Ukrainian actor Nazar Grabar talks about starring in vertical drama series

Actor Nazar Grabar. Photo Courtesy of ReelShort.

Ukrainian actor Nazar Grabar chatted about starring in vertical drama series and being a part of the digital age.

Grabar is known for his acting work in “Love at Dangerous Speeds,” “The Fighter Who Stole My Pulse,” and The Witch: Revenge,” among others.

Jimmy Dean once said: “I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.” This quote applies to actor Nazar Grabar, 33.

Daily motivations as an actor

On his daily motivations as an actor, he said, “Acting has been my dream ever since I was a child. I was chasing the stage and performing, but at the time, I had a stutter.”

“When I was in eighth grade, I had a math teacher who once told me that I will never become an actor because of my stuttering. Sometimes we don’t even understand how older people can have this influence on us. So, I listened to her and I quit my dream for a very long period of time,” he elaborated.

“I did, however, find a solution for myself,” he admitted. “I started to dance. That’s how I could perform without using my words, but it still came back to me 10 years later.”

The vertical drama world

On being an actor in the vertical drama world, he responded, “It’s very interesting because, honestly, at first, I didn’t understand what it was and how it was going to have an influence.”

“I am still looking and chasing for a big screen movie role, one that will be played in movie theaters, not just in verticals,” he added.

The digital age

On being an actor in the digital age, Nazar said, “To me, it feels the same. There is no difference. I’ve stayed true to myself my whole life, and that’s just what I do. That’s my job.”

“The digital age is both good and bad at the same time. It’s a double-edged sword,” he admitted. “There is too much information now, especially in the 21st century.”

“Back in the day, people used to put in a lot of effort and lot of work to make a movie. Making movies for me is an art,” he underscored.

“Movies can inspire you. They can touch your heart. They can touch your brain and your soul. They can make you feel better or worse. You can get support from their inspiration. So, for me, movies is an art and acting is an art,” he elaborated.

“The only aspect of verticals that I don’t like is that they are making art as a mass market,” he added.

Future plans

On his future plans, he shared, “I would like to keep going what I’m doing. Of course, I’m chasing bigger goals.”

“I just want to be faithful to my dreams and to stay loyal to myself,” he noted. “We will see where it goes from here.”

“I will just keep chasing my dreams and I will keep doing what I love,” he added.

Working with Mary Vysnevska

Nazar had great words about working with Ukrainian actress Mary Vysnevska as his leading lady in several acting projects.

“It’s really cool working with Mary,” Nazar said. “Mary is a very giving actress and whenever we work together, it’s a very cool, symbiotic relationship.”

Nazar on Ukrainian actor Bohdan Ruban

While he has yet to work with fellow Ukrainian actor Bohdan Ruban in an acting capacity, Nazar noted that they are both friends, and that they worked as dancers ten years ago for a five year period.

“While we have yet to work together in verticals, I would love to someday work with Bohdan because he is a great guy,” Nazar said.

Stage of his life

On the title of the current chapter of his life, he revealed, “Moving Forward.”

“It’s a really interesting chapter of my life right now,” he admitted. “After I quit from the Ukrainian army and I get back to acting, I am starting to moving forward now.”

“It was hard to live your past. I mean, it’s impossible to live your past. The war will stay with me for my whole life. You just learn how to live with it. So, I think right now, I’m in a very interesting stage of my life. I am wondering what is going to be next,” he explained.

Career-defining moments

On his career-defining moments, Nazar remarked, “All of my life has made me into the person I am now. I learned how to appreciate people and to appreciate time. It taught me how important family is and the need to just be yourself.”

Success

Regarding his definition of success, Nazar responded, “That is a very interesting question. Right now, people are measuring success in money or goods that they own.”

“For me, success is when you can be proud of yourself. When you can look in the mirror and honestly say to yourself, ‘I’m proud of you.’ It’s so hard to express that when you live your life without helping others,” he elaborated.

Message for his fans

For his fans and supporters, Nazar expressed, “I just want to thank them for their support. I’m reading a lot of good comments. It is very rewarding whenever I hear that I inspire them. I like encouraging people to be more open and more brave to chase their dreams.”

“I would like to wish them the best of luck and to chase their dreams as well,” he concluded.

To learn more about Ukrainian actor Nazar Grabar, follow him on Instagram and TikTok.