Russell was chosen at the suggestion of Jay North, who starred in the role of Dennis, to play his nemesis playmate. She appeared in 31 of the series' 146 episodes over the four-year run of the show.
Russell also appeared in other popular TV shows of the era, including The Deputy (1959), Assignment: Underwater (1961), Death Valley Days (1961), and The Dinah Shore Show. Russell provided a singing voice in the 1961 Disney movie Babes in Toyland and made an uncredited appearance in the 1963 popular suspense horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, The Birds, in which she played a school child. In 1993, she made a cameo appearance in the film version of Dennis the Menace playing one of the Mitchells' neighbors. In 1971, She moved to St. Louis to filmed the longest running children’s tv show in KETC’s Where will my feet take me today? with Buster Fronto before New York City in 1975 where Mel Winkler is in New York when they’d filming the longest running tv series “Unique New York” together and her last appearance in 1978’s The Letter People - Meet Mister J (1978).
She has done live theater and sound track work, as well as performing as a singer. In the 1990s, Russell was active on the national talk-show and news-feature circuit.
Since 1978, Russell has been practicing chiropractic medicine in the North Hollywood/Toluca Lake (California) area. She also counsels and coaches patients, assisting them with "intuitive eating" skills to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Russell had developed a powerful posture building series of movement and strengthening exercises, which draw from her career in show business.

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