If Anora is a cockeyed contemporary reconfiguration of the Cinderella story, then actor Yura Borisov is its Prince Charming. Not that you would know it from the way he first slinks on-screen, silent and watchful.
In the film, Borisov plays Igor, hired muscle meant to assist in smoothing out a rough situation when Ivan (Mark Eydelshteyn), the reckless playboy son of a Russian oligarch, impulsively marries a New York stripper named Anora (Mikey Madison). But it is Igor who begins to truly see Anora, noticing that her tough exterior hides something tender inside.
The same is true for Igor.
“For me, he’s human,” Borisov, 32, says in a Zoom call from his home in Moscow. “And I want to believe that every human could be like that. I want to do characters that are better than me. I want to do characters that could give to humanity – to give people hope. And that’s why, of course, I love Igor. He’s like a lighthouse for me.”
Anora has received six Oscar nominations, for best picture, lead actress (for Madison) and supporting actor (for Borisov), and best directing, original screenplay and editing – all for US independent filmmaker Sean Baker.