Grigoriy Dobrygin is awesome (and refused to do a love scene in this!)
I just saw this movie again, and enjoyed it even more. Grigoriy Dobrygin (Issa) is just incredible - I absolutely love this actor. Handsome yes, but seriously talented. I've seen a few of his other movies, and he completely transformed himself into Issa. I read that that they tried to add a sex scene with Rachel McAdams but he argued against it, saying it would have been completely out of character for Issa. He was right - a love scene would have been wholly unrealistic (and cheesy). The scene they had where they kind of awkwardly hold each her after they play chess, and he's shaking, was perfect and believable.
I could be wrong, I can't think of any other famous Russian actors who really made it in Hollywood. I think he could be the first?
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Higgins was right.
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