Why a Hollywood actor & mime moved to Russia

Actor Randy King moved to Russia in the 1990s, when he was almost 40 years old. It was a difficult choice, but now, the American admits that God himself led him to Russia. After 30 years of living there, Randy has become a true patriot of his new homeland and almost Russian himself.

First time in Russia & first Russian friend

Randy first came to Russia in 1993, as part of a Christian mission to tell biblical stories by mime. 

The actor says he’ll remember that first day forever. As a child, he saw Russia and the Red Square only through black-and-white TV and imagined it gloomy and gray.

“And it's actually red! And there are so many other colors around! St. Basil's Cathedral alone is worth it! I felt then that I was inside the story, I was a participant in it. It was a shock! A mystery!”

Randy traveled to Russia several more times. Once, he became friends with a Russian guy named Sergei Sorokin, who was also interested in pantomime art.

Since then, they have been performing together in various Russian cities at birthday parties, town festivals and weddings.

Entering the Russian life

It was Sergei who introduced Randy to traditional Russian life. He took him to his dacha (countryside house) to harvest potatoes and steam in the banya (bathhouse). He taught him how to stand in waiting lines (as it was the early 1990s and there was a deficit everywhere), ride buses during rush hour, eat herring on black bread and drink ‘kissel’, a jelly-like berry mocktail.

So, in 30 years, an American turned into a Russian. And, now, he easily crosses the road on a red light: “There is no one around!” he laughs.

It turned out that, even in the genre of pantomime, there are plots understandable only to Russians. For example, the gesture when a person holds a hand on to the handrail in transport and almost falls down being pushed by a crowd. In Russia, everyone has experienced this and Russians find it funny. 

“In America, there is zero reaction: everyone drives cars there, other realities.”

Why Russia? 

Randy grew up in Alabama and had a passion for mime from a young age. But, everyone, including his parents, said, “Hey, what kind of nonsense did you pick for yourself?! Who needs that in our little town?”

So, he had to become a “classic” actor. In the future, he would even star in small roles in Hollywood movies, such as ‘Spider-Man. Homecoming’ (2017) and ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ (2017).  

“When I was in Russia for the first time and performed a pantomime, my heart broke, because, here, the audience understood and accepted me!”

Then, Randy was faced with a choice: he wanted to go to Russia, but felt that the door to the U.S. would close forever. The actor was a regular at church, so he asked God what he should do.

“And I made the right choice and I'm very grateful that everything happened this way.”

Why Ivanovo, not Moscow?

Randy was invited to the relatively small town of Ivanovo, 400 kilometers north of Moscow, by an American who lived there. “Then, he left, but I had already become an ‘Ivanovian’. I learned the history of this city and fell in love with it.” 

At first, many things surprised him: for example, the abundance of “stone heads”, that is, bust-monuments. And, he researched: who is this person, why does he need to know about this person?

In Ivanovo, a slow unhurried life and convenience attracted the American. 

“Moscow is like the U.S., everyone is running, there are a lot of people, I don't want to live like that. Here, I can take a stroll along the embankment of the Uvod River and think about my work while walking. I am glad that, in Ivanovo, there are still many quiet and beautiful places for walking. But, how long will they be preserved, I don't know, because…” Randy says, finishing up his speech with a pantomime depicting how houses grow and eat up the little man.

Russian wife

In the ‘City of Brides’, as Ivanovo is frequently nicknamed, Randy found a Russian wife. This is his second marriage and they met as already mature people. Lyudmila studied dance taught by the American and they began to hang out. 

“She helps me with everything. And even tolerates some peculiarities. For example, I really like shoes. I have a huge shelf of them and she only has a few. And I have a lot of red clothes. And not just red, but fiery, it's my color, it fills me with life.”

Randy didn't see any particular difference between Russian and American women. “Well, maybe women here like to cook more. It's not so common in the U.S.”

Randy still doesn't speak Russian very well. “Russian grammar is very difficult. If you learn it when you're young, it's a little bit easier, but, when I came here, I was almost 40 years old and I only knew the word ‘PECTOPAH’, you could eat there.” A ‘restaurant’ if you read the Russian letters in English.

How an American became a Russian patriot

Randy has four children and many grandchildren he left behind in the U.S., so he regularly travels back to his homeland.

“Sometimes, when someone says something bad about Russia, I step in and defend Russia.”

Many believe Randy became a greater patriot than the Russians themselves. 

“My heart is here, I love this country. People who talk bad about it usually haven't seen much of it, they've lived in one place all their lives and repeat what's pushed to them from the TV. They are like parrots. And I have experience, I have seen many countries, people, ways of life. And I am constantly learning and want to know more. This is also, by the way, a Russian trait.”

The full version of the interview was published in Russian in the ‘Nation’ magazine.