08/13/2026
Venting some of my personal experiences and sadness over Chuck Russell’s passing. A few weeks ago, i wanted to make the post only about him. This post, i want to get across my personal feelings and the impact Chuck had on me, i guess to help me mourn? Idk. Feel free to scroll past, just really want to get this off of my chest.
I went back to watch our episode together and didn’t fully realize how truly sad i am about him no longer being here until i watched the episode.
i only knew Chuck for a flash in time, but going back through our texts, i realized how much he made an effort to reach out and say hi. He’d randomly text “wishing you and Alex the best,” send me a picture from wherever he was in the world, poke in to ask what ive been up to, or call me on some random night just to tell me he watched the show on his new TV or ask me about some video he came across. Chuck was a seasoned legend. He knew what he was doing with those little gestures. i’m sure he liked me and genuinely wanted to say hi, but i also think he understood how much it means to someone who’s still “coming up” to hear from somebody they look up to. To him, sending a random text probably took 30 seconds. To me, getting a random text from Chuck fu***ng Russell could make my entire day.
There’s a difference between somebody being kind when you happen to be around them and somebody choosing to maintain a connection when there’s absolutely no reason they have to. None of it was transactional. i wasn’t asking him for anything. He wasn’t promoting anything. Every once in a while, i’d just cross his mind and he’d reach out. i think what’s fu***ng me up now is that at the time, every interaction was just another interaction. There was always implicitly going to be another text, another conversation, another time i’d see him. Now i’m looking back at the whole thing and knowing that was it, all those little casual interactions suddenly feel a lot bigger.
i’d never pretend i had some decades long friendship with the guy. But in that tiny window where our lives overlapped, someone i looked up to actually saw me, remembered me, and went out of his way to make me feel like i belonged in his world. i don’t think i fully realized how much that meant to me until now.
But if there’s anything i’m going to take from our short-lived friendship, it’s to love what i do and remember that if i can see it, i can have it. The best advice Chuck gave me was that if you’re a PA, be the best PA in the world. If you’re sweeping stages, be the best fu***ng sweeper in the insustry. Whatever you’re doing, do it well and just be grateful that you get to be here doing it.
Almost every time we talked, he’d make sure to tell me to keep going. It’s such an odd thing to say, but i feel inspired to work harder in his memory. Not in some grandiose way, but to actually carry the s**t he taught me forward. Love the work. Be grateful i get to do it. Take whatever job is in front of me seriously. Keep fu***ng going.
maybe someday i’ll be in his position and can make some kid coming up feel the way Chuck made me feel.
RIP to the man Chuck Russell.
