Russ Ward

Russ Ward has been working in the entertainment business for twenty years. He started as an actor coming from Kansas University to attend the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles... He spent seven years studying and working as a waiter while also acting in industrial films, soap operas and commercials. After a time it became apparent to him that waiting tables and waiting for his career to happen was not for him and he chose a different route... but the training he received as an actor would prove to serve him well. He started working in features as an office PA but quickly moved to production coordinator as well as being the Executive Producer's assistant... He worked on three films over the course of two years for Rysher Entertainment and then moved to television at the urging of a feature director, Peter Foldy, he had worked with, who asked for his help on a TV series... His first job was segment producer on a show called US Customs Classified where he worked under Ed Horwitz and Eddie Barbini producing re-creations... he managed his own segment budgets, traveled and oversaw multiple shoots and was the intermediary between U.S. Customs and production. It was a trial by fire and he was successful., and over the next couple of years he worked multiple shows.... Even line producing and production managing 7 Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen straight to video titles for WarnerVision... And this led to Reality / Docu-Television... Moving on, Russ got involved with Original Productions, famous for "Deadliest Catch, and working with Jeff Conroy, among others, he helped create the format that became the go-to for docu-television. While there he supervised a special effects show as well as "lobster wars," and wild land fire fighting shows for Discovery Networks. Russ has bounced around as a free-lancer for years and has produced every type of reality television for almost every broadcast and cable network: Dating, law enforcement, home make-over, travel, music competition. and adventure, including fire, fishing in the north Atlantic and Alaska, heli-logging and even bear hunting... Bear Hunting was not his favorite drill. His training as an actor has given him special insight when working with real people as opposed to actors and his resume reflects his ability to produce successful shows and pilots in almost every genre of reality and he is still looking for more challenges and experiences. He lives in Woodland Hills, Ca with his wife Tracy and his obnoxious dogs.