Kurt Russell went back to New York City for the first time in years. He didn’t like what he found. The actor, best known to a generation of fans as Snake Plissken in “Escape from New York,” says the trip “reminded me a little too much” of the movie. And that wasn’t meant as a compliment.
“The city has really gone to hell,” Russell said. “Half of Manhattan is unsafe, and don’t even get me started on Brooklyn and Queens.”
In the 1981 film, Manhattan is a lawless prison island where the government has given up on keeping order. Russell said he never imagined that story would start to feel familiar.
“It was a fun movie,” he said. “It wasn’t supposed to be a documentary.”
Russell said he spent several days walking around the city, catching up with friends and visiting old spots. He described subway stations that felt dangerous, streets lined with tents, and stores with locked-up shelves. A few friends who still live there told him they’d been thinking about leaving.
That came as a blow, because Russell had a plan. After 30 years in Florida, he had been thinking about moving back to the Big Apple. He loved the idea of spending his later years close to the theater district and the restaurants he used to enjoy.
Not anymore.
Russell said the trip, along with the city’s politics under Mayor Zohran Mamdani, changed his mind for good. He took aim at the mayor’s left-wing agenda and said he doesn’t see the city turning around anytime soon.
“It’s tough to say whether communism or Sharia law will win, but it will be one of them,” Kurt said.
That line drew the most attention by far. Some fans cheered, saying Russell was brave enough to say what plenty of others won’t. Critics said the comment was inflammatory and unfair to the city’s Muslim community, and several called for him to apologize.
Russell didn’t. People who know him say that’s typical. He has spent decades in Hollywood without ever fully fitting in politically, and he has always been comfortable going his own way.
New York officials pushed back on his description of the city. A spokesperson for City Hall said the mayor’s office “welcomes everyone, including Mr. Russell,” and pointed to improvements in some crime numbers.
Russell’s response was short.
“Glad to hear it,” he said. “I’ll watch from Florida.”
His fans had fun with the story online, posting side-by-side images of Snake Plissken and modern-day Times Square. One wrote, “Snake got out. Kurt’s staying out.” For now, the move is off. Russell says Florida has treated him well, and he isn’t in a hurry to trade it for anything.
Good choice, Kurt.
