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- Bar Paly was born in Nizhniy Tagil, USSR, before relocating to Tel Aviv, Israel with her family when she was seven. In her early twenties she moved to Los Angeles to pursue her passion for acting. Bar is best known for her recurring role as Special Agent Anna Kolcheck on NCIS: LA, and her hilarious turn as Sorina Luminita in Michael Bay's Pain & Gain. She became a U.S. citizen in 2016.
- Eve Harlow was born on 20 June 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for The 100 (2014), Next (2020) and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013).
- Actress
Sasha Luss was born in Magadan, Magadan Oblast and moved to Moscow at a young age. As a child, she had no interest in pursuing a modeling career, preferring to spend her time writing and dancing. She frequently participated in ballet competitions before she suffered an ankle injury which prevented her from continuing her hobby. Her mother's friends and even strangers would compliment Sasha's modeling potential. When Sasha was thirteen years old, her mother took her to visit a modeling agency, where she was instantly signed. Luss has stated that her grandmother disapproved of this career move, claiming that modeling is a terrible, immoral business.
Sasha made her film debut as Princess Lïhio-Minaa in Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), and then headlined the action thriller Anna (2019), in the title role.- Actor
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Soundtrack
Anton Yelchin was an American actor, known for playing Bobby in Hearts in Atlantis (2001), Chekov in the Star Trek (2009) reboot, Charlie Brewster in the Fright Night (2011) remake, and Jacob in Like Crazy (2011).
He was born in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Russia, USSR, to a Jewish family. His parents, Irina Korina and Viktor Yelchin, were a successful pair of professional figure skaters in Leningrad, and his grandfather was also a professional sportsman, a soccer player. Anton was a six-month-old baby when he immigrated to the United States, where his parents settled in California and eventually developed coaching careers. He demonstrated his strong personality from the early age of four, and declined his parents' tutelage in figure skating because he was fond of acting and knew exactly what he wanted to do in his life.
Yelchin attended acting classes in Los Angeles, and eventually was noticed by casting agents. In 2000, at the age of 10, he made his debut on television, appearing as Robbie Edelstein in the medical drama ER (1994). At the age of 11, he shot to fame as Bobby Garfield, co-starring opposite Anthony Hopkins in Hearts in Atlantis (2001), and earning himself the 2002 Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film as Leading Young Actor. Over the course of his acting career, Yelchin has already played roles in more than 20 feature films and television productions, including Pavel Chekov in the hugely successful reboot Star Trek (2009), and its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
Outside of his acting profession, Anton loved reading, and was also fond of playing chess. He wrote music and performed with a band, where he also played piano and guitar.
Anton lived in Los Angeles, California, until his death on the evening of June 19, 2016, outside his LA home, when his parked Jeep Grand Cherokee rolled backward on his steep driveway, pinning him against a brick pillar and security fence. This was due to badly designed shifter that indicated park when it was in neutral. This death, along with reports of other near-misses, resulted in a recall of that model.- Margarita Levieva is an American actress. Born in Leningrad, Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (now Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation), at age three she began the rigorous training program of a competitive rhythmic gymnast. Levieva continued to train for the next 13 years, winning competitions in Russia and eventually going on to compete in the United States after emigrating. When she was 11, Levieva's mother moved her and her twin brother to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in New York City. She attended high school in Secaucus, New Jersey. Levieva majored in economics at NYU and worked as a fashion buyer. Her continuing interest in acting led her to be accepted into the Meisner Training Program at the William Esper Studio. In 2005, New York Magazine featured her as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in New York.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Tina Ivlev is an American actress best known for her role as Nightsister Merrin in the hit action-adventure video games "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order" and "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor." Ivlev played Nightsister Merrin, the last surviving Nightsister on Dathomir, providing her likeness as well as full performance-capture and voice-acting work for the role.
Starring as Eve in the thriller, "Bound to Vengeance," which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Ivlev garnered much praise for her tour de force performance as a young woman who outwits her kidnapper (Richard Tyson) and attempts to rescue his other victims.
Recently on stage, Ivlev originated the lead role of Ester in the gripping drama, "Dry Land," a Colt Coeur production written by Ruby Rae Spiegel and directed by Adrienne Campbell-Holt. The play, which immediately became a New York Times Critics' Pick, played to sold out houses in New York.
Her other screen credits include "Charming the Hearts of Men" opposite Sean Astin and Kelsey Grammar, "Deadtectives," and "Death Clique." She has appeared in several guest-starring and recurring television roles, including "Shameless," "All Rise," "Queen of the South," "9-1-1," "Zach Stone is Gonna be Famous," and "Major Crimes" among many others.- Actor
- Director
- Producer
Exotic leading man of American films, famed as much for his completely bald head as for his performances, Yul Brynner masked much of his life in mystery and outright lies designed to tease people he considered gullible. It was not until the publication of the books "Yul: The Man Who Would Be King" and "Empire and Odyssey" by his son, Yul "Rock" Brynner, that many of the details of Brynner's early life became clear.
Yul sometimes claimed to be a half-Swiss, half-Japanese named Taidje Khan, born on the island of Sakhalin; in reality, he was the son of Marousia Dimitrievna (Blagovidova), the Russian daughter of a doctor, and Boris Yuliyevich Bryner, an engineer and inventor of Swiss-German and Russian descent. He was born in their home town of Vladivostok on 11 July 1920 and named Yuli after his grandfather, Jules Bryner. When Yuli's father abandoned the family, his mother took him and his sister Vera to Harbin, Manchuria, where they attended a YMCA school. In 1934 Yuli's mother took her children to Paris. Her son was sent to the exclusive Lycée Moncelle, but his attendance was spotty. He dropped out and became a musician, playing guitar in the nightclubs among the Russian gypsies who gave him his first real sense of family. He met luminaries such as Jean Cocteau and became an apprentice at the Theatre des Mathurins. He worked as a trapeze artist with the famed Cirque d'Hiver company.
He traveled to the U.S. in 1941 to study with acting teacher Michael Chekhov and toured the country with Chekhov's theatrical troupe. That same year, he debuted in New York as Fabian in "Twelfth Night" (billed as Youl Bryner). After working in a very early TV series, Mr. Jones and His Neighbors (1944), he played on Broadway in "Lute Song" with Mary Martin, winning awards and mild acclaim. He and his wife, actress Virginia Gilmore, starred in the first TV talk show, Mr. and Mrs. (1948). Brynner then joined CBS as a television director. He made his film debut in Port of New York (1949). Two years later Mary Martin recommended him for the part he would forever be known for: the King in Richard Rodgers' and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "The King and I". Brynner became an immediate sensation in the role, repeating it for film (The King and I (1956)) and winning the Oscar for Best Actor.
For the next two decades, he maintained a starring film career despite the exotic nature of his persona, performing in a wide range of roles from Egyptian pharaohs to Western gunfighters, almost all with the same shaved head and indefinable accent. In the 1970s he returned to the role that had made him a star, and spent most of the rest of his life touring the world in "The King and I". When he developed lung cancer in the mid 1980s, he left a powerful public service announcement denouncing smoking as the cause, for broadcast after his death. The cancer and its complications, after a long illness, ended his life. Brynner was cremated and his ashes buried in a remote part of France, on the grounds of the Abbey of Saint-Michel de Bois Aubry, a short distance outside the village of Luzé. He remains one of the most fascinating, unusual and beloved stars of his time.- Actor
- Producer
- Director
Danila Valeryevich Kozlovsky is a Russian stage and screen actor. He was born in Moscow, USSR. From a very young age he was into music, dancing and playing football (soccer). He has two brothers, an elder Egor and a younger Ivan.
In 1996, at the age of 11, Danila, following his brothers, went to a special navy school preparing students for the Military Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 2002 he graduated from the school, but eventually acting won him. However, he does not think that the years spent at the navy school were wasted.- Actress
- Soundtrack
Olesya Yurivna Rulina is a Russian-American actress. She is best known for co-starring in all three films of the High School Musical franchise as Kelsi Nielsen. She also starred in the films Private Valentine: Blonde & Dangerous (2008), Flying By (2009), Expecting Mary (2010) and Family Weekend (2013).- Additional Crew
- Writer
- Director
The most famous Soviet film-maker since Sergei Eisenstein, Andrei Tarkovsky (the son of noted poet Arseniy Tarkovsky) studied music and Arabic in Moscow before enrolling in the Soviet film school VGIK. He shot to international attention with his first feature, Ivan's Childhood (1962), which won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival. This resulted in high expectations for his second feature Andrei Rublev (1966), which was banned by the Soviet authorities for two years. It was shown at the 1969 Cannes Film Festival at four o'clock in the morning on the last day, in order to prevent it from winning a prize - but it won one nonetheless, and was eventually distributed abroad partly to enable the authorities to save face. Solaris (1972), had an easier ride, being acclaimed by many in Europe and North America as the Soviet answer to Kubrick's '2001' (though Tarkovsky himself was never too fond of his own film nor Kubrick's), but he ran into official trouble again with Mirror (1975), a dense, personal web of autobiographical memories with a radically innovative plot structure. Stalker (1979) had to be completely reshot on a dramatically reduced budget after an accident in the laboratory destroyed the first version, and after Nostalghia (1983), shot in Italy (with official approval), Tarkovsky defected to Europe. His last film, The Sacrifice (1986) was shot in Sweden with many of Ingmar Bergman's regular collaborators, and won an almost unprecedented four prizes at the Cannes Film Festival. He died of lung cancer at the end of the year. Two years later link=Sergei Parajanov dedicated his film Ashik Kerib to Tarkovsky.- Actor
- Writer
- Soundtrack
George Sanders was born of English parents in St. Petersburg, Russia. He worked in a Birmingham textile mill, in the tobacco business and as a writer in advertising. He entered show business in London as a chorus boy, going from there to cabaret, radio and theatrical understudy. His film debut, in 1936, was as Curly Randall in Find the Lady (1936). His U.S. debut, the same year, with Twentieth Century-Fox, was as Lord Everett Stacy in Lloyd's of London (1936). During the late 1930s and early 1940s he made a number of movies as Simon Templar--the Saint--and as Gay Lawrence, the Falcon. He played Nazis (Maj. Quive-Smith in Fritz Lang's Man Hunt (1941)), royalty (Charles II in Otto Preminger's Forever Amber (1947)), and biblical roles (Saran of Gaza in Cecil B. DeMille's Samson and Delilah (1949)). He won the 1950 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor as theatre critic Addison De Witt in Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve (1950). In 1957 he hosted a TV series, The George Sanders Mystery Theater (1957). He continued to play mostly villains and charming heels until his suicide in 1972.- Actress
- Director
- Writer
Svetlana Khodchenkova is a Russian actress, known for her roles in Bless the Woman (2003) and in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).
She was born Svetlana Viktorovna Khodchenkova on January 21, 1983, in Moscow and spent her childhood in Zheleznodorozhny, a small city about 6 miles east of Moscow, Russia. She was raised by a single mother, attended a public school, and once dreamed of becoming a medical doctor.
In 1998, at the age of 15, she started a career as a fashion model in Moscow, and also made a few international gigs. In 2000 she began her studies at the Moscow Institute of World Economics, but quit in favor of acting. From 2001 to 2005 she studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow. There she attended the class of Nina Doroshina and Alekandr Lyubimtsev, graduating in 2005 as actress.
While a student, she starred in films of directors Stanislav Govorukhin, and Viktor Merezhko, and also appeared in popular Russian TV series. In 2008, she earned the best actress award at Gdynya Polish Film Festival, for the leading role in Mala Moskwa (2008). In 2012, she won COFCA Award for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).
On December 13, 2005, she married her classmate, actor Vladimir Yaglych, and also took her husband's name, changing her name from Svetlana Khodchenkova to Svetlana Yaglych.The couple married on the 13th on purpose; because all their filming contracts were signed on the 13th, they believed that 13 would keep working as a good number for them. However, their marriage did not last, ending in divorce.
Svetlana has been involved in several stage productions of Independent stage project in Moscow. She made stellar appearances in such plays, as "Moulin Rouge Hospital" and "Theatre with and without rules" earning herself much critical acclaim.
Outside of her acting profession, Svetlana is skilled in horse-back riding. She is also fond of winter sports, such as alpine skiing: she practiced her downhill at the ski resort of Courchevel, France.- Irina Shayk--sometimes credited as Irina Sheik--was born in the USSR on January 6, 1986, as Irina Valeryevna Shaykhlislamova. She is a model and actress known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue between 2007 and 2014. She was the cover model for the 2011 issue. Shayk made her acting debut as Megara alongside Dwayne Johnson in Hercules (2014).
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Paulina Andreeva was born on 12 October 1988 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She is an actress and writer, known for Plachu s vami (2019), The Method (2015) and Better Than Us (2018). She has been married to Fedor Bondarchuk since 17 September 2019. They have one child.- Actor
- Cinematographer
- Producer
Costa Ronin's journey in the world of entertainment has been nothing short of remarkable. Born and raised on the West Coast of Russia, he embarked on his acting career at the tender age of five moved through theater and radio entertainment learning from Russian and international masters until his talent and passion for the craft led him to a global stage.
In 1996, Costa made a significant move to New Zealand, where he continued to hone his acting skills. Later, in 2001, he relocated to Australia, becoming an integral part of their vibrant acting scene.
Notably, Costa also graced the big screen in Quentin Tarantino's "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," sharing the screen with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie, making him the first and only Russian actor ever to have worked with the master.
He is set to captivate audiences once again in the upcoming Netflix series "Obliterated. Recent accomplishments include a lead role on the NBC series "Endgame," directed by the talented Justin Lin of the "Fast and Furious" fame amongst others.
His television credits also include starring roles in acclaimed shows like "The Americans" on FX Network and "Homeland" for Showtime. On the comedy side, he showcased his prowess opposite Jenna Fischer and Oliver Hudson in the ABC comedy "Splitting Up Together." Keep an eye out for Costa in the independent feature "ISS," where he stars alongside Chris Messina, debuting at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival.
In a significant crossover, Costa became part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as 'Anton Vanko' in "Agent Carter." The following year, he ventured into the DC Comics Universe, portraying 'Luka Volk' in "Gotham," a remarkable feat of acting in both Marvel and DC worlds. Costa's diverse film credits encompass projects like "The Body Tree" and "Brighton Beach," produced by Molly Connors of "Birdman" fame. He also made appearances in series like "Scorpion," "Agent X" alongside Sharon Stone, and Guillermo del Toro's hit series "The Strain."- Oksana Akinshina was born on 19 April 1987 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Lilya 4-Ever (2002), The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and Sputnik (2020). She was previously married to Archil Gelovani and Dmitriy Litvinov.
