# In Pixar's "Up", Did Russell Have Downs Syndrome? \[spoilers\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804 "2010-02-20T20:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecccb3/32.png) [@QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/1 "2010-02-20T20:40:16Z")
We watched Pixar’s “Up” for the first time last night on DVD and loved it. We were both sniffling when Ellie died and again at the end when Russell got his prize. And the dog’s were adorable! We had one qusetion, though. Was Russell the Boy scout supposed to have Downs Syndrome? It seems that he did based on his appaerance, voice and behavior, but I don’t think it was mentioned. Did we miss something? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/2 "2010-02-20T20:40:59Z")
No, he was just Asian and stylized. And socially a late bloomer. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/3 "2010-02-20T20:47:06Z")
He was Asian? I didn’t get that at all. I think you’re just confusing [this popular internet picture](http://www.buzzfeed.com/reddit/its-a-real-life-russell-from-up) with the film. At any rate, I didn’t think he had Down’s, I just thought he was a typical 8 year old: not very bright, not easily motivated, but (at times) full of enthusiasm. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Credible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a8b319/32.png) [@Justin\_Credible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Credible)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/4 "2010-02-20T20:49:17Z")
I thought he was Asian too. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d26b3c/32.png) [@Lantern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/5 "2010-02-20T20:51:26Z")
I thought he was clearly East Asian. In fact I am a bit surprised not everyone thought this. ---
**Author:** ![Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@Maggie\_the\_Ocelot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maggie_the_Ocelot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/6 "2010-02-20T20:52:26Z")
Yeah, he was Asian. At one point I think he shows a picture of him and one of his parents? ---
**Author:** ![Maiira](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Maiira](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maiira)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/7 "2010-02-20T21:32:39Z")
Yup, definitely Asian. As for his mannerisms, I just put them down as “typical kid.” Nothing about his behavior indicated Downs Syndrome, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/8 "2010-02-20T21:35:44Z")
Also, “Russell” is kind of a stereotypical Asian name. For some reason, the children of East Asian immigrants seem to get tagged with old fashioned European names, like Eustace and Horace and Agnes and such - Russell is a name I wouldn’t be surprised to see attached to a little Asian kid. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/9 "2010-02-20T21:41:15Z")
Russell’s mom is in the audience when he gets his award, and she is clearly Asian. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/10 "2010-02-20T21:52:03Z")
Russell’s appearance is based on Pixar’s Peter Sohn, who is Korean-American, and his voice was done by Jordan Nagai, who is Japanese-American. ---
**Author:** ![QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecccb3/32.png) [@QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/11 "2010-02-20T22:03:25Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I just thought he was a typical 8 year old: not very bright, not easily motivated, but (at times) full of enthusiasm. His cheeful clumsiness mixed with his single-minded enthusiasm was what made me think of Downs Syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/12 "2010-02-20T22:05:39Z")
> [@QuardleOodleArdleWardleDoodle](#): > > His cheeful clumsiness mixed with his single-minded enthusiasm was what made me think of Downs Syndrome. Yeah, kids are like that too. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/13 "2010-02-20T22:26:19Z")
He was oriental not mental. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/14 "2010-02-20T22:29:55Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > Russell’s appearance is based on Pixar’s Peter Sohn, who is Korean-American, and his voice was done by Jordan Nagai, who is Japanese-American. [Comparison images](http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/06/03/2009060300484.html) for Russell vs. Peter. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/15 "2010-02-20T22:35:01Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > Also, “Russell” is kind of a stereotypical Asian name. For some reason, the children of East Asian immigrants seem to get tagged with old fashioned European names, like Eustace and Horace and Agnes and such - Russell is a name I wouldn’t be surprised to see attached to a little Asian kid. Total aside and purely observational: Many Korean children often have Biblical names, so you see Esthers and Peters and Pauls abounding. I think the slightly older names like that tends to be more Chinese heritage, and then for some reason Japanese people seem to just keep their Japanese names. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/16 "2010-02-20T22:40:11Z")
> [@astro](#): > > He was oriental not mental. OOOOOOOOO!!! I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/17 "2010-02-20T22:40:26Z")
Just to pick a nit, it’s Down syndrome. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2010, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/18 "2010-02-20T23:48:06Z")
> [@Leiko](#): > > Russell’s appearance is based on Pixar’s Peter Sohn, who is Korean-American, and his voice was done by Jordan Nagai, who is Japanese-American. Well, I guess I’m just color-blind sometimes, eh. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/19 "2010-02-21T00:06:12Z")
I once saw an early concept image of Russell which depicted him with stereotypical Asian features (definitely slanty eyes, might have been buck teeth as well). I always figured that he was supposed to be Asian, not mentally disabled. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804/20 "2010-02-21T00:36:29Z")
> [@Contrapuntal](#): > > Just to pick a nit, it’s Down syndrome. That is the American usage. In Britain, it is Down’s. It was named after a man named Down. > **[Down syndrome](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Down_syndrome)** > > Down syndrome or Down's syndrome, also known as trisomy 21, is a genetic disorder caused by the presence of all or part of a third copy of chromosome 21. It is usually associated with developmental delays, mild to moderate intellectual disability, and characteristic physical features. > The parents of the affected individual are usually genetically normal. The incidence of the syndrome increases with the age of the mother, from less than 0.1% for 20-year-old mothers to 3% for those of age 45. ... [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/in-pixars-up-did-russell-have-downs-syndrome-spoilers/529804.md?page=2)