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- 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).
- 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.
- 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.- 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.- 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.- 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.
- 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". - 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.
- 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.- 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."- 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.- 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. - 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 ?.
- 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. - 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.
- Producer
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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).- Actor
- Writer
- Producer
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.- 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.- Director
- Producer
- Actor
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.- Actress
- Additional Crew
- Music Department
Anastasia Baranova was born on 23 April 1989 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) and Greenland (2020).- "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
- Producer
- Writer
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.- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Pantaeva became the most successful indigenous Asian fashion model in the history of fashion. She was the first indigenous Asian model to cover Vogue, Elle and is known as one of the supermodels of the 1990's. Know internationally for her work for Christian Dior, Chanel, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Thierry Mugler, Gianni Versace, Alexander McQueen, Kenzo, Valentino, Prada, Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Missoni, and others, she became the first indigenous Asian model to be featured in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition. As an Actress Irina Pantaeva appeared as Jade in Mortal Kombat , and has starred in sitcoms with John Lithgow, even appearing as herself in the Iconic film Zoolander directed by Ben Stiller.- 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".- 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.- 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).- Writer
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The Russian theatre and film director Andrei Konchalovsky is an elder brother of Nikita Mikhalkov, born August, 20, 1937. As a youngster he planned to pursue a career of a musician and learned to play piano but his love for cinema outweighed and he entered VGIK-the major state film school where he studied under Mikhail Romm. At VGIK he met Andrei Tarkovsky, they collaborated on Ivan's Childhood (1962) and Andrei Rublev (1966). For his feature debut The First Teacher (1965), he chose the book by Chingiz Aitmatov about the post-1917 Revolution period in the southern Russia. His next film Istoriya Asi Klyachinoy, kotoraya lyubila, da ne vyshla zamuzh (1966) although made in 1966 was not released until a decade later because it failed to comply with the strict requirements of the Russian censorship of the period. A Nest of Gentry (1969) - a study of the 19 c. aristocracy - was praised for its visual beauty but attacked by critics as mannered. Konchalovsky's powerful Uncle Vanya (1970) from the play by 'Anton Chekhov_ is regarded by many people as one of the best films in the Russian language ever. Siberiade (1979) - a dramatic and realistic story of the lives of the people of Siberia - was internationally acclaimed and brought Konchalovsky to the attention of American and European producers. From then on-wards his career has been international in scope. Pleasing critics and audiences worldwide, he made the English language films Maria's Lovers (1984), Runaway Train (1985), Duet for One (1986) (praised for Max von Sydow's brilliant performance), and the award-winning Homer and Eddie (1989) starring Whoopi Goldberg. Konchalovsky moved to the mainstream territory with the action packed Tango & Cash (1989). Charasteristically he still insists that this work is no less laudable than any of his others. He also directed plays and operas in a number of European cities. In the early 1990s he returned to Russia and directed several theatre productions most notably "The Seagull" by Chekhov and "Miss Julie" by August Strindberg. Residing in Moscow Konchalovsky sometimes makes short excursions to Hollywood to make mainstream TV productions like the Emmy-winning The Odyssey (1997) and The Lion in Winter (2003) in which Glenn Close gave an award-winning performance. His Russian-French co-production House of Fools (2002) - a story set in an asylum that stands on the border between Russia and Chechenya during the war in Chechenya - was warmly received in Europe and won an honor at the 2002 Venice Film Festival. However the film antagonized the critics in Russia. In the very beginning of his career he was credited as Mikhalkov- Konchalovsky. Later he adopted his mother's maiden name to distinguish himself from his younger brother, Nikita Mikhalkov, who was rapidly becoming a famous filmmaker himself. For his last feature film The Postman's White Nights (2014), shot digitally in his home country Russia, Andrey Konchalovsky won the 'Best Director' award at the 'Venice International Film Festival' in 2014.- Director
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Kirill Serebrennikov was born on 7 September 1969 in Rostov-na-Donu, Rostovskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. He is a director and writer, known for Leto (2018), The Student (2016) and Izobrazhaya zhertvu (2006).- 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).
