity," Russell told "The Off Camera Show" in 2019. "I was born to do it," he said of the sport.

Russell picked up his first hockey stick at age 4 and played for fun until 15, when he and his parents moved to Vancouver. In Canada, Russell was a junior goaltender for teams like the Richmond Sockeyes, Coquitlam Express, and Brampton Capitals. Russell moved back to the States to attend college at the University of Alabama and played for its team, the Chargers. 

Russell turned pro in 2009, when he signed a contract with Germany's EHC Timmendorfer Strand 06. He played in five games for the team — two regular season and three postseasons — before transferring to the Netherlands' Pecoma Grizzlies Groningen. Russell played 13 more games with an average goaltender score of 5.62. 

Sadly, Wyatt Russell's professional hockey career didn't last long. After years of agony, Russell was diagnosed with hip dysplasia, a congenital joint condition that can cause pain and stiffness. At that point, he had also experienced multiple injuries. This combination forced him to retire from ice hockey at just 24 years old. "Right about then is when I said, 'I'm not playing for the NHL. That dream is dead,'" Russell explained on "The Off Camera Show." 

In the wake of retirement, Russell decided to try a serious stab at acting. Unlike his parents, however, he deliberately sought smaller roles at first over anything remotely major. Based on interviews, this seemed to be because Russell had little to no confidence. In 2019, Russell described a particular audition horror story to Backstage: "There was one audition [where] I could not get past a line ... They let me go four times until finally I was like, 'I've got to get myself out of this room.'"

Although Russell struggled to find his footing at first, he was lucky to always have the support of his parents. Kurt Russell has expressed pride and admiration for his son's hockey-turned-acting career several times. In 2026, Kurt told Fox News, "When [Russell's] professional days were over in hockey, I was glad to see that he went into [acting] because I felt he was going to find a lot of success with it. And it is nice to watch that success."

For someone who is a self-described introvert — and previously claimed to gravitate toward smaller parts — Wyatt Russell certainly put himself out there in early 2010. That year, Marvel Studios was in search of someone to portray Captain America, aka Steve Rogers, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's "Captain America: The First Avenger." After a period of speculation, Marvel announced in April 2010 that they had finally secured their guy: Chris Evans (who has since undergone a nearly unrecognizable transformation).

It's since been reported that Evans was always the go-to choice for Captain America, which Russell sort of alluded to in 2021. During a virtual interview with "Good Morning America," Russell confirmed that his first-ever audition was for the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan. "Honestly, the first audition was really more just something to read, to see if I was any good at acting or not. I don't think I was ever actually in competition for the role, but it was crazy," he conceded (via X). 

There's not much to say about Wyatt Russell's dating history, given that we know virtually nothing about it. That said, we do know that Russell married Sanne Hamers in March 2012. Russell and Hamers met in the Netherlands during his ice hockey career; Hamers later became a stylist. In 2014, Hamers gave a rare interview to Grazia and explained in Dutch that she found it hard to adjust to paparazzi and the Hollywood lifestyle. 

A few relationships in Hollywood history ended on quite the sour note; some of the shortest celebrity marriages, for instance, received substantial press coverage not just for their length but also for how the individuals reacted publicly. As a notoriously private person with no social media, however, the end of Russell and Hamers' marriage was very quiet: The now-former couple divorced in December 2017 and moved on without fuss or comment. RadarOnline, which broke the story, revealed that they separated in March 2015. 

Wyatt Russell appeared in some widely recognized movies and TV shows in the early years of his career, despite not being a big fan of auditions. Between 2010 and 2013, Russell starred in Jon Favreau's "Cowboys & Aliens," Judd Apatow's "This is 40," an episode of "Arrested Development," and three web series episodes of "The Walking Dead."

Russell finally got his big break in 2014, when he portrayed Zook Haythe, a stereotypical football player, in "22 Jump Street." The sequel to "21 Jump Street" grossed approximately $331 million worldwide and received solid reviews across the board; Russell, as well as co-leads Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, were overall praised for their comedic talent. "Wyatt Russell ... is excellent, he was absolutely perfect as Zook and worked very well with his material," The Super Network wrote after the movie's release. "He has a strong career ahead of him."

After "22 Jump Street," there was a noticeable shift in Wyatt Russell's filmography. He continued to star in comedies like "Everybody Wants Some!!" and Jay Baruchel's "Goon: Last of the Enforcers," but focused more on the horror and thriller genres. Russell's next two roles following "22 Jump Street" were in the crime thriller "Cold in July" and the supernatural horror "At the Devil's Door." 

Between 2018 and 2021, Russell also appeared in the Ethan Hawke biodrama "Blaze," the horror film "Overload," and the movie adaptation of "The Woman in the Window." When asked how he prepared for such roles back in 2016, Russell told Interview Magazine, "I literally take the page and I read it and read it with not much emotion ... I like to be able to go in knowing my lines, but still be malleable."

