Sergei Bodrov Jr. facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sergei Bodrov Jr. Сергей Бодров (младший)
Bodrov Jr. as Danila Bagrov in Brother 2
Born	(1971-12-27)December 27, 1971 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	September 20, 2002(2002-09-20) (aged 30) Karmadon Gorge, North Ossetia–Alania, Russia
Years active	1989–2002
Spouse(s)	Svetlana Mihailova ​ (m. 1997)​
Children	2 (including Olga Bodrova)
Parent(s)	Sergei Bodrov (father)

Sergei Sergeyevich Bodrov (Russian: Сергей Сергеевич Бодров; December 27, 1971 – September 20, 2002), also known as Sergei Bodrov Jr., was a famous Russian actor. He was also a director and screenwriter. Sergei is best known for his main roles in popular films like Brother and Brother 2. He also starred in Prisoner of the Mountains and East/West. Sergei was the son of the well-known Russian director and writer, Sergei Bodrov. He sadly passed away during the filming of his movie The Messenger due to a natural disaster.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up in Moscow

Sergei Bodrov was born in Moscow, Russia, on December 27, 1971. His father, Sergei Bodrov, was a film director. His mother, Valentina Nikolayevna, was an expert in fine art. Sergei Jr. believed that childhood was a very important time. He felt that the first sixteen years of life shaped who a person would become. Some stories say that when he was little, Bodrov wanted to be a garbageman. He even wanted to drive an orange truck!

School and University

Sergei went to a special school in Moscow that taught in French. Later, in 2012, a special plaque was put up at the school to remember him.

Bodrov thought about going to a film school. However, his father told him that filmmaking is a strong passion. If he didn't feel that passion, he should wait or choose another path. So, in 1989, Sergei went to Moscow State University. He studied art history there. He graduated with high honors. He even continued his studies after graduating. He learned to see beauty in everyday things around him.

Even after becoming an actor, he finished his advanced degree in 1998. His paper was about "Architecture in Venetian Renaissance Painting." He earned a special degree called Candidate of Sciences.

In 1991, while still a student, Bodrov studied art in Italy. He worked as a lifeguard there to earn money. This helped him travel around the country. He once said that his education helped him see more in cities. Instead of just shops, he knew about amazing paintings in museums. He felt that spending a day with art added to his life.

Acting Career

First Acting Roles

Sergei's first acting job was in his father's film, Freedom is Paradise, in 1989. He was only on screen for a few minutes. He played a small role as a young lawbreaker. While at university, he also had a tiny part in the 1992 movie White King, Red Queen. He played a bellhop.

Prisoner of the Mountains

In 1995, his father went to Dagestan to film Prisoner of the Mountains. Sergei asked to go along and help with any job. But, unexpectedly, he ended up playing one of the main characters! He played a young soldier named Vanya Zhilin. He acted alongside Oleg Menshikov, who played another soldier. Bodrov and Menshikov both won an award for best actor at the Kinotavr film festival.

Sergei himself never really called himself an actor. He often said, "I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor, I'm not an actor." He felt that being an actor was different. For him, a role was not just a job. It was something deeper.

Hosting Vzglyad

From 1996 to 1999, Bodrov hosted a TV show called Vzglyad on Channel One. He felt that the show taught him a lot. He met many people and heard many stories. He believed that if he could help two or three people, the show did good.

In 1997, Sergei married Svetlana Mikhailova. She was also involved in television projects. Their daughter, Olga, was born in 1998. Their son, Alexander, was born in 2002.

The Brother Films

At a film festival in 1996, Sergei met director Aleksei Balabanov. Balabanov invited him to work on his new film, Brother. The movie was released in 1997. Sergei played the main character, Danila Bagrov.

Some critics did not like the movie. They said it had ideas that were not good. However, Bodrov explained his character. He saw Danila as a simple person. He stood up for his friends and respected women.

The music for the movie was by the Russian rock band Nautilus Pompilius. Sergei enjoyed their music. Despite some arguments, the movie was very popular. It won many awards at film festivals. Bodrov himself won Best Actor awards in Sochi and Chicago. For many young people in Russia, Danila Bagrov became a hero.

In 2000, the sequel Brother 2 was released. Bodrov played Danila Bagrov again. Critics again had mixed feelings. But Bodrov said the movie's main idea was simple. It was about showing that Russians were not "freaks."

Other Notable Roles

In 1998 and 1999, Sergei acted in two smaller films. One was The Stringer, a film made with the UK. He played Vadik Chernyshov, a journalist who wanted to film interesting stories. He also starred in East/West. In this film, he played Sasha, a neighbor in a shared apartment.

In 2001, Bodrov went to California. He filmed his father's movie The Quickie. Sergei played Dima, a security chief. While filming, he wrote the script for his first movie as a director, Sisters. His father gave him the idea. Sergei wrote the script in just two weeks! The movie is about two sisters, Sveta (13) and Dina (8). They get caught up in their father's past troubles. Sergei also played a small part in the film. Sisters won a Grand Prix award for "best debut" at a festival in Sochi.

In late 2001, Bodrov became the host of the game show Last Hero. Sixteen people were on an island in Panama. They competed in challenges. The last person to stay won a big prize. Bodrov believed the show was about more than just hunger. It was about how strong people were inside. It showed if they could stay kind in tough situations.

In 2001, he also filmed Balabanov's movie War. Bodrov had a short role as Captain Medvedev. The movie was released in 2002. It won an award, and Bodrov won the Nika Award for best supporting role.

His father's film Bear's Kiss was released in November 2002. Bodrov played Misha, a bear who magically turns into a human.

The Messenger and Tragic End

In July 2002, Bodrov began working on his second film as a director. The movie was called The Messenger. He described it as a philosophical story about two friends. They were romantics and adventurers. He said it would also have bandits and hostages, like real life. Sergei was the writer, director, and main actor in this film.

In September, the film crew arrived in Vladikavkaz. On September 20, they were filming in a women's prison. Around 7 p.m., they stopped filming because it was getting too dark. Then, a terrible natural event happened. A huge block of ice fell from Mount Jimara. It crashed onto the Kolka Glacier. This caused a massive flow of mud and large rocks. This mudflow covered the Karmadon Gorge, where the film crew was working. A huge search and rescue effort was launched. However, it was unsuccessful. 135 people died, including Sergei Bodrov.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Serguéi Bodrov (hijo) para niños

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