- Actress
- Producer
- Writer
Masha Mashkova was born on 19 April 1985 in Novosibirsk, Novosibirskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and producer, known for Mafia: Game of Survival (2016), Masha from Russia (2018) and Goryachie novosti (2009). She has been married to Sacha Seberg since 11 May 2012. They have two children. She was previously married to Artyom Semakin.- Greta Onieogou was born on 14 March 1991 in St. Petersburg, Russia. She is an actress, known for Fever Pitch (2005), Miss Sloane (2016) and Undercover Grandpa (2017).
- Born in a town of Tula, Russia, Yulia Snigir was playing chess competitively and at the age of 15 was awarded the prestigious title of Candidate Master of Sports in Chess. She was planning to have a professional chess player career but instead made a decision to continue her education and moved to Moscow on her own where she was accepted to State Pedagogical University. Yulia had to study and work at the same time to support herself financially. She was teaching English in the nursery school, when a friend showed photos of Yulia to a representative of one of the most prestigious Moscow modeling agency. While continuing her study program in University, Yulia became a successful model. She was offered a contract with a leading French jewelry brand and was planning to move to France when a casting-director saw her at the modeling agency and invited for an audition. Her acting career officially started when she was accepted to the famous Vakhtangov Theatre Academy and was cast in two independent films. Yulia's big break came when she was offered one of the leading roles in the Russian sci-fi blockbuster "The Inhabited Island" and the sequel "The Inhabited Island 2: Rebellion". It made her a star in Russia. Yulia became the face of L'Oreal, Mexx clothing and Mexx perfume in her home country.
Yulia divided her time between TV series, theater and film playing the vast variety of roles and becoming a versatile actress with her projects ranging, from small indie films, to TV dramas, large studio projects and experimental theater. In the theater Yulia played a male role in a very successful production of King Lear, which won several European and Russian theater awards. In 2012 she was cast in a lead role in the fifth installment of Die Hard, released in February 2013. - Actor
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Armin Mueller-Stahl is a German actor with a relatively long film career. He was once nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, for his role as an abusive father in the biographical drama "Shine" (1996).
In 1930, Mueller-Stahl was born in Tilsit, East Prussia. The town developed around the castle of Schalauer Haus, which had been founded by the Teutonic Knights. Tilsit was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1945, and renamed to Sovetsk. It is currently part of the Kaliningrad Oblast, an exclave of Russia located in Central Europe. The town is located close to the Oblast's borders with Lithuania, and has long had an ethnic Lithuanian minority.
Mueller-Stahl's father was bank teller Alfred Müller (who later changed the family name to Mueller-Stahl) ,and his mother was university professor Editha Maaß. Editha was born to a Baltic German family from Estonia. During World War I, the Maaß lived in Petrograd (Saint Petersburg). They moved to Tilsit in 1918.
Mueller-Stahl was born in Germany's Weimar Republic period, and spend his childhood and early adolescence in Nazi Germany. In 1938, he moved with his family to the town of Prenzlau in Brandenburg. During World War II, Mueller-Stahl parted with his father. Alfred was drafted into military service, and later fought on the Eastern Front of World War II. In 1945, Alfred died in a military hospital in Schönberg , Mecklenburg.
In 1945, Editha briefly moved her family to Goorstorf, located near Rostock, the largest city of Mecklenburg. They returned to Prenzlau following the end of World War II. Armin continued his school education there. He graduated from school in 1948, at the age of 18.
Mueller-Stahl initially aspired to become a professional violinist. In 1948, he moved to Berlin. There he attended the city conservatory in West Berlin, where he studied violin playing and musicology. He graduated in 1949, and acquired qualifications to work as a music teacher. At this point, he decided to become an actor instead.
After a few years of studies, Mueller-Stahl made his professional debut at the "Theater am Schiffbauerdamm" of Berlin in 1952. In 1954, he started performing in the Volksbühne ("People's Theatre") , a prestigious theater in East Berlin. For the next 20 years, he was primarily a theatrical actor. During the 1960s, he started a side career as a character actor in East German films. By the 1970s, he repeatedly appeared in polls as East Germany's most popular actor.
From 1973 to 1976, Mueller-Stahl played the Stasi agent Werner Bredebusch in the spy thriller television series "The Invisible Visor" (1973-1979). Bredebusch was initially the series' main character, a Stasi agent who impersonates deceased fighter pilot Achim Detjen and infiltrates West Germany. The series achieved high ratings, and Mueller-Stahll received acclaim. He left the series in 1976, and its ratings soon declined.
In 1976, Mueller-Stahl signed an open letter, protesting against East Germany's decision to exile singer-songwriter Wolf Biermann (1936-). Consequenly, Mueller-Stahl found himself blacklisted in East Germany. After a few years of being unable to find roles in his country, Mueller-Stahl migrated to West Germany.
In 1981, Mueller-Stahl played Von Bohm, the male lead in the romantic drama "Lola" (1981). The film depicted Von Bohm as a building commissioner who struggles against widespread corruption in the town of Coburg, while falling in love with brothel-employed singer Lola (played by Barbara Sukowa). Following the film's relative success, Mueller-Stahl found steady work in West German cinema throughout the 1980s.
Although he barely spoke English at this point of his life, Mueller-Stahl was cast as General Petya Samanov in the American television miniseries Amerika. The dystopian series depicted a version of the United States which was under Soviet military occupation, and in which Soviet general Samanov is the de facto ruler of the occupied country. "Amerika" was the second-highest rated miniseries of the 1986-87 U.S. television season.
Mueller-Stahl decided to to seek more acting roles in the United States, and made his American film debut in the crime drama "Music Box" (1989). He was cast in the role of Mike Laszlo, a Hungarian-American family man, who is exposed as a wanted war criminal who killed numerous civilians during the Siege of Budapest (1944-1945). The film won the "Golden Bear" at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival.
Mueller-Stahl next received the primary role of Polish-Jewish immigrant Sam Krichinsky in the family drama "Avalon" (1990). The film concerned the gradual assimilation of Krichinsky's family into modern American culture. The film was critically praised, and its screenwriter won the "Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay".
In 1991, Mueller-Stahl played the role of Inspector Grubach in the mystery thriller "Kafka". The film depicted a conspiracy in 1910s Prague, and was loosely inspired by the works of Franz Kafka (1883-1924). The film under-performed at the box office, but gained a cult following.
During the same year, Mueller-Stahl played New York City-based taxi driver Helmut Grokenberger in the anthology film "Night on Earth". In the film, Helmut is an East German immigrant in the United States. He is a former professional clown, whose ineptness as a driver and ignorance of New York geography make him ill-suited for his new profession. The film was critically well-received.
In 1992, Mueller-Stahl played Meissen porcelain collector Baron Kaspar Joachim von Utz in the eponymous film "Utz". The film was an adaptation of a 1988 novel by Bruce Chatwin (1940-1989), concerning a passionate collector and his unwillingness to part with his collection, even at the offer of a better life abroad. For this role, Mueller-Stahl won the "Silver Bear for Best Actor" at the 42nd Berlin International Film Festival.
In 1996, Mueller-Stahl played Peter, the abusive father of concert pianist David Helfgott (1947-). The film concerns the negative effects of long-term physical and mental abuse of David by his father. Mueller-Stahl's role was critically praised, and he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The award was instead won by rival actor Cuba Gooding Jr. (1968-).
In 1998, Mueller-Stahl played German scientist Conrad Strughold in the science fiction film "The X-Files", a spin-off of the then-popular television series "The X-Files" (1993-2002, 2016-2018). In the film, Strughold is a member of the Syndicate, a shadow government which collaborates with extraterrestrial would-be colonists. The film was a box-office hit, earning 189 million dollars at the worldwide box office.
In 2007, Mueller-Stahl played Semyon, a high-ranking member of the Russian mafia, in the gangster film "Eastern Promises". The film was critically praised, and appeared on many critics' top ten lists of the best films of 2007.Mueller-Stahl won the "Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role".
In 2009, Mueller-Stah played former Stasi colonel Wilhelm Wexler in the action thriller "The International". In the film, Wexler works with a merchant bank that has secret ties to drug cartels, powerful corporations, corrupt governments, and terrorist organizations,. The film earned about 60 million dollars at the worldwide box office, and was considered notable for drawing inspiration from real-world banking scandals of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Also in 2009, Mueller-Stahl portrayed Cardinal Strauss, Dean of the College of Cardinals and the Papal Conclave, in the mystery thriller "Angels & Demons". The film was an adaptation of a 2000 novel by Dan Brown (1964-). It concerns the assassination of fictional Pope Pius XVI, and a conspiracy trying to influence the election of his successor. The film earned about 486 million dollars at the worldwide box office, the highest-grossing film in Mueller-Stah's career.
In 2011, Mueller-Stahl received the "Honorary Golden Bear" at the 61st Berlin International Film Festival. His only film role in the 2010s was playing Fr. Zeitlinger in the experimental film "Knight of Cups ". The film uses images from tarot cards as a main theme, while elements of the plot were inspired by the "Hymn of the Pearl" (2nd century) and the "The Pilgrim's Progress" (1678) by John Bunyan.
By 2021, Mueller-Stahl was 90-years-old. He lives in semi-retirement in California, where he enjoys its pleasant climate. He has written a number of novels and short stories, and has taken painting as a hobby.- Born in Moscow, a student of Moscow Academy of Dramatic Arts, Pasha (aka Pavel) Lychnikoff, appeared on Moscow's stages in such productions as Gogol's Inspector General and Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment. In early 90s Pasha moved to the United States to pursue his acting career there. Arriving at JFK Airport with five dollars in his pocket, speaking only a few words of English, Pasha made his way to Brighton Beach, Harlem, Hell's Kitchen, and then to Los Angeles to act.
As Pasha's career unfolded, he was introduced to bright minds that molded him as an actor and person. He first received a great helping hand and insight from Jonathan Banks at UCLA Film Theatre Department, which was followed by encouragement from private lessons with The Groundlings' creator Gary Austin. Jumping the fence at Twenty Century Fox paid off. Pasha was able to land his first television guest star role on the critically acclaimed NYPD Blue. This opportunity also earned him his membership with Screen Actors Guild. While working on NYPD Blue, Pasha became great friends with writer, creator, and executive producer David Milch. For the rest of Pasha's life, Milch became a mentor and friend who helped him greatly through his career.
While Pasha was living his dream of acting on television, little did he know that he was the first ever Russian to become a series regular on US television. Pasha's first series regular role was on David Milch and Tony Yarkovich's TV drama "Big Apple" on CBS after which he has had more than 40 TV guest appearances.
Lychnikoff continues to build an impressive resume in both television and film. Pasha has starred as Balzanov, a telegraph operator, in a lawless town of the second and third seasons of the critically acclaimed HBO series "Deadwood", created by David Milch. On the comedy side of acting, he had a recurring role on Chuck Lorre's comedy "The Big Bang Theory" as cosmonaut Dmitri Rezenov, and a lead role on the Russian hit series and number one comedy "Fizruk" as hysterical Misha Buddhist. His film credits include "Miami Vice" directed by Michael Mann with Colin Farell and Jamie Foxx, "Charlie Wilson's War" directed by Mike Nichols with Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" directed by Steven Spielberg, "Star Trek" directed by J.J. Abrams, and "A Good Day to Die Hard" with Bruce Willis, and Motherland by Peter Buslov.
Pasha has a big passion for theater which extended beyond acting to producing. The Shelter, which he created alongside Valeri Belykovich, was his production debut in Los Angeles. The play got 5 Ovation Awards nominations in 2006 in 5 different categories including the World Premier Play, Play Intimate Theater, Direction of a Play, the Ensemble Performance, and Lighting Design. His performance in the play got him rave reviews by a number of critics.
In this coming acting season, Pasha will be seen in multiple projects such as a recurring on the 4th season of "Ray Donovan", mini series "Insomnia", and Sony Entertainment's "Beyond Valkyrie: the 4th Reich". - Olga Tchakova (known professionally as Olga Fonda) is a Russian-American film and television actress and model. She is also known for her role as Nadia Petrova in The Vampire Diaries (2013-2014).
While vacationing in Los Angeles, California, Fonda was scouted by agent Paul Fisher to pursue modeling, her longtime ambition. After acting in TV commercials, she played a Russian ballerina in the 2009 independent film Love Hurts.
Fonda, who has modeled since at least 2007 in Japan, Italy and the United States, went on to appear in television series including How I Met Your Mother, Nip/Tuck, Melrose Place, and Entourage, and played Owen Wilson's girlfriend in a nonspeaking role in Little Fockers. She was cast in the 2011 romantic-comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, though her scene did not make the final cut; she does appear in the film's trailer.
In 2010, Fonda was cast in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. She had a supporting role in 2011's Real Steel. She played Nadia in The Vampire Diaries. In 2018, she was cast in the role of Sarah in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.
In 2012, Olga appeared in television commercials for the related companies TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods TV. Fonda was cast in Agent X, appearing opposite Sharon Stone.
She is unrelated to the Fonda acting family and has said her reason for adopting that stage name "started as a mystery, [and so] I'm going to keep it a mystery. There's really nothing to it but maybe one day I'll tell the story of how I got my name."
Fonda supports the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital after being introduced to the charity by Jason Thomas Gordon, who started a campaign for the hospital called, Music Gives to St. Jude Kids.
She is also a supporter of The Heroes Project, which was founded by Tim Medvetz to help wounded veterans. - She was born in Leningrad, former Soviet Union. Her parents moved with her from Russia to New York when she was 17 years old, and she continues to reside in New York.
While working as a hairdresser at a salon, she was discovered by Luc Besson, the co-writer of Transporter 3, in New York, when she crossed a street. He gave her acting lessons and cast her as the female lead in Transporter 3. - Born in Russia, Svetlana Efremova is trained by two of the most world-renowned theatre schools: the Yale School of Drama, where she earned an MFA degree in Acting and the St. Petersburg Academy of Theatre, where she received her BFA in Acting. Her Theatre credits range from Broadway to some of the finest regional companies in the US such as Yale Repertory Theatre, South Coast Repertory Theatre. Her creative accomplishments as an actress were over 48 feature films with major Hollywood studios, television appearances and theatrical productions. Her performance was reviewed in several regional newspapers and national theatrical trade publications, including the LA Times, OC Register, The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Back Stage, New York Times, the premiere stage periodical "American Theatre". Svetlana Efremova has served as a Head of Acting for both the Undergraduate and Graduate Acting programs, as well as Master Acting Teacher within California State University, Fullerton, Theatre Department.
- Aleksey Kravchenko was born on 10 October 1969 in Moskovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor, known for Come and See (1985), 9th Company (2005) and Zaverbovannyy. He is married to Nadezhda Borisova. He was previously married to Alisa ?.
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Genndy Tartakovsky was born and raised in Moscow, USSR. He and his family moved to Chicago, IL when he was 7 years old, after his father defected to the US. His interest in comic books and animation led him to study animation at CalArts in Los Angeles. While he was there he produced two student films, one of which was the basis of his series Dexter's Laboratory (1996). The character of Dee-Dee was inspired by his older brother Alex, who would often spoil younger brother Genndy's plans (as Dee-Dee does to Dexter). His first long form directing work was for the TV movie of the series, Dexter's Laboratory: Ego Trip (1999). He also directed animation for his collaborator Craig McCracken on The Powerpuff Girls (1998) and The Powerpuff Girls Movie (2002).