In 2016, Wyatt Russell starred in Jeff Grace's debut comedy film, "Folk Hero & Funny Guy." The movie starred several prominent actors, including Alex Karpovsky, Heather Morris, Melanie Lynskey, and his future second wife, Meredith Hagner. The pair then worked together on "Ingrid Goes West" in 2017, and while the exact timeline remains unconfirmed, it's safe to assume things in the romance department took off from there.

Russell proposed to Hagner in December 2018, and they tied the knot in September 2019. The wedding took place at Goldie Hawn's estate in Aspen, Colorado, and by all accounts was a rather modest Western-themed affair. Russell's immediate family attended; we can assume that Hagner's family and their shared friends did, too, but like most other things in Russell's life, the guest list was never publicized. 

Russell and Hagner share two children, Buddy (born March 2021) and Boone (born February 2024). Unlike her husband, Hagner occasionally posts on social media and loves to document milestones and special events. For their sixth wedding anniversary, Hagner wrote on Instagram, "Happy anniversary. 6 years ago we got married and 2 thumbs up for this sweetest realest love, baby." 

Unfortunately for Wyatt Russell, he didn't land the role of Captain America. The good news, however, was that Russell's old audition eventually came back around. In August 2019, Marvel Studios dropped several bombs at the D23 Expo — one of which was that Russell was set to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Russell was announced as John Walker-slash-U.S. Agent (essentially a more morally questionable version of Captain America) in the then-upcoming Disney+ TV series "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

"The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" was supposed to drop in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic put a pin in those plans. Instead, the show premiered in March 2021 to mixed reviews. As far as Russell's portrayal of Walker was concerned, the consensus, for the most part, was that people hated the character, which meant that Walker's portrayal was realistic. "They just hate the guy. They just hate him! It was fun to be the Marvel punching bag for a little while," Russell once told Variety. 

Russell reprised the role in "Thunderbolts*" (2025) and will appear in "Avengers: Doomsday," set to be released on December 18, 2026. 

Although Wyatt Russell's ice hockey career ended prematurely, he returned to the rink for the 2022 National Hockey League All-Star Game. An annual event — give or take some years, like 2021 and 2026 — held in the winter, the NHL All-Star Games feature established players and-or celebrities going head-to-head for pension funds and-or charity donations. A subset event, the All-Star Skills Competition, showcases players' different abilities like shooting and blocking.

For the 2022 NHL All-Star Game, Russell played in the All-Star Skills Competition on behalf of the Central Division. Russell, who sported the number 29, participated in the Breakaway Challenge as a goaltender. "In terms of just going out and seeing everybody in real life in that kind of arena, it'll be a fun little rush," Russell told the NHL ahead of the game. "I'm going to be in constant survival mode."

Russell wore a goalie cam to capture a first-person POV of the event, available to watch on YouTube. He deflected a goal from then-Anaheim Ducks player Trevor Zegras, who attempted to shoot blindfolded in a Dodgeball jersey. 

It's no secret that Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell live a wildly lavish life, but what about their son? According to Celebrity Net Worth, Wyatt Russell's net worth in 2026 is approximately $12 million. Russell isn't one to flaunt his wealth, but from what we know of his real estate portfolio, he isn't exactly strapped for cash. In 2022, Russell and Meredith Hagner sold their home for $2.8 million. Shortly after, they purchased a new $5.4 million abode. 

While most of Russell's net worth comes from acting, he's also the co-owner of Lake Hour, a canned cocktail business based in New York. Russell co-founded Lake Hour in 2023 with film producer Richard "Rich" Peete; over the past couple of years, they've opened additional storefronts in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Georgia, Florida, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. 

"Having a booze brand is like a prerequisite to being a celebrity, and I'm not joking, you need an alcohol brand before you get signed by an agent," Russell said (jokingly) to The Spirit Business in 2025. "Our wives are the brains behind it, really, we're just the faces. They're the real scientists," Peete teased. 

Wyatt Russell has remained a busy man since joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In recent years, he's starred in "You're Cordially Invited" (2025), Steven Spielberg's "Disclosure Day" (2026), and the supernatural horror film "Night Swim" (2024). In 2025, Russell also earned his first producer credit for Carlyle Eubank's Western drama "Broke."

As far as TV goes, Russell has portrayed the younger version of Lee Shaw on "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" since 2023. The Apple TV series, which is a part of the MonsterVerse, aka a shared universe with Godzilla and King Kong, features Anna Sawai, Anders Holm, and Kurt Russell as the older version of Shaw. Interestingly, both versions of Shaw have shared several scenes (both utilized and cut), although the show's time mechanisms are too complicated to document here.

The duo has delivered plenty of promotional material together since they joined the cast of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," and if one thing's clear, Russell highly respects and appreciates his father. "I don't think my dad gets enough credit for his humor. Yes, I know I'm biased, he's my dad and one of my best friends, but his humor on screen ... It's something that I've embraced more than anything else," Russell once told Kaufmann. 

For further reading, here are some photos of Hollywood nepo babies before and after finding their own fame.