If a life less ordinary was on Wonder’s to-do list, she can safely check that one off. The niece and protégé of Jane Russell, Wonder’s trans-continental upbringing makes her the sweetest girl-next-door—with a secret life.
 
Raised in Alaska, England, Montreal, Thailand and Washington state, Wonder is an avid traveler and adventurer. She learned to fly a Cessna 150 in Alaska, became an Advanced SCUBA diver by doing long form math problems at 100’ under the Andaman Sea in Thailand, and has danced with Bedouins under the stars in the kingdom of Jordan. On St Patrick’s Day in Dublin Wonder serenaded a bar full of locals by demand, tracked the Big 5 on a self-guided safari in Africa, explored the base of Cotopaxi in Ecuador, the world’s tallest active volcano, attempted paragliding, skydiving,and canyoning in travels through Europe, and flown gliders Steve McQueen-style in Montreal. She also competed in barrel racing with her former racehorse, Thoroughbred ‘Trapper,’ and is a volunteer firefighter with Spokane County station 94, the “pride of the prairie.” She drives the fire engine, is a certified Emergency Medical Technician,  and has chopped the chimney chase out of a smoldering house at 3am with an axe.
 
But for Wonder, some of the greatest adventures have been her roles in plays and films. Wonder’s acting pedigree includes great grandmother Geraldine Jacobi, a star in the Daddy Long Legs company in New York, and her great aunt Jane Russell, silver screen legend and star of The Outlaw, Paleface, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
 
Acting is in the blood, and blood won out. Wonder Russell made her feature film debut in John Sayles’ Limbo. A role in Mozart and the Whale, directed by Academy Award nominee Petter Naess, followed. Onstage, Wonder performed Catherine in the Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Proof” Hermia with the Royalty Theatre in England, (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) and the Italian family comedy-drama “Over the River and through the Woods.” This latter play, directed by Juan Mas, proved to be the beginning of a creative partnership. Juan Mas told her “This will not be the last.” A few months later, Wonder was cast in a starring role in The Choke by her favorite director, Juan Mas.
 
In 2005 she will be presented with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award at St. James Palace. This is the highest attainable level of the United Kingdom’s prestigious merit award program for young people.
 
Wonder’s next projects include several short films set in the Inland Northwest, and a planned trip to Israel.