Oleg Taktarov

"Oleg makes an impression." On his DVD commentary for "Righteous Kill" (2008), director Jon Avnet remarks that he needed a powerful actor to play Russian mob enforcer Yevgeny Mugalat, a character who survives six gunshots at close range. International star Oleg Taktarov, born in Sarov, Russia, proved uniquely capable of fulfilling Avnet's demanding expectations. When Oleg first appears on camera as Mugalat, the director states emphatically in the audio commentary that the actor "makes an impression." Long before "Righteous Kill," Oleg already left global audiences with memorable impressions as "The Russian Bear," a UFC champion who took unconventional paths up to the top of the world's most difficult professions: acting and fighting.