- Maria began hitting tennis balls at the age of four. At the age of six, she participated in an exhibition in Moscow which featured Martina Navratilova. At the age of nine, she began training at Nick Bollettieri's Tennis Academy. During her first two years at the Academy, she was separated from her mother Yelena due to visa restrictions and finances. Maria would travel to tournaments with her father, Yuri, and coaches Robert Lansdorp, and 1984 Australian Open boys' doubles champion Mike Baroch. Yuri eventually replaced Baroch and Lansdorp with former ATP Top 100 player Michael Joyce, who guided Maria to 3 Grand Slam titles and the World #1 ranking (Lansdorp was quoted as saying in 2004: "I've never received anything from one player. Not even a $500 gift. They're all multi-millionaires but I've never received one thing. And I'm telling you, if Maria doesn't put a Mercedes convertible in my driveway, I'm going to shoot myself". Sharapova attended Lansdorp's 75th birthday party in 2013). Off-court, her interests include modeling, singing, jazz dancing, movies such as Pearl Harbor (2001), and reading.
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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.- Actress
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Alexis Raben was born on 25 August 1980 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and producer, known for House of the Dragon (2022), Krypton (2018) and Miss March (2009). She has been married to Miguel Sapochnik since 2006.- Lukerya Ilyashenko was born on 9 June 1989 in Kuybyshev, Kuybyshevskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR [now Samara, Samarskaya oblast, Russia]. She is an actress, known for The Blackout (2019), Dance to Death (2017) and Vorovka (2024).
- 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.- Actress
- Producer
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
- 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.- Director
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Elem Klimov was born on 9 July 1933 in Stalingrad, Nizhne-Volzhskiy kray, RSFSR, USSR [now Volgograd, Volgogradskaya oblast, Russia]. He was a director and actor, known for Come and See (1985), Rasputin (1981) and Pokhozhdeniya zubnogo vracha (1965). He was married to Larisa Shepitko. He died on 26 October 2003 in Moscow, Russia.- Actress
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Anya Chipovskaya was born on 16 June 1987 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for The Road to Calvary (2017), Blokbaster (2017) and The Calculator (2014).- Actress
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Lyanka Gryu's experience in TV and cinema has been truly unique from the very start: she has been working as an actress since the age of 4 when she landed her first lead in the award-winning European film Odin (based on the story by Ray Bradbury).
At 6 she was cast as a prime-time 'Tic-Tac' kids TV show anchor - and led it for 3 years. When Lyanka was 8 years old she played a role in The Little Princess feature film, which brought her The Best Supporting Role and The Best Female Actor awards.
From 12 till 17 she played lead roles in various theatrical plays, but what made her a nationwide star was the role in 2005's Fated To Become A Star TV series that jump-started her career as a teenage star actress.
Lyanka has vast experience in international productions such as the lead in:- The Chinese hit feature film Scarlet Cherry;
- The Italian award-winning feature film The Bright Side Of The Moon;
- The American award-winning TV show The Americans;
- Pregnancy Test, medical series on the main TV channel of Russia, recognized by the critics with The Best TV Series Of 2015 Award;
- Sherlock Holmes TV series (the role of Irene Adler).
Having become a true A-list star in Russia, Lyanka was cast for a feature film The Return Of Musketeers as D'Artagnan's daughter - Jaqueline. Her next success - the lead in Golden, TV series by TNT channel and feature film PG 16 - made her a superstar among the teenage and young adult audiences in Russia.
In 2013 she won Ice Age, prime-time ice skating TV show competition, where she was paired with Maxim Marinin - Olympic, World, and five-time European Skating Champion.
And the 2014's box-office hit feature Some Like It Cold had proved her status of a bankable star in her homeland and made Lyanka decide to move to the US to continue her acting career in the heart of the world film industry.
She moved to New York and then to Los Angeles. In 2015 Lyanka got a Green Card as an extraordinary ability artist, than became a SAG-legible actress and successfully started a new stage of her career. A Russian-American actress known for her roles in The Americans (seasons 5 & 6, FX network), police procedural Blue Bloods (season 7, CBS) and psychological thriller feature Impossible Monsters written about in The Hollywood Reporter. Her roles in the short films Watch Me and 9.8m/s2 (premiered at Cannes Film Festival) have brought festival awards and nominations: Best Actress (Queen Palm IFF, London City IFF), Best Film (Queen Palm IFF), Best Drama (New York Shorts IFF) & others.- 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.
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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»)
- Lyubov Aksyonova was born on 15 March 1990 in Moscow, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress, known for Coma (2019), Moscow Never Sleeps (2017) and Byvshie (2018). She has been married to Pavel Aksyonov since February 2013.
- Nikita Bogolyubov was born in Leningrad, USSR (now St. Petersburg, Russia). He had his first taste of being an entertainer from ice skating when he was only four years old. His family immigrated to the US when Nikita was only eight years old which allowed him to stay fluent in both English and Russian.
Nikita's television debut came from NBC's Prime Suspect (2011) where he had a scene opposite of Maria Bello. Wanting to showcase more of his versatility, he also worked in various projects at the American Film Institute (AFI).
For his feature film The Saratov Approach (2013), Larry King exclaimed at the premiere that Nikita "stole the movie" with his performance.
He has since been cast on ABC's Castle (2009), CBS' Scorpion (2014), FX's Legion (2017), HBO's Barry (2018) and NETFLIX's Iron Fist (2017). - Actress
- Producer
In 1998, Yekaterina Rednikova received a Nika award (the "Russian Oscar") for her performance in, "The Thief" by Pavel Chukrai. This was her first lead role. Yekaterina traveled with "The Thief" to Los Angeles, where it was nominated for "Best Foreign Language Picture" by the Academy. This role, for which she was called, "the Russian Liv Ullman" by Italian critics at the Venice film festival, led Katerina to pursue an international career.
Rednikova was born in Moscow, the daughter of an engineer, Valeriy Rednikov, and an accountant, Yelena Rednikova. Her older brother, Dmitriy, was a physicist and worked on the aftermath of the Chernobyl catastrophe before becoming a screenwriter.
Yekaterina stepped on a stage for the first time when she was 6 and played two small roles with one of the biggest theater companies in Moscow: Lenkom. One of the accomplished actors with whom she shared the stage wrote her an autograph that changed her life and encouraged her to become an actress.
Yekaterina entered the very competitive Russian Theater Academy (GITIS) at the age of 17. After graduating from the Theater Academy, she worked with several theater companies, more often in American classics such as "A Streetcar named Desire" and "Beyond the Horizon" than in Russian plays, which is ironic since Yekaterina is a relative of classic Russian playwright Anton Chekov.
After "The Thief", Yekaterina played lead roles in movies in Russia, Turkey, Great Britain and the United States. She was nominated for "best Turkish actress" at the Turkish Critic Awards in 2000 for her performance in the Turkish movie, "Balalayka", which was quite an accomplishment since she did not speak Turkish before arriving on set. In 2005, Yekaterina played the female lead opposite Daniel Craig in the BBC production, "Archangel".
Since 2003, Yekaterina has been living in Moscow and in Los Angeles. At the moment, she is preparing for the role of Raisa Gorbachev in the upcoming project, "Raisa", based on the life of former Russian President Michael Gorbachev.- Marina was born in Moscow and studied acting at the State Institute of Art and Theatre in Moscow. She graduated in 1986. She is now a well-known theatre actress in Russia, and she has played in 24 Russian movies for television and cinema. These included: "Valentin and Valentina", "Joys of the Youth", "Doubrovsky" "Along the Road with the Orchestra", "Limited Life", "Under the Northern Light" and "The Golden Fog."
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Inna Korobkina was born on 23 February 1981 in Magadan, Magadan region, RSFSR, USSR [now Russia]. She is an actress and producer, known for Dawn of the Dead (2004), Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008). She has been married to Steve Valentine since 28 August 2010. They have two children.- Writer
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Isaac Asimov was born Isaak Judah Ozimov, on January 2, 1920, in Petrovichi shtetl, near Smolensk, Russia. He was the oldest of three children. His father, named Judah Ozimov, and his mother, named Anna Rachel Ozimov (nee Berman), were Orthodox Jews. Ozimov family were millers (the name Ozimov comes from the eponymous sort of wheat in Russian). In 1923 Isaac with his parents immigrated to the USA and settled in Brooklyn, New York. There his parents temporarily changed his birthday to September 7, 1919, in order to send him to school a year earlier. Their family name was changed from Ozimov to Asimov.
Asimov was an avid reader before the age of 5. He spoke Yiddish and English at home with his parents and spoke only a few word in Russian. He began his formal education in 1925 in the New York Public School system. From 1930-1932 he was placed in the rapid advance course. In 1935 he graduated from high school, in 1939 received a B.S. and in 1941 he earned his M. Sc. in Chemistry from Columbia University. From 1942-1945 Asimov was a chemist at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard's Naval Air experimental station. After the war ended, he was drafted into the U.S. Army and was transfered to the island of Oahu and was destined to participate in the atomic bomb tests at Bikini Atoll in July 1946. He narrowly avoided that by receiving an honorable discharge in May 1946. In 1948 he completed his post-graduate studies and earned his Ph. D. in Chemistry. In 1949 he began his teaching career at the Medical School of Boston University, becoming assistant professor in 1951, and associate professor in 1955. In 1958 Asimov became a full-time writer and gave up his teaching duties because his income from his literary works was much greater than his professor's salary. He was fired, but he retained his title and later returned as a lecturer and was promoted to the rank of full professor in 1979. Asimov was considered one of the best lecturers at Boston University.
Young Isaac Asimov was raised as a non-religious person. His parents observed the Orthodox Judaism, but did not force their belief upon young Asimov. He did not have affiliation with a temple, did not have a bar mizvah and called himself an atheist, then used the term "humanist" in his later life. He did not oppose genuine religious convictions in others but opposed superstitious or unfounded beliefs. Asimov defined his intellectual position as a Humanist and rationalist. He opposed the Vietnam war in the 1960s and was a supporter of the Democratic party. He embraced environmental issues, and supported feminism, joking that he wished women to be free "because I hate it when they charge". He was also humorous about many of his memberships in various clubs and foundations. Asimov did not approve exclusionary societies, he left Mensa after he found that many of the members were arrogant. He liked individuality and stayed in groups where he enjoyed giving speeches. As a free thinker, Asimov saw sci-fi literature serving as a pool where ideas and hypotheses are expressed with unrestricted intellectual freedom.
Young Asimov was fascinated with science fiction magazines which were sold at his parent's general store. Around the age of 11 he wrote eight chapters of a fiction about adventures of young boys in a small town. His first publication was "Marooned Off Vesta" in the Amazing Stories magazine in 1939. Asimov shot to fame in 1941 with 'Nightfall', a story of a planet where night comes once every 2049 years. 'Nightfall' has been described as one of the best science fiction stories ever written. Asimov wrote over five hundred literary works. He is credited for introducing the words "positronic", "psychohistory", and "robotics" into the English language. He penned such classics as "I, Robot" and the "Foundation" series, which are considered to be the most impressive of his writings. He also founded "Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine", which became a best-selling publication.
Asimov was afraid of needles and the sight of blood. Although he had the highest score on the intelligence test he had the lowest score on the physical-conditioning test. He never learned how to swim or ride a bicycle. The author who described spaceflights suffered from fear of flying. In his entire life he had to fly only twice during his military service. Acrophobia was revealed when he took his date and first love on a roller coaster in 1940, and was terrified. This phobia complicated the logistics and limited the range over which he traveled; it also found reflection in some of his literary works. He avoided traveling long distances. Instead he enjoyed cruise ships like the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2, where he occasionally entertained passengers with his science-themed talks. He impressed public with his highly entertaining speeches as well as with his sharp sense of timing; he never looked at the clock, but he spoke for precisely the time allocated. Asimov's sense of time prevented him from ever being late to a meeting. Once he discovered that his parents changed his date of birth, he insisted that the official records of his birthday be corrected to January 2, 1920, the date he personally celebrated throughout his life.
