Grayson Russell

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title: "Grayson Russell" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1998-births", "living-people", "21st-century-american-male-actors", "american-male-child-actors", "american-male-film-actors", "american-male-television-actors", "male-actors-from-alabama", "people-from-clanton,-alabama", "actors-from-chilton-county,-alabama"] description: "American actor" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grayson_Russell" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American actor ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

Field	Value
name	Grayson Russell
birth_date
birth_place	Clanton, Alabama, U.S.
occupation	Actor
years_active	2005–present
partner	Rachel Schumacher (2024–present; engaged)
::

| name = Grayson Russell | image = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = Clanton, Alabama, U.S. | occupation = Actor | years_active = 2005–present | partner = Rachel Schumacher (2024–present; engaged)

Grayson Russell (born May 1, 1998) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and the Diary of a Wimpy Kid film series. He had a recurring role as Dwayne Dixon on the INSP television series Blue Ridge.

Life and career

Russell was born on May 1, 1998 in Clanton, Alabama, the son of Crystal (née Cleckley) and Jerry Russell, who have a Christian music ministry. He attended public high school in Clanton at Chilton County High School, home of the Tigers, and graduated from there in 2016. Russell later attended Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, for a brief time.

Russell's acting career began at the age of six, when he appeared as Cowboy Grayson, in a series of television commercials for a local car dealership. Other commercials include appearances in a regional McDonald's spot, and a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee commercial. Russell's film career began with an open casting call for a role in Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

Russell's mother, Crystal Russell, has stated that Grayson auditioned to gain some experience with the process, and the family was surprised to learn that he would be playing Texas Ranger Bobby, the son of racecar driver Ricky Bobby (played by Will Ferrell).

The Rainbow Tribe, Russell's second movie, was based on a true story, and was filmed in California in 2007. The independent film won Best Picture at the 2008 The Feel Good Film Festival founded by Kristen Ridgway Flores in Los Angeles, but was released direct-to-video in 2011.

In 2009, Russell appeared in an episode of Disney's sitcom I'm in the Band. By the next year, Russell appeared in the film adaptation of author Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Russell played Fregley, an awkward and unpopular classmate of Greg Heffley. He reprised the role in the sequels, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2011) and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2012).

Also by the next year, Russell also appeared in the Alien Candy episode of R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour. Russell plays an autistic baseball savant named Rafer, in the 2013 feature film Season of Miracles, a role for which fans and critics have acknowledged his broader acting range.

In 2020, Grayson played a signalman in the Apple TV+ movie Greyhound starring Tom Hanks.

Personal life

Russell became engaged to his girlfriend, Rachel Schumacher, on January 14, 2024.

Filmography

Film

::data[format=table]

Year	Film	Role
2006	Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	Texas Ranger Bobby
2008	The Rainbow Tribe	Calvin
2010	Diary of a Wimpy Kid	Fregley
2011	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
Marley & Me: The Puppy Years	Marley (voice)
2012	Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days	Fregley
2013	Space Warriors	Russell "Rusty" Riggs
Season of Miracles	Rafer
2015	How I Got Made	Sean McCrorie
2016	Mother's Day	Tommy
2019	Christmas in July	Jimmy
Apparition	Sam
2020	Greyhound	Signalman #1
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Television

::data[format=table]

Year	Show	Role	Notes
2009	I'm in the Band	Martin	Episode: "Birthdazed"
2011	R.L. Stine's The Haunting Hour	Walt	Episode: "Alien Candy"
Pajanimals	Himself	Episode: "An Octopus Hug"
2020	Tell Me a Story	Allen	Episode: "Sweet Dreams"
2024	Blue Ridge	Dwayne Dixon	Recurring role; 4 episodes
::

References

References

1. Jake with the Ob. (May 1, 2023). "Happy 25th Birthday to Grayson Russell! The actor who played Texas Ranger Bobby in Talladega Nights, Fregley in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movies (2010-2012), Tommy in Mother's Day (2016), one of the Signalmen in Greyhound, and voiced Marley in Marley & Me: The Puppy Years.".
2. Carlton, Bob. (2010-03-21). "Clanton's Grayson Russell fits in feature films amid regular kid activities". [[The Birmingham News]].
3. Asilo, Rito. (2011-04-29). "Growing Pains". [[Philippine Daily Inquirer]].
4. (2011-04-16). "Actors to greet fans". [[The Columbus Dispatch]].
5. "Cecil Cleckley September 24, 1945 — September 9, 2024".
6. Mims, Scott. (2011-03-28). "'Wimpy Kid' movie No. 1 at box office". The Clanton Advertiser.
7. Wagner, Neal. (2011-03-25). "Movie star celebrates premiere in Alabaster". The Shelby County Reporter.
8. (2010-03-16). "Film starring local opens Friday". The Clanton Advertiser.
9. (2008). "Feel Good Film Festival 2008".
10. Morris, Theadoris. (2011-02-09). "New film starring Grayson Russell out on DVD". The Clanton Advertiser.
11. (May 25, 2012). "Russell to star in 'A Season of Miracles'".
12. Hamby, DeWayne. (July 8, 2020). "Grayson Russell on 'Greyhound,' 'Talladega Nights,' and Working with Tom Hanks".
13. Russell, Grayson. (January 14, 2024). "Proverbs 18:22 He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from the Lord✨ My life will be too short not to have you in it @rachelschumacherog I can’t wait to spend the rest of it with you my love✨".
14. Schumacher, Rachel. (January 14, 2024}}{{Dead link). "It was always going to be you. YES. Hard Launch 😘".
15. Chen, Sandie Angulo. "Marley & Me: The Puppy Years".

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