Not many Americans will have known Russian actor Yura Borisov before watching Sean Baker’s well-regarded dramedy Anora, for which Borisov has already been receiving awards attention. In fact, he’s actually one of Russia’s biggest stars with an acting career that goes back over twenty years.

Any Americans that do know Borisov might remember him from Juho Kuosmanen’s romantic drama, Compartment Number 6, which was Finland’s Oscar submission back in 2021. It was that appearance that inspired Baker to cast Borisov as Igor, a Russian goon unlike any other one we’ve seen in an American film. Igor isn’t just violent or brutish, and when he’s sent to annul the marriage between Mikey Madison’s titular Brighton Beach stripper and the young son of a Russian oligarch, we see a character who is a far more sensitive and caring person than we normally might expect.

Borisov’s scenes with Madison, who has been considered an Oscar frontrunner for Baker’s film, bring so much poignancy and emotions throughout the film’s journey, so it may not be surprising that Borisov himself might receive a supporting Oscar nomination. 

Cinema Daily US had a chance to speak with Borisov, whose unforgettable presence  in Anora should be a good sign of seeing him in more American films, similar to Barkhad Abdi’s Oscar-nominated turn in Captain Phillips opposite Tom Hanks ten years ago. He told us about his experiences filming in Brooklyn and working with Ms. Madison, but also the fact that filming Anora was his very first time in the United States. 

Anora is now playing in theaters nationwide, and it’s likely to expand even wider once more awards and nominations are announced in December. You can also read Cinema Daily US’s interview with Sean Baker, in which he talks about first casting Yura. 

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Screenwriter/Director: Sean Baker

Cast: Mikey Madison, Mark Eidelshtein, Karren Karagulian, Yura Borisov, Paul Weissman, Nazar Khamis, Luna Sofía Miranda

Producer: Sean Baker, Samanthan Quan, Alex Coco, Olivia Kavanaugh

Production Co: Cre FIlm, FilmNation Entertainment

Distributor: NEON

Rating: R (Strong Sexual Content Throughout|Graphic Nudity|Pervasive Language|Drug Use)

Genre: Comedy, Drama

Language: English, Russian, Armenian

Release Date (Theaters): October 18, 2024 (limited)

Runtime: 2 hours 19 minutes

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You can watch the trailer  below: