Danila Kozlovsky


Danila Valeryevich Kozlovsky is a Russian actor and director.

Biography

Early life and career

Danila Kozlovsky was born in Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. His mother, Nadezhda Zvenigorodskaya, is a stage actress, and his father, Valery Kozlovsky, was a professor at Moscow State University specializing in marketing and mass communications. He has an older brother, Yegor, and a younger brother, Ivan. As a child Danila was slightly overweight. From a young age, Danila was placed in dance and music classes, learning to play the saxophone and the alto. During his early years, he frequently changed schools, potentially due to discipline issues. He made his big screen debut in 1998, playing the troubled sixth grader Denis on the Russian television series Simple Truths.
In 1996, he was accepted into the Kronshtadt Naval Military School, which he attended until his graduation in 2002. Upon graduation, he matriculated to the Saint Petersburg State Theatre Arts Academy, entering the acting/directing course supervised by Lev Dodin. During his fourth year he made his debut on the stage of the Little Drama Theatre, playing the part of Edgar in King Lear. The role brought him his first theatre award: a special prize of Expert Council of the "Golden Sofit" for Best Debut. Then there was a role in the play Life and Fate, which premiered in Paris and the diploma performance "Warsaw Melody".
After graduating from the Academy in 2007, Danila Kozlovskiy was officially admitted to the staff of the Little Drama Theatre. In his repertoire were added performances Lord of the Flies, where he played Ralph, Intrigue and Love and The Cherry Orchard.
In 2005, he also received his first important film role — in the picture Garpastum. The film, set during the time of the First World War, tells the story of two brothers who wish to build their own football stadium. Kozlovsky received the Russian Guild of Film Critics "White Elephant Award" for the best male lead actor.
and Danila Kozlovsky, during the premiere of A Good Day to Die Hard, 2013
Kozlovsky gained wider publicity in 2008 with his starring role in the film Black Hunters. There he played the role of robber archaeologist Sergei Filatov, who is transported into the past together with his friends when making illegal excavations.
In 2009, he portrayed drag queen Lusya in the comedy-drama Jolly Fellows. It was screened in the Panorama section of the 2010 Berlin International Film Festival.
In 2011, he appeared as Marcus Blackwell in .

''Soulless'' and breakthrough

After Kozlovsky starred in the 2012 film Soulless he became a household name in Russia. He played the lead role of Max Andreev, a young ambitious executive manager who begins to reevaluate his priorities in life and career. The film was a hit and grossed $13 million. He received the National Golden Eagle Award for Soulless. The film was followed by a sequel in 2015, for which he won the Nika Award as best actor.
Kozlovsky played the role of Yegor Dorin, in the 2012 film The Spy, based on the Boris Akunin novel.
In 2013, he portrayed ice-hockey player Valeri Kharlamov in the sports drama Legend № 17. The film was a critical and box-office success, earning $29.5 million at the box-office.
Danila starred in his first Hollywood film in 2014; he played Dimitri Belikov in the comedy-horror picture Vampire Academy.
The year 2016 saw Kozlovsky star in five films — romantic comedy , sci-fi action film Hardcore Henry, comedy film Friday, disaster film Flight Crew and historical action film Viking.
Out of the aforementioned films, the most popular ones at the box-office were Flight Crew, earning $27 million, and Viking which grossed $34 million.
He played Count Vorontzov in the film Matilda, which told the story of the romance between Emperor Nicholas II and ballerina Mathilde Kschessinska. The film became controversial after State Duma deputy Natalia Poklonskaya led a campaign to ban the film on religious grounds.
Also in 2017, it was announced that Kozlovsky will appear as Oleg of Novgorod in the sixth season of popular Canadian historical drama Vikings.
In 2018, Kozlovsky played a supporting role in Dovlatov. The biographical picture about writer Sergei Dovlatov premiered at the 2018 Berlinale in competition.
Danila Kozlovsky's directorial debut Coach was released in 2018.

In the media

In 2013, GQ Russia picked Danila Kozlovsky as Man of the Year.
Kozlovsky appeared in advertisements for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle alongside Keira Knightley in 2015.
For a number of years, he was cited as a sex symbol by various media outlets in Russia.

