Biography
Russell Austin Chunn was born August 11, 1989 in Huntsville, Alabama. He is the youngest of three sons of Russell and Donna Chunn. From a young age, Austin felt the calling to be an actor, but did not have the encouragement, nor the opportunity to pursue such a career.
Instead, growing up, he dedicated his life to martial arts. He started learning at age four and still practices today. He first began with Tang Soo Do, before finding Shorin-ryu Karate, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and eventually, multiple styles of Chinese Kung Fu. At his teacher's request, in 2009, Austin began competing. During that one year he won state, national and world championships in Northern Kung Fu. Austin holds some of the oldest martial art lineages still surviving today, and has been fortunate to train with some of the most respected martial artists in the world.
Throughout, Austin still felt a longing for the entertainment industry. However, with wisdom prevailing, he first earned his degree in finance from the University of Alabama, before pursuing his dreams. During that time, he traveled the world, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, skied the Swiss Alps and studied abroad in Italy.
Upon graduating from college, he moved to Atlanta, Georgia where he became a corporate illusionist, performing stage and close-up magic for major companies around the country. Even though he loved entertaining audiences with magic, he still felt the need for more. Austin knew that his true calling was to be an actor.
"A magician is an actor playing the part of a magician." -- Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin
He committed himself to the task and began taking acting classes at the Alliance Theatre. With the encouragement of his teachers, Austin dedicated himself to the career he always wanted. After beginning his pursuit, he never looked back. He feels honored to have been a part of many great film, television, web and theatre productions and looks forward to all future roles and opportunities. He believes that fate pushed him onto this path, and that all of his past endeavors were to build himself as an actor. Austin continues to find it humbling to be able to follow wholeheartedly, such a grandiose dream.
19 wins and 14 nominations
