Ukrainian actor Ivan Blindar shared details about his participation in the Christmas film «S Mykolay ta Zahublenyy Lyst», in which he played Lyubomyr, the assistant to Saint Nicholas, in a new interview with Wave RBC.UA. The actor joked about the change in his role: in the previous film «Vartovy Rizdva», he played Saint Nicholas himself, but now, as he puts it, «I must have done something wrong and got demoted in the hierarchy» to an assistant. Blindar emphasized that the story of Saint Nicholas is deeply personal to him: this very image became his «first superhero» in childhood, which is why he could not turn down the offer.
Love for Fantasy and a Tolkien Dream
Speaking about what caught his attention in the script, Blindar confessed that he «loves fairy tales and fantasy very much», leaning more towards «adult stories» in the spirit of J.R.R. Tolkien’s works. The actor does not hide his dream of starring in an adaptation of the British writer's books, calling it one of his unfulfilled dreams. «If this were an adaptation of any of Tolkien’s stories, it would be another direct dream come true», he says. According to him, when «fairy tales happen» in cinema, he gladly participates in such projects, especially if they involve computer graphics and animation.
Filming with "Air": The Difficulty of Working with CGI
Blindar called the scenes with Casper — a character that exists solely in computer graphics and is absent in reality — the most difficult part of the shooting process. «You are looking into a void. For me, this is the hardest moment because there is no full-fledged feedback», the actor describes. He explains that he was always taught to work «with a partner, for a partner, and at a partner's side», which is why interacting with «air» creates «a slightly strange feeling». Nevertheless, the actor emphasizes that it is precisely these scenes that make the work interesting and unconventional.
Cast Ensemble and Friendly Atmosphere
The film «S Mykolay ta Zahublenyy Lyst» features a notable cast, including Tetiana Malkova, Artemii Yehorov, Viktor Zhdanov, Iryna Kudashova, Mykhailo Kukuiuk, and others. Blindar had the most shared scenes with Iryna Kudashova, as they play two assistants. The actor notes that there were no funny incidents on set and arguments «definitely» did not happen. «The team is very cool, there was a collective synergy, and everyone got along well, supported, and helped each other», he recalls. According to him, the project was «quite friendly», and that is something he «really appreciates».
Childhood Miracles: A Remote-Control Car and Dad as St. Nicholas
The conversation shifted to the topic of childhood dreams, which is central to the film. Blindar shared that as a child, he desperately wanted a remote-control car and wrote about it in a letter to Saint Nicholas. Eventually, the gift arrived, but the car turned out to be wired rather than remote-controlled. «And I was upset at first. But still, it had a controller, it drove, it was cool», the actor smiles. A more touching memory is connected with his father, who often traveled abroad for work. Blindar wished for his dad to come home specifically on Saint Nicholas Day — and he actually returned. «There was no limit to my happiness. I truly believed in the power of Saint Nicholas then. It was impossible not to believe after that», he shares.
The Moment the Fairy Tale Shattered
A separate section of the interview is dedicated to how Blindar found out that the gifts from Saint Nicholas were actually placed by his parents. This happened at school when he was around ten or eleven years old: classmates started saying that «parents put them under the pillow». The actor insisted that «such a thing could not be», and only after they «gave him many arguments» did he recall hearing and seeing his mom and dad put gifts under the pillow. In the morning, he had brushed it off as a dream, but school arguments brought the memory back. «And I had severe stress. I burst into tears. I remember coming home, and my mom came back from work. I said: „Mom, how could you? You lied to me...“» the actor recounts his childhood reaction. In the same interview, Blindar also shared personal stories about miracles in his life, spoke about volunteering and helping the military, working with a psychologist, and touched upon his relationship with actress Maria Stopnyk.
