When you hear the names Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, you probably picture Hollywood royalty—decades of box office hits, iconic roles, and, of course, a long-lasting, committed relationship. They’ve been together for over 40 years without ever getting married, and their bond still seems rock solid. Their daughter Kate Hudson is a big-time movie star in her own right, and her brother Oliver Hudson isn’t far behind—he’s got plenty of acting credits and co-hosts a popular podcast with Kate.
But there’s another Russell sibling you may not think about right away: Wyatt Russell. He’s Goldie and Kurt’s only biological child together, and unlike the rest of the crew, his path has been anything but straightforward. Wyatt’s life story isn’t just about being born into a famous family; it’s about carving out an identity that didn’t depend on a red carpet or a last name. He didn’t start out wanting to act. In fact, he actively avoided it. What he really wanted was to make it big on the ice rink.
Not many people care to dig deep enough to know that Wyatt Russell was a serious hockey player. His love for the sport started early, during a family trip to Toronto when his mom was shooting a movie. Kurt took little Wyatt to a local ice rink to pass the time. That random outing turned into a lifelong passion. “That was it,” Wyatt said in an interview with The Ringer. He was hooked.
He played all through college and eventually went pro, competing in leagues in Germany and the Netherlands. Hockey wasn’t just a hobby, it was his way to escape the Hollywood quagmire. The actor claimed to like it because slapping that puck gave him an identity outside of being Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell’s kid. It’s only natural that he wanted something that was his. And for a while, everything was nice and cozy. However, like many athletes, Russell’s dream was shattered by a devastating injury.
At just 24 years old, Wyatt’s hockey career ended. His whole right side, from the knee to the hip, was torn, and Russell couldn’t play anymore. That kind of abrupt end would leave anyone reeling. But Wyatt didn’t let it keep him down for long. With hockey off the table, he turned to the one thing he never thought he’d do: acting. From the outside, acting might seem like the obvious choice—after all, he was a Hawn-Russell kid—but it was more of a Plan B borne out of necessity than a lifelong dream.
His early acting gigs flew under the radar, but everything changed when he landed a huge role in Marvel’s show The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, which fans seemed to enjoy quite a lot even before the premiere. Wyatt played John Walker, aka the US Agent, who’s basically a Captain America ripoff but with questionable morals and a more complicated character.
Wyatt’s performance was intense, dramatic, and, overall, pretty great. But the reaction from the fans was lackluster. Some Marvel diehards couldn’t separate the actor from the character and took their rage way too far. In 2021, reports surfaced that Wyatt received actual death threats for playing the controversial character. Yeah, let that sink in for a second—death threats just for playing a morally grey supersoldier. It got so bad that he deleted all his social media accounts to get away from the backlash.
Nevertheless, Wyatt handled everything calmly. In interviews, he’s stayed grounded and focused on the work. And despite the online drama, the Marvel team seems to be sticking with him. Future MCU projects expect him to return as John Walker, demonstrating his strong impact. Either way, Wyatt’s carving out a lane that’s uniquely his, whether that’s on the ice, in a superhero suit, or somewhere in between. And that’s something to respect.