His most celebrated work was the epic animated series Samurai Jack (2001), featuring a time-traveling samurai in a battle of good vs. evil. He stopped work on the series to produce Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) as a direct story tie-in to the beginning of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005). He then directed animation for the Adult Swim pilot Korgoth of Barbaria (2006). Plans were up in the air for over a decade for a possible movie conclusion to Samurai Jack, as well as directing a sequel to The Dark Crystal (1982). He created storyboards for the action-packed opening of Iron Man 2 (2010) during this time period.
Genndy produced another dynamic TV series Sym-Bionic Titan (2010), before finally landing his first feature on Hotel Transylvania (2012), which would involve taking over a tumultuous production and incorporating 2D techniques to 3D animation. Hotel Transylvania 2 (2015) was the first film for which he had creative control over the entire production, although it was still in the style developed during the first film. In 2017, he finally returned to direct a darker season of Samurai Jack to conclude the story on Adult Swim. He is currently directing Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018).- He was born on Sakhalin Island at the far eastern end of the former Soviet Union and began studying dance at age 9 in the Riga State Ballet School. He later said his mother put him there to prevent his becoming "a hooligan". One of his classmates and friends at the school was Mikhail Baryshnikov. After graduating he toured with the Moscow Classical Ballet. He joined the Bolshoi in 1971; there he received rave reviews for the lead in "Swan Lake", "Giselle" and other classical and contemporary works. In 1973 he won a gold medal at the Moscow International Competition. The same year he received more praise when the Bolshoi toured the United States. He was then marked as a potential defector and not allowed to tour for five years. In August 1979 he did defect. The story grew in importance when his ballerina wife returned to the USSR a few days later. He joined the American Ballet Theater and danced with it until 1982 when he and its director Baryshnikov had a falling out. He was by then a frequent companion of Jacqueline Bisset. His first movie role was as the Amish farmer Daniel in "Witness" (1985). The NY Times reviewer described him as the film's "most riveting presence". The same critic did not take so kindly to his role as Karl in "Die Hard" (1988) ("a sight gag in his terrorist costume"). When he became a US citizen in 1987 he said he planned to celebrate by eating a "hamburger stuffed with caviar". He had been filming a movie in Budapest a few weeks before he was found dead in his West Hollywood home, of "natural causes" according to his physician.
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Emilia Schüle was born on 28 November 1992 in Blagoveshchensk, Russia. She is an actress, known for Freche Mädchen (2008), Tatort (1970) and Dreamfactory (2019).- Maria Lark was born on 20 June 1997 in Siberia, Russia. She is an actress, known for Medium (2005), Medium Season 4: Joe's Crayon Dream (2008) and Medium Season 6: Zombies on the Loose: The Making of Bite Me (2010).
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Ilya Naishuller is a film director, actor, producer, screenwriter and the frontman of indie rock band Biting Elbows, founded in 2008. From 8 to 14 he studied in London, and later graduated from the British International School in Yasenevo. Naishuller dropped out of the Institute of Television and Radio Broadcasting, then entered university in New York, but did not graduate. In March 2013, Ilya directed the Biting Elbows' "Bad Motherfucker" YouTube video with over 45 million views.
In 2015, Naishuller wrote and directed the action movie "Hardcore Henry" with Shalto Copley, Hayley Bennett, Danila Kozlovsky, Dariya Charusha and Svetlana Ustinova; and also produced and co-directed the TV series "Barvikha." He shot a video for The Weeknd's "False Alarm" in 2016, a video for the group "Kolshchik" in 2017, and recently directed the hit action-comedy "Nobody" starring Bob Odenkirk in 2021. Naishuller married actress Dariya Charusha in the summer of 2010.- Actor
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Vladimir Lvovich Mashkov was born in Tula, to Natalia, a puppet theatre director, and Lev Mashkov, an actor. He worked for Oleg Tabakov's theatre where he performed in Alexander Galich's "My Big Land", Neil Simon's "Biloxy Blues", Nickolai Gogol's "The Inspector General", Jean-Batiste Moliere's "Don Juan", and other plays. As a director, he staged "A Star Hour By Local Time", "Passions For Bumbarash", "The Death-Defying Act" and Bertolt Brecht's "The Threepenny Opera".- Feodor Fedorovich Chaliapin Jr. was born October 6, 1905, in Moscow, Russia. He was the youngest of six children. His father was the world-famous Russian Opera basso Feodor Chaliapin Sr.. His mother, Iola Tornagi, was a prima-ballerina who quit the stage after her marriage and became a caring mother of six children. Young Feodor grew up in a trilingual family environment. He received an excellent private education in Moscow, where he enjoyed the company of his father's friends, such as Sergei Rachmaninoff and Konstantin Korovin. After the Russian revolution of 1917, he and his father fled from Russia to Paris, France.
Chaliapin Jr. got out from under his father's shadow after moving from Paris to Hollywood. There he began his film career, playing cameo roles in silent films. He created a niche for himself as an impressive character actor with excellent skills. His role as Kashkin, dying in the arms of Gary Cooper in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), was one of the finest moments in his early career. He played a variety of Russian characters in films made during and after the Second World War. Among the most memorable of his early works was his role as Fomich in Prisoner of the Volga (1959), directed by Viktor Tourjansky, also a Russian emigrant.
After World War 2 Chaliapin moved to Rome, Italy. There he continued his film career as a character actor, from the 1950s-1970s. He played a broad array of very different characters, ranging from a comic gem as Sen. Torsello in the political satire The Eroticist (1972), to a sinister Prof. Arnold in the horror film Inferno (1980). He returned to Hollywood and made a comeback in his later years. He really made his mark by playing the blind, murderous monk "Jorge of Burgos" in The Name of the Rose (1986). He is probably best known for his role as the loony dog-walking grandfather in Moonstruck (1987), living in a world of his own and greeting the Moon with his funny cries "La Luna! La Luna!" He also enjoyed a fine part as Leonides Cox, 'Robert De Niro''s father in Stanley & Iris (1990). His last notable role was as Prof. Bartnev in The Inner Circle (1991), based on a true story about people suffering in the Soviet Russia under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.
In 1960, during "The Thaw" initiated by Nikita Khrushchev, Chaliapin Jr. saved his mother from the communist captivity and reunited with her in Rome, Italy. At that time, Iola Tornagi was 87 and had been granted permission to leave the Soviet Union. She left behind a magnificent art collection and a museum-quality home, built in Moscow by her famous husband. She could only bring her son an album of pictures of his childhood and youth in pre-communist Russia.
24 years later, Chaliapin Jr. took part in the returning of his famous father's remains from Paris to Moscow in 1984, which was also a result of reforms known as perestroika initiated by Mikhail Gorbachev. Chaliapin was allowed to visit Moscow in 1984 for the burial ceremony of his father, Chialiapin Sr., at the Novodevichy Monastery Cemetery. There he briefly rejoiced with his three sisters and other relatives around his father's tomb.
