At the end of the day, we are all humans.
When I came to L.A., I absolutely fell in love with the energy of the place. It's such a creative hub, so as a storyteller, there's nothing better than when you're surrounded by people who think like you and have the same goals as you.
If there's an opportunity to tell a story through acting or directing or cinematography or a book, I will embrace that opportunity.
Something happens when two people look at each other, and they have a cellular connection. It's like when their hearts connect as well as their souls.
When you watch people when they're relaxed, that's when you learn the most about them. That's when you really learn about who they really are.
We are driven by the same fears and the same loves and the same ambitions and the same desires, whatever language we speak.
It's inspiring being surrounded by people who do more than you. It makes you want to do better. You're in the position to learn from the best.
For film and theater, you know how the story starts; you know how the story ends. With TV, you don't. It's literally like living real life in character.
The way the educational system in Russia works is studying a foreign language is part of the program, so by the time you get to the age of 10, you pick up another language. I speak a bit of Russian, a bit of English, a bit of Spanish a bit of French.
Something happens when two people from the same country, sharing the same heritage, meet and connect.
I don't see myself as an actor. I see myself as a storyteller.
It's always nice when someone you don't know comes up to you and says a couple nice things about your work. It's always a pleasure.
You create this human being, and then you are that human being for the next six months. It's amazing. I think that's the blessing and the curse of being an actor. You get to be pretty much anything you want to be.
