Andrey Sviridov has always been in the center of attention. But this is not because his height is 2 meters and 12 centimeters, and his weight is more than centner, it is hard not to notice him. Apart from gladiatorial racy appearance God gave also Andrey the sense of the game. Not of basketball, though in this game he also achieved a lot — he became the European champion. God gave Sviridov the sense of performance on the stage, the gift of an actor, felt by the sportsman but until the time comes kept for him.— You know, I have never been a joker and a humorist, never was, but I liked draw games, baits, I liked playing. That is why when I understood because of the trauma that I won’t be able to make my carrier in NBA, I didn’t ponder over my future for long. I came back from America to Minsk, looked into my mother’s eyes and told her: “Mom, I will come to Hollywood and will become an actor…”
— Wow! And she?
— She is intelligent, furthermore she knew that if I decided, this would be a good deal.
Andrey was always distinguished by his determination either on the basketball ground and in life. He came in New-York with 20 dollars in his pocket. His acquaintances (seven times removed) helped him to make up a bed and fixed him up for a job as a bouncer. And then Andrey was spinning by himself. As he could.
— Los Angeles is a city of actors and waiters, not angels. Thousands of people dreaming of a carrier of an actor work hard as deep-sea chefs and waiters waiting for a chance... For the majority of them exactly this role becomes a leading one, and they play it all their life. It is really difficult to a casual man to get into the whirlpool of film industry. When I worked in New-York as a body-guard at loose hours I importuned the studios, knocked at closed doors with a view to be noticed. Then, in a year, I moved to Los Angeles. Here everybody try to be actors. Hundreds of agencies, thousands of craving people…
— Dream factory...
— Exactly, factory of dreams. I also began here as a bodyguard — I accompanied actors to the parties and presentations. I got a lot of money and this, at least, allowed not worrying about future. Besides, I always was in the limelight. You won’t believe me: I came almost through hundreds of castings with a view to get some role.
He got the role.
— I was lucky. Once on the street I bumped head and head with two guys. They needed a big character. They told me: “Come, we will look what you can”. It was frightful, but at the same time insanely interesting. I passed the tests and got a big role in a mystique film “Fairy-tales from the past”. I thought that with my dimensions I will have to play only utter scoundrels from Russia: to curse in Russia, to depict a complete crud, to make impudent attempts to destroy the whole world, and in final, twitching in fits, to die horrible and not a heroic death at all... But I got a positive image of an ancient viking. And this is a great luck. And as for mafia... There was a story. It happened that I could have filmed by Deni De Vito. He just looked for an actor to play the role of a slaughterous guy from Russian mafia. But he saw him as a small and hollow man of a rather sleazy appearance. As you understand, I didn’t match these parameters.
So his career in cinema began, and a new life of Andrey Sviridov. He was noticed. He filmed in clips of Enrique Iglesias and Robby Williams. A famous Russian actor (the late) Andrey Krasko paid attention to a big Belarusian guy during the shot of a television serial “U.Е.”, which took place in Los Angeles. They got acquainted, Andrey played the role of a Russian gangster in this television serial and so it continued…
In search of a real, big role he moved to Moscow and Krasko became his producer, a big actor of small height distinguished in big dimensions of Sviridov big potential of an actor. But, unfortunately, the heart of Krasko failured and he died on the film set …
And Sviridov, as if paying his debt to his friend, continues filming. A new film with his participation appeared — “Nevaliashka”. This is a moving history about a Russian boxer — professional, who tossed a challenge to a unconquerable American champion.
— My role is not a leading one, but rather a remarkable one. Nevaliashka is a nickname of a Russian Ivan. He is not tall, not deep-chested, but it is impossible to strike him down, he constantly gets up and continues the fight. And an American champion is huge. In order Nevaliashka to prepare better, I was prescribed for him as a sparring-partner. I like my role, it is so characteristic and not simple. I hope that it will give my career an impetus…
We will also hope for this. Agree, you not often meet a man with such a destiny as Andrey Sviridov has. He was the European champion, worked as a bouncer, and was a personal bodyguard of John Travolta, and filmed in the clips of the best musicians and recommended himself in the cinema. Who knows, may be soon Andrey will go on the red carpet in Cannes not as a bodyguard but as the pretender on the palm-branch. And the author wishes him this from his heart…
Sergey Kanashits