Through his entire life Feodor Feodorovich Chaliapin Jr. was devoted to his mother, Iola Tornagi. She died in 1964, and was laid to rest in the cemetery of Rome. He died of natural causes on September 17, 1992, at his home in Rome, Italy, and was laid to rest next to his mother in the cemetery of Rome. - Actor
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Eugene Mirman was born on 24 July 1974 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor and writer, known for The Bob's Burgers Movie (2022), Delocated (2009) and Eugene! (2012). He was previously married to Katie Tharp.- Sofia is a Master of Sports in Rhythmic Gymnastics. She has appeared in more than 40 films and is also an accomplished theatrical actress. She became "Best Actress" in Amedia Lab and got "Golden Leaf Award" for best female role in a Dramatic Performance "Our town". Sofia is a graduate of the MKhAT ( System of Stanislavsky). In 2016, she got a huge break when she landed the key role of 'Lyudmila Nikolayeva' in the BBC/AMC series MCMAFIA, starring James Norton. Other notable roles include the role of ' 'Masha' in DREAM LORDS, PARALLEL LINES MEET IN INFINITY, CASANOVA, 1703, and as 'Liza' in the drama, THE DAWNS HERE ARE QUIET, which was directed by Renat Davletyarov; and the comedy drama series THE LAST MINISTER by Roman Volobuev. Sofya is playing the key role of 'Elena' in the series of VIKINGS:VALHALLA. She can next be seen in the leading role of 'Sasha' in the feature film TETRIS opposite Taron Egerton (Rocketman). It is directed by Jon S. Baird (Stan & Ollie), and produced by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, Kingsman), and will be released later this year.
- Victoria Haralabidou was born on 23 October 1971 in Leningrad, RSFSR, USSR [now St. Petersburg, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Brides (2004), Psyhi vathia (2009) and The Tourist (2022).
- Actress
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The daughter of a lawyer, Ouspenskaya studied singing at the Warsaw Conservatory and acting at Adasheff's School of the Drama in Moscow. She received her practical training as an actress touring in the Russian provinces. She later joined the Moscow Art Theatre. It was here that she first worked under the direction of the great Konstantin Stanislavski, whose "Method" she would go on to promote for the remainder of her life. She came to America with the Art Theatre in 1922 and, upon their return to Moscow, defected to the US to become a dominant Broadway actress for more than a decade until she founded the School of Dramatic Art in New York in 1929. It was to help keep the school funded that she accepted her first Hollywod film, Dodsworth (1936). She had appeared in six silent movies in Russia earlier in her career. This lucrative association, for Ouspenskaya, Hollywood and the viewing public, would last for more than a dozen years and two dozen films. Thanks to her often-superior demeanor and addiction to astrology, she could prove maddening on the set. She remained in nearly daily communication with L.A. Times' astrologer Carroll Righter who would advise her on the best times to appear on camera along with when and where to travel. As a consequence, most casts and crews disliked the over-bearing, wispy 90-pound actress intensely. She bounced between prestigious A-pictures (Love Affair (1939), Waterloo Bridge (1940)) and B-movies (Mystery of Marie Roget (1942), Tarzan and the Amazons (1945)), performing, and behaving, with equal intensity. She is especially notable for having appeared in the last great Universal horror entry, The Wolf Man (1941) and the interesting Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943). A heavy smoker, she fell asleep in bed with a lit cigarette in late November 1949 and suffered massive burns. She died of a stroke in the Motion Picture & Television Country House and Hospital three days later.- Actor
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Alexander Petrov was born in a small town Pereslavl-Zalesskiy, Russia. During school years he played for the national football team. After leaving school he entered the University of Pereslavl the Faculty of Economics. During his studies he took part in cultural events of the city: KVN (Game show - Club of Funny and Inventive People), Student Council, a theatre studio «Anterpise» under Veronika Ivanenko's direction. At the Theatre Festival in the town Pohvistnevo (Samarskiy region) he met the teachers from Russian Academy of Theatre Arts (GITIS) at workshops.
After the Festival he left the University of Pereslavl and moved to Moscow to become a student of GITIS (Theatre Academy), the class of Leonid Heifetz in 2008. Since the second year he has begun acting in films. His first role was in TV-show «Voices» directed by Nana Jorjadze, an Oscar nominee in 1997. His first leading role that brought him first success was in TV-series Poka tsvetet paporotnik (directed by Evgeniy Bedarev) in 2012. While studying in GITIS he starred in 10 films.
Right after graduating from GITIS he was accepted to the Moscow Theater «Et Cetera» under Alexander Kalyagin's direction. He played Graziano in Shylock («The Merchant of Venice») on the touring stage of Riga Russian Drama Theater. Five months after, he was invited to Ermolova's Moscow Theater run by Oleg Menshikov to rehearse Hamlet directed by Valeriy Sarkisov, premiered in December, 2013. «Hamlet» has been the most sold-out performance in the theater ever since.
In the end of 2014, the head of Moscow Pushkin Theater - Evgeniy Pisarev and director Vladimir Mirzoyev offered him a role of Lopakhin in «Cherry Orchard» by Chekhov.
In 2015 he played the lead in Fartsa TV-series - one of the first Russian TV-series ever streamed on Netflix. Also he played a charming police officer Grisha Izmailov in TV-series Politseyskiy s Rublyovki v Beskudnikovo (2017) (directed by Ilya Kulikov) viewed by millions and got him famous nationally.
In November 2016 he created his first one-man dramatic show TOBEBORNAGAIN that was always a sold out show until its closure.
In 2017 he starred in Prityazhenie by Fedor Bondarchuk which had an outstanding success in Russia (box office - more than 18 million USD). The film was released worldwide. Gogol' (2017), where he also played the lead - russian famous writer Nikolay Gogol, became the first TV-series in the world screened in cinemas. It won an award at the festival of the Indie Gathering International Film Festival and was awarded at the Accolade Global Film Competition in the «Award of Excellence» category.
In 2017 he starred in his first international movie - «Anna» - a film by Luc Besson, released in 2019.
During the next few years he starred in a number of movies that topped the box office in Russia and were released worldwide.
In summer 2020 during the world pandemic he starred in his second international project «Man of god» filmed in Greece.
Prizes and Awards:- Event of the Year of The Hollywood Reporter Magazine 2015 - Audience Award for Achievements in Film and Television Industry
- GQ Magazine Man of the Year Awards 2018 - Actor of the Year
- Golden Eagle Awards 2019 (winner) - Best TV Actor - Drama Series («Sparta»)
- Event of the Year of The Hollywood Reporter Magazine - Best Actor («Text»)
- Golden Eagle Awards 2020 (winner) - Best Actor - Motion Picture («Text»)
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Ania Bukstein is an Israeli actress, singer, song-writer, pianist and voice actress. She was born in 1982 in Moscow, USSR, to Jewish parents. As a child in Moscow, she studied classical piano. Her family immigrated to Israel in the early 1990s. She began her acting career at age 12, appearing in the film Eretz Hadasha (A New Country). As a teenager, she attended Telma Yalin Arts High School in Givatayim, Israel. She served for two years in the Israeli Air Force. She married Israeli real estate developer Dotan Vainer in 2013. In Game of Thrones, she portrays Kinvara in the sixth season.- Yura Borisov was born on 8 December 1992 in Reutov, Moskovskaya oblast, Russia. He is an actor, known for Compartment Number 6 (2021), Captain Volkonogov Escaped (2021) and Kalashnikov (2020). He has been married to Anna Shevchuk since 2014. They have two children.
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- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Anastasia Baranova was born on 23 April 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023), Greenland (2020) and Day Shift (2022).- Natalia Vodianova was born on 28 February 1982 in Gorkiy, Gorkovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Nizhniy Novgorod, Nizhegorodskaya oblast, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Clash of the Titans (2010), Belle Du Seigneur (2012) and Together Forever. She is married to Antoine Arnault. She was previously married to Justin Portman.
