Russell is an 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer, with a typical 80's enthusiasm and corrensponding lack of patience. He is an only child with an unclear family background. His dad is mostly absent; yet, he's idolized by his son. Not much is known about Russell's mom, though at the end of the original movie, a dark-haired woman is at the scout hall to support Russell.In the first film, he's completed almost all of his Wilderness Explorer badges, but he needs one more badge for Assisting the Elderly. Carl is the unfortunate elder that Russell tries to help. Russell helps Carl to break out of the sorrow he's built (following the death of his wife Ellie), and learns about his own potential along the way.Claims of Russell being Asian aren't substatiated from within the first movie, but Pete Doctor, the director, claims to have based it on a colleague at Pixar.He is voiced by Jordan Nagai in the film, the video game, and Dug's Special Mission and by Peter Sohn in George & A.J.