Yura Borisov’s Powerful Style in ‘Anora’
In the Oscar-nominated film Anora, Russian actor Yura Borisov played a character who didn’t need to speak much but whose presence said it all.
Borisov played Igor, a Russian henchman tasked with retrieving the son of a wealthy oligarch who has run off with Brooklyn sex worker Anora.
Igor breaks into a mansion where Anora and her lover Vanya (Mark Eidelshteyn) are hiding. When he tries to restrain Anoura, she begins to lash out in fear and anger.
To make the scene look real, Borisov asked actress Mickey Madison (who plays Anora) to hit him as hard as she could. When asked if she was hurt, she laughed out loud—a testament to her deep commitment.
Yura Borisov: The sensitivity hidden behind the toughness
“I can’t be hurt,” says Borisov. “I’m a man.” But his character, Igor, is much more complex than that.
It would be wrong to think of Igor, who lives with his grandmother in the Russian immigrant community of Brighton Beach, as just a brutal henchman. “I was trying to show that someone can be tough on the outside but extremely kind on the inside. We are all fragile and sensitive—and that’s absolutely OK,” explains Borisov.
‘Anora’ and Borisov lead Oscar race
As the story progresses, Igor is no longer just a violent character but emerges as a complex and ambiguous romantic interest.
The film Anora is a frontrunner in the Oscar race, with six nominations, including Best Picture. Borisov is also nominated for Best Supporting Actor, becoming the first Russian actor to be nominated for an acting Oscar since 1977.
The magic of Yura Borisov: Audiences embraced his character
Director Sean Baker, who also wrote the screenplay, says: “I have to thank Yura for making my character so wonderful. He made Igor more than just a Russian henchman—a character with depth and emotional complexity. People really fell in love with his character, and that’s thanks to Borisov’s brilliant performance.”
Was Igor just a goon? Borisov’s questions and Baker’s interpretation
Before filming, Borisov struggled with questions about his character. “He kept asking me, ‘Is my character a gopnik?'” Baker recalls.
The director explained, “People may think you are a goon, but actually it is a compulsion of the situation. You had to do some such things, because of which people see you as a goon, but the reality is much more complicated than this.”
Borisov’s deep thinking: adding emotional layers to Igor’s character
Director Sean Baker explains that Yura Borisov was very sensitive about what kind of role Igor would ultimately play in Anora’s life. He came up with several ideas to give the character more depth. At the end of the film, Igor reveals that he has just turned 30—a suggestion Borisov himself came up with.
In Russian culture, the 30th birthday is considered an important sign of adulthood, and Borisov felt this would make Igor’s character more realistic. Similarly, in a late-night scene, Igor sits in a diner and hungrily stuffs his mouth with a burger—this was also Borisov’s idea. “He did it without a spit bucket!” Baker marveled.
Borisov’s popularity in Brighton Beach made filming easier
When the team was location scouting in Brighton Beach, Borisov was recognized by his fans, and crowds flocked to take selfies. His popularity was so great that it helped the crew secure Russian restaurant ‘Tatiana Grill’ as a filming location
In addition, Borisov made another important suggestion—he recommended casting Russian actor Mark Eidelshteyn as Ivan (Vanya), the spoiled son of an oligarch and Annie’s immature husband.
Shooting in the US: Wartime visa process added tension
Baker admits that bringing Borisov and Eidelshteyn to the US was not easy. “It was Yura and Mark. I couldn’t imagine making the film without them,” he said.
But getting a work visa wasn’t easy. “It was really complicated, especially during the war,” he admitted.
The Russian Ryan Gosling: Borisov’s rising star
Director Sean Baker says that when he saw the Finnish film Compartment No. 6 at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021, he was convinced that Borisov was the perfect choice for the role of Igor. In that film, Borisov played a young coal miner traveling on a train, which clearly reflected the depth and spontaneity of his acting.
Becker jokingly calls him the “Russian Ryan Gosling.”.
Borisov’s inclination towards theater amid family doubts
Borisov, 32, was born on the outskirts of Moscow, where his family came from a background of engineers and doctors. But when he decided to make theater a career, the family was skeptical.
“They said, ‘Are you crazy? This is impossible! How can you make money? You need crazy luck.'” Borisov recalls.
Despite this, he wrote a letter to his mother and promised her that the decision would prove to be right for her. “My goal is to share my art with the people I love and spread my passion among them,” he says.
From ordinary roles to international success
Borisov began his career playing the roles of soldiers in films and TV projects funded by the Russian government. But he gradually carved out a niche, playing leading roles in international arthouse films.
“Suddenly, he was everywhere,” says Elina Sattarova, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California who researches contemporary Russian cinema and its political ramifications.
Sattarova also believes Borisov worked hard to establish himself as a method actor, which made his roles even more impressive.
Yuri Borisov: Passion for acting and reactions to Oscar nomination
In 2020, during an interview with famous YouTuber Yuri Dud, Borisov spoke openly about the intense preparation he had to do to get into character. He revealed that at one point he was even considering having all of his teeth removed so that he could use dentures for various roles.**
However, he ultimately did not do so, as explained by Elina Sattarova, an assistant professor at the University of Southern California.
Mixed reactions to Oscar nomination
Reactions to Borisov’s Oscar nomination were mixed in the former Soviet Union.
“Seeing Russia in the news in a context other than war is certainly encouraging for some people,” says Sattarova. Many described the joyous reactions of Borisov’s family and friends to his nomination as “very emotional.”
However, some expressed “disbelief and confusion that this is actually happening.”
Russian government and Borisov’s stance
Russia’s state news agency TASS asked the Kremlin if Borisov’s Oscar nomination marked the end of the “cancellation of Russian culture” by the West. The Kremlin spokesman’s brief response to this was “No.”
No plans to leave Russia
Although Borisov is open to working in international films, he has no intention of leaving Russia.
In his new film, which recently premiered, he plays the famous Russian writer Alexander Pushkin.
In the film’s trailer, his dialogue as Pushkin makes his thoughts clear:**
“My fame will spread beyond the borders of my country.”