- "Oleg makes an impression." On his DVD commentary for "Righteous Kill" (2008), director Jon Avnet remarks that he needed a powerful actor to play Russian mob enforcer Yevgeny Mugalat, a character who survives six gunshots at close range. International star Oleg Taktarov, born in Sarov, Russia, proved uniquely capable of fulfilling Avnet's demanding expectations. When Oleg first appears on camera as Mugalat, the director states emphatically in the audio commentary that the actor "makes an impression." Long before "Righteous Kill," Oleg already left global audiences with memorable impressions as "The Russian Bear," a UFC champion who took unconventional paths up to the top of the world's most difficult professions: acting and fighting.
Today, Oleg ranks among Russia's three most popular movie stars and its highest paid actors. His frank autobiography, "Up To The Top," is a best seller in Russia where Oleg's series "The Guardian" was also a number one television show. In America, Oleg works with the A List of actors and directors in hit blockbusters. He will play one of the leads with Adrien Brody and Topher Grace in "Predators" (2010), produced and written by action film innovator Robert Rodriguez. Oleg's distinguished list of achievements began while he was only a child in Sarov, a home to some of Russia's most eminent scholars and scientists. By age twelve, he was a recognized martial arts expert throughout the country.
Before he came to America in 1994 to pursue his dream of acting in the movies, Oleg Taktarov was an established global hero with records as the World Sambo Champion, the Russian National Judo Champion, and a four-time European and Asian Jujitsu Champion. Just six months after his arrival in the United States, Oleg defeated David "Tank" Abbott in July 1995 and became the reigning UFC Champion. At his classic 1996 "Superbrawl" with Ken Shamrock in Buffalo, New York, Oleg's fans in the U.S. audience waved signs that declared, "Russian Bear becomes American Hero!"
With the momentum of his UFC success and an enthusiastic American fan base to support him, Oleg learned English and studied acting at the prestigious L.A. Playhouse. After minor roles in a handful of Hollywood movies including "Air Force One" (1997), Oleg beat a thousand actors competing in auditions for his first significant film part as one of the antagonists in John Herzfeld's "15 Minutes" (2001) starring Robert DeNiro.
Again, Oleg made an unforgettable impression in "15 Minutes" as an unrelenting baddie, who aspires to be a movie director and steals a camcorder to photograph the criminal mayhem he inflicts upon Manhattan. During the shoot, Robert DeNiro shared acting advice with Oleg who returned the favor with pointers for more realistic fight scenes. The two were reunited for Avnet's "Righteous Kill" (2008), also starring Al Pacino.
After "15 Minutes," Oleg played charismatic heroes in "Red Serpent" (2002) and in the remake of "Rollerball" (2002). Reflecting events in his own life as a fighter, Oleg's character in "Rollerball" incites wild cheering by the fans in a Kazakhstan arena when he resists the dictates of a greedy sports league owner played by Jean Reno. Oleg continued to build his impressive resume' in American movies and television series with performances in "Bad Boys II" (2003), "National Treasure" (2004), "Alias" ("The Two," 2003), and "Navy NCIS" ("Judgment Day," 2008). He returned to movies depicting the brutal street culture of New York City with his riveting performances in "Rockaway" (2007) and "We Own the Night" (2007) with Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix. James Gray, the director of "Night," compared Oleg to a "young Charles Bronson," another dynamic Hollywood actor of Russian heritage.
Oleg's dramatic leading work in American films has proven that he can deliver both big moments and subtle ones. In "Rockaway" (2007), he quietly recounts a brutal memory of his character's service in Afghanistan with harrowing pain. In "Montana" (2008), Oleg's sympathetic hero Nikolai escapes from his adversaries into the streets of Los Angeles where he is befriended and hidden by a single mother and her son. Before the final showdown, Nikolai symbolically mends the fences between the everyday people of the U.S. and Russia. Oleg's empathetic performance of a Russian seeking a new life in America enables the film to succeed on many levels as a personal drama, crime adventure and a plea for understanding. At the premiere of "Montana," Oleg said, "I already knew all about this hero."
During one of his triumphant nights as UFC Champion, Oleg exited the ring after a victory and stated to a reporter, "I can do anything." It was not an idle boast. The fans of Oleg Taktarov know that "Up To The Top" is only the first chapter in volumes of future achievements by the native son of Sarov. When "Rolling Stone" celebrated its fourth year of publication in Russia, the magazine sponsored an exhibit of its celebrity photographs in Moscow. Oleg's dramatic photograph was a highlight of the exhibit, proving that the "Russian Bear" has fought his way to the top and achieved rock star status. - Actress
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Anya Monzikova was born in Vologda, Russia to Natalia Monzikova a single mother of two. When her mom met her step-dad, an American on a vacation to Moscow, fate had brought a new twist to this young girl's life. Her mother re-married and the two moved to Ft. Lauderdale, FL. to live. After only a year in the US, Anya caught the eye of local talent agents and began working as a young commercial actress and model. But it wasn't till a chance vacation to Hollywood, CA, after graduating high school, did fate seal the deal on this star's future. During her vacation a friend introduced this beauty to a group of young creatives working on a pilot. Anya booked the pilot and stayed in Los Angeles to film. When the show didn't go, Anya didn't give up. She found a place to live, enrolled in film production and theater in college and began hitting the audition scene. It wasn't long till she landed a regular job as one of the Deal or No Deal beauties. Getting her foot in the door was just the beginning. In 2006, she was named one of the 100 Most Beautiful People by People Magazine, along with her Deal or No Deal co-stars. She has appeared on numerous magazine covers and has had many editorial fashion spreads in magazine such as Maxim, FHM, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Runway and more. Anya continued her education in acting by enrolling in extensive acting classes to further her craft. Now you can see the fruits of her labor in movies and TV shows such as Iron Man 2, Surrogate, CSI, Cane, Life and Knight Rider just to name a few. Look for her as a recurring in the role of Elena Romanov in the ABC family show Melissa & Joey. She is also a lead in a series called Aspen playing the role of January Beck, a Russian super model. With many more lead roles and magazine covers ahead, keep your eye on this unstoppable talent.- Actor
- Producer
Yuri Kolokolnikov was born on December 15, 1980 in Moscow, Soviet Union is a Russian actor of theatre and cinema. His best known roles in television series are Styr in the Game of Thrones (2011) and Gennadi Bystrov in The Americans (2013). His parents divorced shortly after Yuri was born and in 1985 his mother moved to Canada with Yuri and his brother. Kolokolnikov is a citizen of Russia and Canada.
Kolokolnikov as a child, was both unruly and uncontrollable. Unable to cope with the upbringing of her son, his mother sent him back to Russia to live with his father.
Almost immediately after his arrival in Moscow, he went to study at film school and became involved with the production of children shows. Soon afterwards, his father took him to audition for the director Savva Kulish, where Kolokolnikov gained a small role in the film Zheleznyy zanaves (1994).
At 15 years old, he passed external exams for the last two classes of high school and submitted his documents to the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute.
In 2000, immediately after graduation, he went to Hollywood. During the year, he lived in Los Angeles and New York, working part-time as a waiter, a courier, a loader. Unable to break into the American cinema Kolokolnikov returned to Moscow.
He has appeared in more than forty films since 1998. Kolokolnikov met with director Kirill Serebrennikov, who invited him for a role in the television series The Murderer's Diary (2003) and in the staging of Sweet Bird of Youth at the theater Sovremennik Theatre. The premiere took place in 2002.
In 2014, he played the role of Styr, Magnar of Thenn, in the fourth season of the television series Game of Thrones (2011).
