In 1991, Russell starred as a prostitute in 's satirical drama , followed by 's experimental black-and-white feature, , co-starring.
Russell was then cast in the thriller 1998 , playing the mother of 's character.
Russell subsequently began modeling, which brought her to the attention of film producer.
Roger Ebert, who had previously championed many of Russell's performances, suggested in his review of the film that she and Reynolds merely lacked chemistry.