---
name: "Leon Russom"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/leon-russom"
roles: ["Actor"]
born: "6 December 1941"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 4
average_fi1m_score: 81
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 4
updated: "2026-09-17T09:04:33.596437+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Leon Russom

Actor. Born 6 December 1941 in Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor
- **Born:** 6 December 1941, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
- **Active:** 1998–2018
- **Average Fi1m score:** 81, as actor, over 4 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 85 (1), 2000s 74 (1), 2010s 83 (2)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 84 to 80 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 3 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 0 of 1 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action & Adventure 1, Adventure 1, Comedy 1, Crime 1, Horror 1
- **Screen time:** 5 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $640m across 3 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Russom, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q599274, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0751762/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/169920

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*A Quiet Place*](https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place.md) (82)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Leon Russom is an American actor. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, he began his career in the late 1960s with stage work, including the original Off-Broadway cast of *Oh! Calcutta!*, and appeared in numerous television soap operas such as *Guiding Light*, *Love is a Many Splendored Thing* and *Another World*.

Russom is known for film roles including the Malibu Police Chief in *The Big Lebowski* (1998), Sheriff in *True Grit* (2010) and Man in the Woods in *A Quiet Place* (2018). He has also appeared in television series such as *The X-Files*, *Bones*, *Prison Break* and *Shameless*.

He received an Emmy nomination for his performance in the 1991 miniseries *Long Road Home* and has continued theatre work in Los Angeles and on Broadway.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (4)

- *A Quiet Place* (2018), Fi1m 82, as Man in the Woods — [page](https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place.md)
- *True Grit* (2010), Fi1m 84, as Sheriff — [page](https://film.one/film/true-grit.md)
- *Alias* (2001), Fi1m 74, as James Lehman — [page](https://film.one/tv/alias.md)
- *The Big Lebowski* (1998), Fi1m 85, as Malibu Police Chief — [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-lebowski.md)

## Complete filmography (82)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *The Primevals* (2023), as Rondo Montana
- *A Quiet Place* (2018), as Man in the Woods — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/a-quiet-place.md)
- *The Midnighters* (2017), as Victor
- *Bethany* (2017), as Doctor Merman
- *The Binding* (2016), as Gabe, Minister Uriel
- *Eagleheart: Paradise Rising* (2013), as D'Alessandro
- *Lost on Purpose* (2013), as Gene Lee
- *The Chemist* (2012), as The Chemist
- *Shameless* (2011), series, as Chester — Fi1m 70, [page](https://film.one/tv/shameless-2011.md)
- *True Grit* (2010), as Sheriff — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/true-grit.md)
- *Prison Break: The Final Break* (2009), as Jonathan Krantz
- *Jericho* (2006), series, as Sheriff
- *Smith* (2006), series, Acting
- *Bones* (2005), series, as Archbishop Stephen Wallace
- *Boston Legal* (2004), series, as Colonel George Hegarty — Fi1m 76, [page](https://film.one/tv/boston-legal.md)
- *Cold Case* (2003), series, as Owen Murphy
- *10-8: Officers on Duty* (2003), series, as Ivan Dennison
- *NCIS* (2003), series, as Mr. Donaldson
- *Threat Matrix* (2003), series, as Ray Miller
- *Harold Buttleman: Daredevil Stuntman* (2003), as Reverend Buttleman
- *John Doe* (2002), series, as Lorne Barker
- *Behind Enemy Lines* (2001), as Ed Burnett
- *Alias* (2001), series, as James Lehman — Fi1m 74, [page](https://film.one/tv/alias.md)
- *Crossing Jordan* (2001), series, as Earl Lewis
- *The Retrievers* (2001), as Farmer Jenkins
- *Witness Protection* (1999), as Reedy
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Network News President — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Family Law* (1999), series, as Dr. Anthony Corliss
- *Becker* (1998), series, as Fire Marshal
- *A Wing and a Prayer* (1998), as Vernon Spencer
- *The Big Lebowski* (1998), as Malibu Police Chief — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/the-big-lebowski.md)
- *The Magnificent Seven* (1998), series, as Mr. Wheeler
- *Childhood Sweetheart?* (1997), as Lt. James Walker
- *The Practice* (1997), series, as Brian Kearns
- *Reasons of the Heart* (1996), as Drew Hadley
- *Profiler* (1996), series, as Carl Jenks
- *Dark Skies* (1996), series, Acting
- *The Pretender* (1996), series, as Captain Paul Nagel
- *The Phantom* (1996), as Mayor Krebs
- *Nash Bridges* (1996), series, as William Wheeton
- *The Sentinel* (1996), series, as Mike Hurley
- *Alien Nation: Body and Soul* (1995), as Roger Benson
- *JAG* (1995), series, as Capt. Gayle Osbourne, Anthony Manzarek
- *Strange Luck* (1995), series, Acting
- *Nowhere Man* (1995), series, as Dr. Seymour
- *Goldilocks and the Three Bears* (1995), as Joshua Crane
- *Double Dragon* (1994), as Chief Delario
- *Moment of Truth: Broken Pledges* (1994), as Roy Stevens
- *Midnight Run Around* (1994), as Sheriff Burton
- *Diagnosis: Murder* (1993), series, as Claude Campbell
- *The X-Files* (1993), series, as Detective Miles — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-x-files.md)
- *The Adventures of Huck Finn* (1993), as Shanty Lady's Husband
- *Star Trek: Deep Space Nine* (1993), series, as Admiral Toddman — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/tv/star-trek-deep-space-nine.md)
- *A Private Matter* (1992), as Steve Morris
- *Crash Landing: The Rescue of Flight 232* (1992), as Bob Hamilton
- *Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country* (1991), as Chief In Command
- *Long Road Home* (1991), as Titus Wardlow
- *He Said, She Said* (1991), as Harry
- *Law & Order* (1990), series, as Gordon Bryce
- *Project: Tinman* (1990), as Forrest
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Clayton — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Hard Time on Planet Earth* (1989), series, Acting
- *TV 101* (1988), series, as Principal Steadman
- *Fresh Horses* (1988), as Kyle Larkin
- *Hostage* (1988), as Grady
- *Jake and the Fatman* (1987), series, Acting
- *No Way Out* (1987), as Kevin O'Brien
- *21 Jump Street* (1987), series, as Ohanion
- *Hotshot* (1987), as Coach
- *L.A. Law* (1986), series, as Matthew Wilton
- *Matlock* (1986), series, as Frank DeLong, Doug Levitt
- *Silver Bullet* (1985), as Bob Coslaw
- *Spenser: For Hire* (1985), series, Acting
- *The Equalizer* (1985), series, as Sergeant Worley, Lieutenant Borley
- *Murder, She Wrote* (1984), series, as Lane Henderson
- *Tales from the Darkside* (1984), series, as Sgt. Buzz Caldwell
- *The Migrants* (1974), as Doctor
- *Kojak* (1973), series, as Gallen — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/kojak.md)
- *The Trial of the Catonsville Nine* (1972), as David Darst
- *Love Is a Many Splendored Thing* (1967), series, Acting
- *Mission: Impossible* (1966), series, as Sam Evans — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/mission-impossible-1966.md)
- *Another World* (1964), series, Acting

## Gallery

- ![Leon Russom](https://film.one/media/person/294478/gallery-72b61cb494c8.jpg) Leon Russom — Image via TMDB
- ![Leon Russom](https://film.one/media/person/294478/gallery-c0eaad7a93a3.jpg) Leon Russom — Image via TMDB

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/leon-russom