Biography
Russell Craig Mael is an American singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead singer and occasional songwriter for the band Sparks which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother, keyboardist and main songwriter Ron Mael.
Known For
Complete Filmography

An Entirely MAD! Conversation With Rob Brydon & Sparks
2025
In celebration of the release of Sparks’ 28th album, ‘MAD!’, Ron and Russell Mael will join actor, presenter and comedian Rob Brydon for an in-person ...

The Becomers
2024
as Narrator (voice)
A romantic tale of two body-swapping aliens trying to find their place on this big, dumb planet.

It's Not Me
2024
Songs
This free-form film is a self-portrait, which revisits more than 40 years of the author’s filmography and questions the major stations of his life, wh...

My Way
2024
as Self
My Way is more than a song, it's a major score that has crossed the boundaries of eras and generations. An anthem that has become a part of ourselves ...

Sparks - Primavera Sound 2023
2023
as Self

Sparks au château d'Hérouville
2023
as Self
Sparks, the cult duo consecrated by the musical Annette, make a stopover at the Château d'Hérouville. Live and in confidence, an anthology session, wi...

What the Hell Is It This Time? Sparks: Live in London
2021
as Himself
Filmed in 2018, this infectiously energised performance of 22 tracks spans 5 decades of Sparks' musical genius, leaving little wonder as to why Ron & ...

Annette
2021
as Jet Pilot
The story of Henry, a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humour and Ann, a singer of international renown. In the spotlight, they are the perfec...

Annette
2021
Story, Writer, Music
The story of Henry, a stand-up comedian with a fierce sense of humour and Ann, a singer of international renown. In the spotlight, they are the perfec...

The Sparks Brothers
2021
as Self
Take a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers Ron & Russell Mael, celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your fav...

Who Is Lun*na Menoh?
2021
as Self
"Who Is Lun*na Menoh" follows the life and work of the extraordinary Japanese artist. From her early career in Japan to the underground music scene in...

Sparks: One for the Ages
2020
as Sparks (voice)
An introverted office worker is daydreaming of success.

Sparks: One for the Ages
2020
Writer
An introverted office worker is daydreaming of success.

Damsel
2018
as Prairie Crooner
Oregon, a small town near the sea, around 1870. Henry, a grieving man who aspires to preach as a way to overcome his unfortunate past, reunites with e...

Glam Rock at the BBC
2017
as Self - Sparks (archive footage)
A spangly celebration of the outburst of far-out pop and fuzz-filled rock that lit up the British charts in the early 1970s. Top of the Pops is our pr...

The Forbidden Room
2015
as Faceless Crooner (voice)
A submarine crew, a feared pack of forest bandits, a famous surgeon, and a battalion of child soldiers all get more than they bargained for as they we...

The Magnificent Tati
2009
as Self
This documentary traces Jacques Tati's rise from the Parisian Music-Hall stage to his Oscar winning films of the 1950s, the documentary then explains ...

Sparks - Dee Vee Dee
2007
as Self
Sparks exploded onto the music scene back in 1974, with their debut and most famous hit, "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us", a powerful hook-...

Sparks - Lil Beethoven Live in Stockholm
2005
as Self
Sparks' highly visual and mesmerizing live show of the Lil Beethoven album is expertly brought to life.

Sparks: Lil Beethoven Live in Stockholm
2004
Sparks perform the album plus other classics from their discography

Sparks - Live in London
2000
as Self
Sparks triumphant return to the grand Shepherds Bush Empire, London, where in 1994 Britain's Q Magazine ranked their show as one of the '100 Best Gigs...

Knock Off
1998
Original Music Composer
A fashion designer and his CIA agent business partner must join forces to stop a group of terrorists from smuggling explosives in counterfeit jeans du...

Bad Manners
1984
Original Music Composer, Songs
Four teens on the run from an orphanage spring a fellow orphan recently adopted by a rich family, then trash the whole house.

Rollercoaster
1977
as Self - Sparks (uncredited)
A young terrorist kills and injures patrons of a Norfolk amusement park by placing homemade explosives on the track of one of its roller coasters. Aft...

Sparks: Don Kirschner's Rock Concert 1974
1974
as Self
Beacon Theater NY May 1974 > 1) Something For The Girl With Everything 2) Talent Is An Asset 3) Hasta Manana Monsieur 4) Thank God It's Not Christ...

The Big T.N.T. Show
1965
as Self (uncredited)
Live performances by some of the top rock-and-roll acts of the mid 60s. Includes Ray Charles, The Byrds, Joan Baez, Ike and Tina Turner, Donovan, The ...
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
N/A
Writer
Upcoming stop motion animation based on the Sparks album with the same name
X-Crucior
N/A
Music
A musical epic.