Russo brothers
Anthony J. Russo was born on the 3rd of February 1970 in Cleveland, Ohio. His brother Joseph Vincent Russo followed him into the world on the 18th of July 1971. Their parents Patricia Gallupoli and Basil Russo raised four children within a household rooted in Italian heritage from Sicily and Abruzzo. Both sons attended Benedictine High School before pursuing higher education in different states. Joe enrolled at the University of Iowa where he earned his bachelor's degree in English in 1992. Anthony chose to study English at the University of Pennsylvania instead.
Their entry into filmmaking began with personal financial risk rather than studio backing. The pair wrote and directed their first feature film Pieces using money borrowed through student loans and credit cards. They cited Robert Rodriguez as inspiration after watching El Mariachi get made on a shoestring budget. This self-financed approach allowed them to create a project that would eventually catch the eye of established industry figures.
Pieces debuted at the Slamdance Film Festival where it attracted significant attention from veteran director Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh described the film as insanely ambitious and dense while noting how activated the brothers were by their own work. He offered to produce their next feature Welcome to Collinwood during a lunch meeting. That caper comedy starred William H. Macy Isaiah Washington and Sam Rockwell.
The Russos secured a spot in the Directors' Fortnight lineup for the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Their film Welcome to Collinwood closed out the festival as one of the few American entries selected for the prestigious event. This early success demonstrated their ability to navigate both independent cinema circuits and major international festivals without relying on traditional studio infrastructure.
FX Networks executive Kevin Reilly hired the brothers to direct the pilot for Lucky after seeing their work on Welcome to Collinwood. Ron Howard personally hand-picked them to direct the pilot for Fox's Arrested Development. The Russos fought hard to cast Jason Bateman as Michael Bluth despite skepticism from the studio about his suitability for the role. They won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for that pilot episode in 2004.
Producer Dan Harmon later brought them onto Community where they directed 34 episodes including A Fistful of Paintballs. Harmon credited the brothers with spotting Donald Glover for the show calling them geniuses in casting. Alan Sepinwall of Uproxx described their season two finale installment as nothing short of The Godfather Part II of sitcom episodes. These television projects established their reputation for finding talent regardless of industry status.
Kevin Feige brought the Russo brothers into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after their television success caught his attention. They directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 which earned $714 million worldwide. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly praised its tackling of serious subject matter and compared it favorably to The Dark Knight. The film was one of nine options considered before the Russos were selected to helm the project.
Their next film Captain America: Civil War arrived in 2016 followed by Avengers: Infinity War in 2018 and Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Infinity War became the first superhero movie to gross over $2 billion at the box office. Endgame earned $2.799 billion globally making it the second superhero film to surpass that target. The pair joined James Cameron as the only directors to make two films each earning over $2 billion.
The brothers founded AGBO in 2017 with producing partner Mike Larocca. Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely joined AGBO as Co-Presidents of Story the following year. Their mission statement focused on supporting emerging talent and fostering creativity through mentorship similar to what Steven Soderbergh had provided them. Sam Hargrave received a directorial debut with Extraction starring Chris Hemsworth after working as a stunt double for years.
Extraction went on to become the most-watched original film in Netflix's history. A sequel Extraction 2 began production in 2023 while a third installment was announced for 2025. They also produced Everything Everywhere All At Once which won seven Academy Awards including Best Picture. This film became A24's highest-grossing release worldwide demonstrating their ability to support diverse voices within the industry.
Cherry released in 2021 explored the opioid epidemic through a war veteran played by Tom Holland. Anthony Russo stated the project felt personal due to family members who suffered from addiction. The film received negative reviews alongside The Gray Man which starred Ryan Gosling and Ana de Armas. Critics panned both films despite their high budgets and star power.
The Electric State debuted on Netflix in March 2025 earning only a 14% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Lindsey Bahr of The Associated Press wrote that it lacked a spark or soul distinguishing it as memorable. Johnny Oleksinski of New York Posts called it one of the worst and priciest movies of the past six years. Despite this reception the film still debuted at number one on Netflix's Top 10 list during its first week.
The Russos received an Emmy Award for Arrested Development in 2004 followed by multiple Saturn Award nominations throughout their Marvel tenure. They won Dragon Awards for Best Science Fiction or Fantasy Movie for Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Their collective work has made them the third-highest-grossing directors of all time with Endgame briefly holding the record for highest-grossing film ever.
On the 21st of February 2025 they were honored with handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Chris Pratt Yvette Nicole Brown and Alison Brie joined family and colleagues to celebrate the occasion. Joe Russo also became a board member of Sheffield United football club in January 2025 alongside other American businessmen. These honors reflect both their commercial dominance and cultural impact across decades of filmmaking.
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Common questions
When and where were the Russo brothers born?
Anthony J. Russo was born on the 3rd of February 1970 in Cleveland, Ohio while his brother Joseph Vincent Russo followed him into the world on the 18th of July 1971.
What film did the Russo brothers direct to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Kevin Feige brought the Russos into the Marvel Cinematic Universe after their television success caught his attention and they directed Captain America: The Winter Soldier in 2014 which earned $714 million worldwide.
How much money did Avengers Endgame earn globally?
Endgame earned $2.799 billion globally making it the second superhero film to surpass that target and joining James Cameron as the only directors to make two films each earning over $2 billion.
Which company did the Russo brothers found in 2017?
The brothers founded AGBO in 2017 with producing partner Mike Larocca and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely joined AGBO as Co-Presidents of Story the following year.
When did the Russo brothers receive handprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre?
On the 21st of February 2025 they were honored with handprints and footprints at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood alongside family and colleagues including Chris Pratt Yvette Nicole Brown and Alison Brie.