Asimov met Gertrude Blugherman on a blind date on Valentine's Day in February of 1942, they got married in July of the same year. The Asimovs had two children, son David (born in 1951), and daughter Robyn Joan (born in 1955). Asimov had known Janet Opal Jeppson since 1959. She was a psychoanalyst and also a writer of science fiction for children. Correspondence with her convinced Asimov that she was the right kind of person for him. He and Gertrude were separated in 1970, and he moved in with Janet Jappeson almost at once. His first marriage ended in divorce in 1973. That same year he and Janet Jeppson were married at Janet's home by an official of Ethical Culture Society. Asimov had no children by his second marriage.
In 1983 Asimov contracted HIV infection from a tainted blood transfusion received during a triple bypass surgery. He eventually developed AIDS and wanted to go public about his AIDS but his doctors convinced Asimov to remain silent. The specific cause of death was heart and renal failure as complications of AIDS. He died on April 6, 1992, in Boston, Massachussets, and was cremated. His ashes were scattered.
Ten years after Asimov's death, his widow, Janet Jeppson Asimov, revealed that his death was a consequence of an unfortunately contracted AIDS.- Actor
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Actor, director, screenwriter, recording artist, musician, composer, producer, X-Factor and Dancing With The Stars Winner, car wreck and massive stroke survivor, Alex's credits are nothing short of mind-blowing. Having over 30 European films under his belt, Alex also stars in the third and forth season of popular American series UnREAL on Lifetime Channel, and Netflix show Space Force on the side of Steve Carell and John Malkovich.
The global rising star that is Alex Sparrow, is on a seemingly unstoppable trajectory of success and earth staggering talent.
It's a a rare find in the entertainment business to see one individual not only engage in, but conquer, a plethora of fields - actor, director, screenwriter, recording artist, musician, composer, producer, arranger.
Born in Russia and raised in the family of Austrian Baron Alexis von Gecmen-Waldek, Sparrow's early training included Moscow Jazz College, followed by Moscow Art Theatre Studio School (MHAT).
Showing the young generation that a healthy lifestyle and positive mental attitude is a recipe for success, in 2007 Alex was appointed Good Will Ambassador to the United Nations for all Anti-AIDS Programs under jurisdiction of U.N.F.P.A.
His dedication to his all round craft saw him add 'professional stuntman' to his name through his study at Mosfilm Studios. Already a multi-instrumentalist and skilled in dancing in a myriad of styles, Alex was committed to further development and excellence in the film world. In his new home of L.A, he completed both Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop and studied at the Ivana Chubbuck Studio.
Truckloads of natural ability fostered with endless hard work certainly paid off. Amongst some of his most impressive mainstream achievements, Sparrow's respective wins of "X-factor', 'Dancing with the Stars', and twice Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards as 'Favourite Actor' surely put him in a stand out category of his own.
And if that wasn't enough, his music video "She's Crazy But She's Mine" (written, performed, directed and starring Alex himself) quickly going viral across the globe, now boasts more then 980 million views on Facebook, and 302 million plus on YouTube.
Perhaps it's this gifted Eastern European's accomplishments in film that have earned him the most critical acclaim. A three-time 'Best Score Award' winner and several acting gongs, Alex composed the music for the European co-produced film "The House of Others", a multiple award winning post-war drama that was a Georgian Oscars and Golden Globe entry in 2017, also receiving the most prestigious US Spotlight Award and Satellite Award.
Just beginning to take his first steps on the way to his International career he got into an accident, leaving the left side of his body paralyzed. During a year and a half of rehabilitation, he had to work hard to get his life back, and had to learn many things like singing from scratch again. While the doctors were saying that it's very unlikely he would ever be able to continue with acting and show business, Alex was trying to find a new place behind the camera as a director and screenwriter. In 2013, the moment he was able to work again, he made his first short movie, called "DAD"- as screenwriter, director, editor and composer, and gets with it numerous Awards on International Film Festivals. Alex has made it - today he is back on stage, proving the doctors wrong. With that fierce imagination, anything-is-possible attitude and boundless capabilities to turn captivating ideas into reality on any medium, there's no telling what Alex Sparrow will do next.