Russell was born in California .
Russell was cast in the box-office hit thriller Wild Things ( 1998 ) , starred in the critically acclaimed drama The Believer ( 2001 ) and in the later 2000s , she appeared in HBO miniseries Empire Falls ( 2005 ) , and had a minor role in Spider-Man 3 ( 2007 ) . Russell was born Theresa Lynn Paup in San Diego , the daughter of Carole Platt ( n�e Mall ) and Jerry Russell Paup.  Her parents divorced when she was five years old , and she relocated with her mother and stepfather to Burbank , where she was raised .
Theresa Russell