Personal life

In the Autumn of 2008, Danila married the Maly Drama Theatre actress Urszula Małka. In 2011, they divorced.
Since 2014, Kozlovsky is in relationship with actress and model Olga Zueva. They have a daughter, born in March 2020.

Theater

Little Drama Theatre (Theatre de l’Europe)">Maly Drama Theatre">Little Drama Theatre (Theatre de l’Europe)

Film

YearTitleOriginal TitleRoleNotes
1999Simple TruthsПростые истиныDenis SelivyorstovTV series
2003Dancing on the WavesЯ всё решу сама: Танцующая на волнахValeraTV series
2003Streets of Broken Lights:ru:Улицы разбитых фонарей|Улицы разбитых фонарейsoldier-deserter PopovTV series
2004Sissi: The Rebel EmpressСисси - мятежная императрицаYoung Franz JosephTV film
2004On Verhniaya Maslovka street":ru:На Верхней Масловке |На Верхней МасловкеModigliani
2005Garpastum:ru:Гарпастум |ГарпастумNikolayRussian Guild of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
2006AlkaАлькаLenya AstakhovTV miniseries
2006Crime and Weather:ru:Преступление и погода|Преступление и погодаVictor
2007Lenin's Legacy:ru:Завещание Ленина |Завещание ЛенинаSergeiTV miniseries
2008Black Hunters:ru:Мы из будущего|Мы из будущегоSergei "Bormann" FilatovAlso known as We Are from the Future and Back in Time
Nominated—MTV Russia Movie Award for Best Kiss
2009Jolly FellowsВесельчакиLyusya
2009A. D.А. Д.Daniil AgeevTV
2010On-aloneОдиночкаAndrei GromovTV
2010AttemptПокушениеYevgeniy KostinTV series
2010Moscow, I Love You!Москва, я люблю тебя!Taxi driver
2010Hamlet. XXI CenturyГамлет XXI векLaertes
2011Gulf Stream Under the Iceberg:ru:Гольфстрим под айсбергом|Гольфстрим под айсбергомAri Brylskiy
2011Target:ru:Мишень |МишеньMitya
2011Five Brides:ru:Пять невест |Пять невестAlexei Kaverin
2011Skerries-18Шхера-18Andrei EgorovTV
2011RaspoutineРаспутинGrand Duke Dmitri PavlovichRussian-French co-production
2012The Spy:ru:Шпион |ШпионYegor Dorin
2012Soulless:ru:Духless |ДухlessMax AndreevGolden Eagle Award for Best Leading Actor
Nominated—Nika Award for Best Actor
Nominated—Russian Guild of Film Critics Award for Best Actor
2013Legend № 17:ru:Легенда № 17|Легенда № 17Valeri Kharlamov
2013Everything Began in HarbinВсё началось в ХарбинеBoris EybozhenkoTV series
2013The habit to leaveПривычка расставатьсяVadim
2014Dubrovsky:ru:Дубровский |ДубровскийVladimir DubrovskyFeature film and TV mini-series
2014Vampire AcademyVampire Academy; Blood SistersDimitri Belikov
2015Soulless 2:ru:Духless 2|Духless 2Max Andreev
2016:ru:Статус: Свободен|Статус: СвободенNikita Kolesnikov
2016FridayПятницаMikhail Bondar
2016Hardcore Henry:ru:Хардкор |ХардкорAkan
2016Flight Crew:ru:Экипаж |ЭкипажAlexey GuchshinRemake of Air Crew
2016Viking :ru:Викинг |ВикингVladimir the Great
2017Matilda:ru:Матильда |МатильдаVorontsov
2018McMafia:ru:МакМафия|МакМафияGrigory MishinTV series
2018DovlatovДовлатовDavid
2018Coach:ru:Тренер |ТренерYuri Stoleshnikov
2018In the Hood:ru:На районе|На районе
2019KaramoraКарамораKaramoraTV series
2019Vikings Oleg the ProphetTV series

Video game

Awards and nominations