Based in Los Angeles, Russ is a veteran of longform improvisation, physical comedy and clown technique. He has appeared on Comedy Central, Buzzfeed and ABC. His YouTube sketches have accrued over 200 million views.

Based in Los Angeles, Russ is a veteran of longform improvisation, physical comedy and clown technique. He has appeared on Comedy Central, Buzzfeed and ABC. His YouTube sketches have accrued over 200 million views.

He is currently on the faculty at Burbank’s LA Connection, a theater with a 45 year history of short form improv in LA. He performs on two of the longest running genre teams in Los Angeles – Drunkards & Dragons, and LA’s Harry Potter team — The Show That Shall Not Be Named.

He’s run corporate improv workshops to enhance managerial active listening skills at several companies including Verizon. He’s a teacher with the National Improv Network and a two-time Webby Award winning writer.

Russ has performed improv in the Netflix is a Joke festival, on the mainstage of LA Comic Con, and in front of the largest crowd ever assembled (2,300+) at LA’s Last Bookstore.

Russ has spent the last decade honing his skills with IO and Second City legends including Jeff Michalski, Jane Morris, Dave Razowsky, Jaime Moyer and Kent Skov.

Russ’s coaching focuses on the deep-tissue listening needed to be present in scenes and how to combine dynamic space work and physical presence. Russ teaches students how to relieve themselves of the pressure to ‘be clever’ on stage – and instead rely on reading their scene partner and context clues to stay connected.