Russ has never quite grown up, but he had a great childhood in Rosamond, Calif., a small desert town about 1-1/2 hours north of Los Angeles. He is a self-proclaimed goofball with a hammer that isn't afraid to try anything. "The worst that can happen is I'll fail and have to do it again….and then maybe (probably) a third time." He and his best friend, Marcus Hunt, call themselves Team Two Times because it usually takes them twice to get it right.



A self-taught carpenter, Hemmis considers himself to be a jack of all trades. Being able to do everything from framing, plumbing and electrical to drywall, flooring and trim has allowed him to take on large-scale projects. In 2002 Russ started flipping houses, and helped may families buy their first home with a rent-to-own program. Since 2007 Hemmis has been a co-host and on camera carpenter for HGTV's "24 Hour Design". "Design on a Dime", "The Big Reveal", "$250,000 Challenge" and A&E's "Flip This House". Now he’s looking forward to having a bit more time for skydiving and planning his next major project, taking over the world!

Russ currently lives in Los Angeles, CA and couldn’t picture himself anywhere else. In his free time, Russ enjoys skydiving, chatting up perfect strangers, and a good pint of Guinness!