Netflix, George Clooney and a BAFTA nomination: interesting facts from the life of Ukrainian actor Oleksandr Rudynskyi

In 2019, Ukraine released the TV series "The First Swallows," starring a young actor from the Ivan Franko National Drama Theater, Oleksandr Rudynskyi. The project was successful and gave Oleksandr a "ticket to life."

After that, he starred in Oleh Sentsov's film "Rhino," in Netflix's Decameron, got a role in George Clooney's "The Agency," and was nominated for a Bafta Award.

Oleksandr Rudynskyi tells OBOZ.UA how he got to his success.

Childhood in Mykolaiv, theater and film debut

Oleksandr Rudynskyi was born on July 23, 1996 in Mykolaiv. In addition to attending a regular high school and a lyceum, the future actor graduated from a local art school and was involved in ballroom dancing and mixed martial arts.

After graduating from the lyceum, at the age of 18, he entered the Karpenko-Kary Kyiv National University of Theater, Cinema, and Television. After graduation, the aspiring actor joined the troupe of the Ivan Franko Theater and has been working there ever since.

Personal life

At the university, Oleksandr met his future wife Maria. She was his classmate.

In 2020, the couple got married and in the same year they had their first child, a son, Petro.

First successes in cinema

In 2016, Rudynskyi's debut film was Yulia Pavlova's Independence Day. The Bun Family" – a drama based on real events of the Second World War. The actor became famous in Ukraine for the national TV series about teenagers "The First Swallows" (2019), where he played one of the main roles.

In 2021, Oleh Sentsov offered Oleksandr a supporting role in the film about the 90s, Rhino. The film was a success at several international festivals and received good reviews from critics.

After that, Rudynskyi starred in several more domestic films (Best Weekend, Stay Online).

"Decameron" and George Clooney

A real breakthrough in the actor's career was his role in the American project "Decameron" on Netflix, where he played in three episodes.

Later, Oleksandr was successfully cast in George Clooney's "The Agency," where he played a Ukrainian military man and worked with famous actors Michael Fassbender, Richard Gere, and Jeffrey Wright.

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