In 2015, he played a lead role in the Russian sitcom Ozabochennye (2015), and in one episode of the criminal series The Method (2015) by Yuriy Bykov.
He had a lead role in the Russian 2016 comedy film Zavtrak u papy (2016). The film is about a wealthy man who discovers that he has a 10 year old daughter.
In the 2017 American action-comedy The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017), Kolokolnikov played a Belarusian mercenary leader Ivan.- Director
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Director and screenwriter Andrey Zvyagintsev is the winner of the Venice Film Festival (2003) and the Cannes Film Festival (2011, 2014, 2017). Two-time the Academy Awards and the BAFTA Awards nominee. Winner or the Golden Globe Awards (2015) for his film "Leviathan". In 2018, his latest work "Loveless" was awarded Best Foreign Film by the César Academy, France.
Born on the 6th of February in 1964 in Novosibirsk, Andrey Zvyagintsev attended the Novosibirsk Theatrical School, class of Lev Belov, before pursuing his studies in Moscow. In 1990, he graduated from the acting faculty of the Russian Institute of Theater Arts (GITIS), class of Evgeny Lazarev. In the following years Andrey gave several theatre, film and TV appearances as an actor.
In 2000, he debuted as a director. He made three short films for REN TV Channel's "The Black Room" series - "Bushido", "Obscure", "The Choice" - that was followed by his first full-length feature.
In 2003, "The Return", a debut not only for the director but also for the majority of the crew, played the main competition at the 60th Venice Film Festival and won its highest prize, the Golden Lion. Besides, Zvyagintsev was awarded the Lion of the Future for best debut, "a very delicate film about love, loss and growing". It captured the attention all over the world becoming one of the cinema sensations of the year.
His second film, "The Banishment", competed for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2007 and won Best Actor (Konstantin Lavronenko) - the first-ever for a Russian artist.
In 2011, Zvyagintsev's third film, "Elena", premiered at the 64th Cannes Film Festival and won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard section.
His fourth film, "Leviathan", screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival in 2014 and won Best Screenplay (Andrey Zvyagintsev and Oleg Negin). In 2015, the film won the Golden Globe becoming the first Russian feature to win this award since 1969. The film got an Oscar nomination in the same category at the 87th Academy Awards.
Zvyagintsev's next film, "Loveless", won the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017 and was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Academy Awards in 2018. "Loveless" was released in all major territories earning nominations for all acclaimed cinema awards worldwide including The Golden Globe Awards and BAFTA. It was awarded Best Foreign Film at France's César Awards, for the first time in history of both Soviet and Russian cinema.
In 2018, Andrey Zvyagintsev served on the Cannes Film Festival jury.- Actor
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Lev Gorn was born in 1971 in Stavropol, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is an actor and director, known for For All Mankind (2019), The Americans (2013) and Maniac (2018).- Actor
- Editorial Department
Aleksey Serebryakov is a Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, People's Artist of the Russian Federation.
Aleksey was born in Moscow. His mother was a doctor, father was an aircraft engineer. Aleksey studied at a music school in the bayan class and once got into a photo for a report about an educational institution, which was published in the 'Evening Moscow' newspaper. The photo caught the eye of an assistant director who was looking for a boy who looked like the actor Vadim Spiridonov, and Aleksey got into the film Otets i syn (1980), and then into the TV series Vechnyy zov (1973). Then he played the main role of Vladimir Kovalev in the film Alye pogony (1980).
In 1981, Serebryakov worked as an actor at the Syzran Drama Theater named after Aleksei Tolstoy, after he could not enter the Boris Shchukin Theater Institute. In 1986 he graduated from the State Institute of Theater Arts of Anatoli Lunacharsky (workshop of Oleg Tabakov). In 1986-1991, he was an actor at the Studio Theater under the direction of Oleg Tabakov.
In 2000, Serebryakov played crime boss Oleg Zvantsev, nicknamed 'Lawyer' in the series Banditskiy Peterburg: Advokat (2000). The next major work, which caused a wide resonance, was the main role of the battalion commander Vasiliy Tverdokhlebov in the 2004 series Shtrafbat (2004). It can be said that at that moment Serebryakov finally gained a reputation as a person who brilliantly plays ambiguous characters in ambiguous films.
He played the main role in the social drama Leviathan (2014), which was released worldwide in 2014. For this acting work, for the second time in the history of Russian cinema, he was nominated for the European Film Academy Award.- Actress
Jenya Lano is an American actress and voice-over artist of European descent. A Berkeley graduate, she is known for "Blade" (1998), "Killing Cupid" (2005), "S.W.A.T." (2003), "NCIS", "The Shield" (2002), "Xena: Warrior Princess" and many other film and TV projects. Currently, (2023), Jenya resides and works in Los Angeles, California. She is fluent in three languages and enjoys writing.- Alina Boz is a Turkish-Russian actress. Alina Boz was born in Moscow, Russia. Alina's mother 'Olga' is Russian and her father is Turkish of Bulgarian Turks descent. She lived in Russia until she was 7 years old. In 2005, she came to Istanbul for her father's job. She started Primary school in Istanbul. After moving to Turkey, she started dancing and theater. At the age of nine she started studying theater. First, she played as Canan in Cesur Hemsire. Alina Boz, who also starred in Avea ads with Ata Demirer, has appeared in many commercials. Alina Boz, who was associated with Murat Boz for her surname, became the cover face of Heygirl magazine in 2010 with Murat Boz. She studied at the aviation vocational high school.She is studying theatre department of Kadir Has University. Since December 1, 2014, Alina Boz plays as Hazal Gürpinar in Paramparça (TV series) and she has got co-lead role and started to be recognized.
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Eugenia Kuzmina is a Russian-American actress, comedian, and model. Her father was a renowned nuclear physicist who was one of the first responds to the Chornobyl disaster. Her mother is a former scientist and a housewife. Eugenia grew up on food lines in Post Soviet time. She was training to be a professional ice skater when at 13 years old, she was pulled out from a group of kids in her school to appear in a Russian version of SNL "Eralash." She was then cast to appear in Chuck Norris's film but couldn't leave the country due to visa issues. After appearing in commercials for Coca-Cola, L'Oréal, and Wrigleys in Moscow, for which she was paid more than her scientist's dad, she was noticed by a scout at Nathalie Models Europe. She signed a contract and moved to Paris at 15 to work with such brands as Yves Saint Laurent, Cartier, Dior, Armani, Hermes, Loreal, and Vogue, among many others...
After Ford Models, then IMG signed her contract and moved her to the US, she was noticed by Rodrigo Prieto (cinematographer of " Wolf Of Wall Street," "Babel") to appear in his directorial debut opposite Elle Fanning "Likeness." The movie was screened at Tribeca Film Festival and received excellent reviews. John Turturro cast Eugenia to play opposite him in a film with Woody Allen, "Fading Gigolo." Recently Eugenia worked opposite Bill Murray in "Rock The Kasbah," Milla Kunis and Christina Applegate in "Bad Moms, "Guy Ritchie's " The Gentlemen, "Operation Fortune, "etc. Eugenia's Tv credits include " Spy City, "True Blood," "New Girl," "Castle," "The Comeback," "Lady Dynamite," Tour De Pharmacy, "etc.
Eugenia is very passionate about comedy and writes and performs Stand Up regularly at The Comedy Store and The Laugh Factory. She has created a show, " Models of Comedy, "that is touring around the world. Her other hobbies include motorcycles, doing her own stunts, languages (French, Portuguese), and supporting environmental causes worldwide.
Kuzmina resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Bill Block ( Miramax CEO ), and two children.