Vlad Prokhorov: 'We Had Chemistry' with Older Love

You probably know 28-year-old actor Vlad Prokhorov from his role as Sergei Zhukov in the film “Hands Up!” (18+) or have seen him in the series “Univer. Young” (18+), where he played Fedya Sychev. Vlad’s childhood was spent in the working-class district of Motovilikha; he was raised by his grandparents because his parents died. After school, Vlad moved to Moscow, but he still returns to his native Perm with joy. This year, the actor became the star hero of the People’s Award from 59.RU. We met with him and asked about filming, an unusual tattoo on his chest, and what brings him closer to his beloved, who is 21 years older than him.

Grew Up in Motovilikha

Vlad spent his childhood in the working-class district of Motovilikha. He lost his parents early and was raised by his grandparents, who worked in the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The boy was interested in music and attended a music school, but never went to the theater. That did not stop him from entering several universities in the capital, impressing the admissions committee at each one.

Vlad started working early and took any odd job: as a camp counselor, and as an assembler of car seat covers at a factory. When he was finishing his institute in Moscow, he got a job at a funeral home.

“I worked there not for the money, but to observe and uncover some stories,” the actor told 59.RU. “Funerals are a separate world, rituals.”

“The first thing I did after the airport was go home to my grandparents”

This time we asked Vlad about shooting the new series “Red Shambala” (18+), where he plays the lead role, his childhood without parents, life values, and the chemistry in his relationship with his beloved, who is 21 years older.

— Vlad, you are from Motovilikha, where your grandparents live. Will you have time to visit them?

— The first thing I did after the airport was go home to my grandparents, dropped my suitcase there, and came to the People’s Award. That’s why I’m not taking anything from the buffet: grandma made my favorite crab salad, fed me okroshka with meat and mashed potatoes with chicken. With such juicy chicken... After the event, I’ll go home, and tomorrow — to Moscow for filming.

— What filming are you doing now?

— We are shooting a teaser. It’s not clear yet whether this story will continue, so I’m not naming it. I’m also filming the series “Red Shambala” (18+). It’s a big serious project — not a typical detective story, but something post-futuristic, fantastical, related to the theory of the underworld.

My character does boxing, he is athletic, and I perform all the stunts myself. There are many dramatic scenes that I haven’t been given to play before. There are also serious moments that I uncovered in myself. I thought, how will I do this, how to act? But it turns out my psyche can produce such things. It was a revelation for me.

In the series “Red Shambala” (18+) directed by Kirill Belevich, Vlad Prokhorov plays the lead role of young investigator Klim Shumny, who receives an unusual case. Strange evidence, coincidences, and people who defy the laws of science draw Klim into a story connected to a large-scale Soviet-era experiment. The deeper he delves into what’s happening, the more obvious it becomes: this is about a secret that could change the understanding of humanity and its potential.

About the second part of ‘Hands Up!’ and a mishap on the set of a fairy tale

— And in which films will we see you in the near future?

— I recently finished shooting the second part of the film ‘Hands Up!’ (18+). The film will be richer and much more interesting than the first. The second part also has many dramatic heavy moments that I haven’t fully recovered from yet; it was hard to get into.

— When will it be released?

— In autumn, along with the series ‘The Gudovs’ (16+), shot by the studio Russian Code, formerly known as Good Story Media, where Perm residents work. The series is very cool and could become a folk hit.

Russian Code is a Russian production company founded in 2024. It was founded by former producers of Good Story Media: Artem Loginov, Anton Zaitsev, and Anton Shchukin. They produce popular series for TV channels and streaming services. The company makes comedies, dramas, and science fiction. The producers are known for the hits “Real Boys” (16+), “Phys Ed teacher” (18+), and “Peace! Friendship! Chewing Gum!” (18+).

And there will also be a fairy tale “Enchanted” (6+) for the Kinopoisk platform. Fairy tales are in vogue now.

— Do you play Ivan in the fairy tale?

— Yes, even though the characters are familiar from old fairy tales, the script and story are new. We shot in St. Petersburg, Peterhof, Vyborg, forests, and mountains. There was no signal for days, to call home to my grandparents I had to run up a hill. In one scene, I drove an old retro car — they said it was Nicholas II’s favorite car. They probably changed the engine, but it was impossible to get it moving. You had to treat it gently. And then, while acting the scene, I almost hit a tree — another couple of centimeters and I would have smashed that imperial car to pieces. But at least I learned to drive a manual well. After that, I filmed another project with a manual, ‘Patriot,’ and it was so easy. Just sat down, drove, and that’s it.

