Chuck Russell, the director of The Mask and many other hit movies, died on Wednesday at 74. Russell was born in Park Ridge, Illinois, and moved to Los Angeles after graduating from the University of Illinois. He earned his first major writing credit with 1984’s sci-fi thriller Dreamscape. In 1994, he directed the hit The Mask, turning Jim Carrey into a household name and serving as Cameron Diaz’s feature film debut. Russell’s 2002 action-fantasy film The Scorpion King was Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s first leading role in a major Hollywood film.