You’ve probably seen the movie. Jim Carrey is sweating through a hospital gown, faking a terminal illness with such intensity that you almost believe him, even though you know he’s a con man. It’s funny. It’s colorful. But the wildest thing about I Love You Phillip Morris isn't the slapstick; it's the fact that the most "Hollywood" moments in the film actually happened.
Honestly, the real Steven Jay Russell makes the movie version look like a bit of a slacker.
We’re talking about a man who didn't just escape prison once or twice. He did it four times. Some counts say five. He used green markers to turn a white uniform into surgical scrubs. He impersonated judges. He literally "died" of AIDS on paper while being perfectly healthy. And he did it all because he was obsessed with a soft-spoken man from Arkansas named Phillip Morris.
The Car Accident That Changed Everything
In the film, Steven’s "epiphany" happens after a brutal car crash. This isn't just a screenwriter's trope. The real Steven Russell was a police officer in Virginia Beach. He was a church organist. He had a wife and a daughter. He was living the ultimate suburban lie.
Then came the 1986 crash.
When you stare death in the face, you usually do one of two things: you double down on your current life, or you blow it all up. Steven chose the latter. He came out as gay, moved to Miami, and realized very quickly that the lifestyle he wanted was expensive. He didn't just want to be himself; he wanted to be the most extravagant version of himself.
That’s when the "sticky fingers" started.
Who Was the Real Phillip Morris?
Ewan McGregor plays Phillip with this gentle, almost fragile lilting cadence. If you listen to interviews with the real Phillip Morris today—who lives a quiet life in Hot Springs, Arkansas—the resemblance is uncanny.
The two met in a prison library. It sounds like a rom-com, but it was Harris County Jail. Steven was in for insurance fraud. Phillip was in for failing to return a rental car.
They weren't just "prison boyfriends." Their bond was a genuine, high-stakes obsession. When Phillip was released, Steven couldn't handle being apart. This is where the story stops being a crime drama and starts being a masterclass in audacity.
The Escapes: Fact vs. Fiction
People often ask if Steven really used a green felt-tip marker to escape.
Yes. He did.
He collected dozens of green highlighters from the prison's art supply area. He dipped the cartridges in a sink full of water to create a dye. He then soaked his white inmate uniform in the green water until it looked like a doctor's scrub suit. He walked right out the front door.
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He also:
- Called the Harris County District Clerk’s Office pretending to be a judge.
- Lowered his own bail from $900,000 to $45,000.
- Wrote a "hot" check for the bail amount and walked out.
His most famous con, though, was the AIDS ruse. He used laxatives to mimic the weight loss associated with the late stages of the disease. He used his knowledge of hospital records (from a previous con where he posed as a CFO) to forge medical documents. He even had a "doctor" call the prison to volunteer him for an experimental treatment program.
The doctor was him. He just used a different voice.
Once he was "released" to a nursing home to die, he called the prison back a few weeks later and told them Steven Russell had passed away. He actually sent them a fake death certificate.
Why the Movie Almost Never Happened
I Love You Phillip Morris is a weird beast. It’s a dark comedy, a romance, and a true crime biopic all rolled into one. It premiered at Sundance in 2009 but didn't hit U.S. theaters until late 2010.
Studios were terrified.
They didn't know how to market a movie where "The Mask" guy is in a graphic, committed gay relationship with Obi-Wan Kenobi. It was too "gay" for the mainstream and too "silly" for the prestige awards circuit.
But that's exactly why it works. It captures the frantic, manic energy of a man who is addicted to the thrill of the lie. Jim Carrey has said in interviews that this was one of the most passionate projects of his career. He fought for the scenes that made executives uncomfortable because the real story was uncomfortable.
Where Are They Now?
As of early 2026, the status of the real players has shifted.
Phillip Morris is a free man. He’s spent years trying to distance himself from the chaos, though he’s spoken about how Steven "destroyed" his life in many ways. It’s hard to have a normal relationship when your partner keeps getting arrested for impersonating a billionaire to buy you a Rolex.
Steven Jay Russell, however, became a victim of his own success.
Because he made the Texas Department of Criminal Justice look like fools so many times, they threw the book at him. He was sentenced to 144 years. For a long time, he was in "23-hour lockdown"—solitary confinement for all but one hour a day.
However, recent reports indicate he was finally released on parole in late 2024 after serving nearly 30 years. The "King of Con" is out. But at his age, the world is a very different place than the one he scammed in the 90s.
What You Can Learn from Steven’s Chaos
It’s easy to romanticize the "love" part of the story, but the reality is a bit grittier.
If you're looking for the takeaway, it's about the power of social engineering. Steven didn't use guns. He didn't use violence. He used the fact that people in bureaucracies rarely check the details if you sound like you belong.
Next Steps for the Curious:
- Read the book: "I Love You Phillip Morris" by Steve McVicker. It contains the gritty details the movie had to trim for time.
- Verify the court records: If you’re a true crime nut, the Texas 14th Court of Appeals has public records of his escapes that read better than a thriller novel.
- Watch the 2024 interviews: Look for the recent footage of Steven post-release to see the man behind the Jim Carrey performance.