About the tattoo and the inner child

— You have become a famous actor. What do childhood friends say when they meet you? Have they asked for autographs?

— I don’t have time to see them! So honestly, I don’t know. Mostly, people just write me kind words and messages.

— I noticed that you always respond to comments on social media. You engage.

— I think that nowadays social media is a very necessary topic. I want to take it up more professionally.

— You recently turned 28. On social media, you said you still feel like a child. Does this quality help or hinder you in acting? And in life?

— I think an actor cannot lose their spontaneity, emotionality, some childishness... When I was studying acting, I could swear, and they told me: ‘When you grow up, you’ll calm down.’ I argued: ‘Why did you become actors then, if with age you’ll just become like all the calm people?’ How can you play anything if you have a strong, healthy emotional psyche and can’t be brought to tears or anger? How will you express emotions? Being a child doesn’t mean being an idiot. It’s about having an open outlook.

They say men don’t cry and suppress their emotions. In fact, a man is someone who is not afraid to be himself. It’s clear that you shouldn’t whine, but showing emotions, especially for an artist, is simply necessary. But at the same time, you don’t have to be an idiot. I have acquaintances who act like fools and say: ‘I keep the child inside me.’ Going, breaking glasses in a bar, and saying you’re such a cool child — that’s something very strange.

About how Vlad changed after his parents’ death

— In the same video, you admitted that your mother died at age 28. Can you share with guys who also don’t have parents where to find the strength to live? Did psychologists help you?

— In Nizhny Novgorod, where we presented the film ‘Hands Up!’, I came to meet with orphaned children and told them the truth. I started with the words: ‘No one will help you in your life.’ Immediately there was a dead silence. I regretted it and thought that way we wouldn’t have a dialogue. But I wanted to continue speaking the truth sincerely. And then I said: ‘This pain will stay with you your whole life, and you will never get rid of it. But it also makes you stronger. You possess a quality that most people don’t have — they don’t know what it means to lose a loved one. You have a gift, and you need to use it to the fullest — whether in creativity, in ambitions. Provided you don’t make the wrong choice. Because sometimes a person at sixteen faces difficulty and thinks: “I was unlucky from childhood, so why bother with this life at all. I’ll go party.” They completely lose themselves as a person.’

I believe that when people face the loss of their parents, they instantly change their attitude to life. They appreciate every moment; they have a concept of the value of life. Already at age 10, when I lost my parents, I thought that I wouldn’t be able to give my children to mom and dad, as many acquaintances do. Because my children won’t have grandparents to whom you can simply hand over the kids and say: ‘Raise them, I’ll live my own life.’

I more often meet people who love to smile not because they are idiots, but because they have gone through a certain experience in life, they are not afraid to show their emotions when encountering people who put on airs of importance.

— Valentina Mazunina once said that actors, immersing themselves in the lives of others, become so emotionally exhausted that they deplete themselves and risk going crazy. A psychologist helps her preserve herself, but how do you cope with that? How do you recover?

— Probably, for me it won’t be a psychologist but something else — sports, the gym, where I can release energy. Also, I force myself to take breaks and just think about nothing or just stare at a point.

About the chemistry with the girl who is 21 years older than Vlad

— If the next question seems inappropriate, you don’t have to answer. In your interviews, you do not hide that your beloved is your agent. She is 20 years older than you, but that doesn’t matter to either of you. Are there any generational arguments?

— We actually have a 21-year age difference. That means Natasha is a year older than my mother. The only thing that hinders us is that we are both very temperamental and do not give in to each other during arguments. And, like any loving couple, we experience some moments of jealousy.

Natalya Gneusheva is a producer, director of acting agencies, author and host of the podcast ‘Take Me to the Movies’ (16+). She graduated from the acting faculty of the Yekaterinburg Theater Institute and performed in theaters in Severodvinsk and Omsk. She also acted in films as an episode actress — in the series ‘Glukhar’ (18+), ‘Ishcheyka’ (18+), ‘Nurse’ (18+), and others. She is raising two sons.

— How did your relationship start? Was she your agent first or your lover?

— First agent, we started working together, and then we fell in love.

— How are your relations with Natasha’s children? Is there understanding?

— We have a great relationship. Kolya is 21, Andrei is 17, and we get along. They wait for me from the set, and we can sit for hours talking about life.

Earlier we told about another artist from Perm who made a career in film. At 46, after many years working in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, business, and IT, Alexei Luzin decided to become an actor.