Was dubbed "England's Orson Welles" early in his career.
Was part of a legendary incident in British television when he appeared on "Late Night Lineup" (1964) on BBC2 to discuss his new film The Devils (1971) alongside critic Alexander Walker, who did not like the film. As Walker began critiquing the film, Russell interrupted him repeatedly. The two began shouting at each other, and Russell eventually hit Walker over the head with a rolled-up copy of his own review. The incident took place on live television and no footage is known to exist.
Was sometimes called the "Fellini of the North".