Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell (also credited as Taylor Russell McKenzie; Korean: 테일러 러셀) is a Canadian screen actor and filmmaker born on July 18, 1994, in Vancouver, British Columbia. After early supporting parts, she broke through internationally as the lead of Netflix’s sci‑fi series Lost in Space (2018–2021), a performance that helped position her as one of her generation’s most watchable young talents.

Russell quickly expanded into feature films, earning attention for emotionally charged work in the drama Waves (2019) and mainstream genre hits including Escape Room (2019) and its 2021 sequel. Her filmography also includes titles such as Down a Dark Hall, Before I Fall, and The Unauthorized Saved by the Bell Story, showing a range from teen thrillers to biographical television.

In 2022, her starring turn in the road movie Bones and All brought major festival acclaim, including the Marcello Mastroianni Award. She has also moved between screen and stage, appearing as Connie in National Theatre Live: The Effect (2023–2024).

Beyond acting, Russell has stepped behind the camera, co-directing the 2020 short documentary The Heart Still Hums with Savanah Leaf—work that later informed Leaf’s feature film Earth Mama (2023). With notable credits ranging from Hope to Mother, Couch, Russell continues to build a career defined by ambition and versatility.