Sergei Polunin Lands Major Movie Roles
It’s hard not to resent Sergei Polunin a little bit. After walking away from his principal position at The Royal Ballet at age 23, frustrated—as he later told Dance Magazine—by the lack of support, money and exposure he was getting as a ballet dancer, now it looks like he’s having his cake and eating it, too.
Not only is Polunin dancing again—under Igor Zelensky in Munich’s Bayeriches Staatballett, and with girlfriend Natalia Osipova in her program of contemporary works—but he’s also getting the Hollywood attention (and paycheck) he’s always wanted.
In addition to starring of his own bio-doc, Dancer, Polunin recently confirmed to The Hollywood Reporter that he’ll be appearing in two major upcoming movies: the spy thriller Red Sparrow, featuring Jennifer Lawrence (who plays a ballerina-turned-Russian spy who falls for a CIA officer) and the whodunit classic Murder on the Orient Express starring Johnny Depp, Penelope Cruz and Judi Dench. For now, Polunin’s roles in both movies are unknown. But we’re keeping our fingers crossed they include some dancing.
Don’t let yourself get too bitter. Sure, he’s landed numerous priceless opportunities in spite (or maybe because) of his “bad boy” reputation. But watching Dancer, you realize he’s struggled the same as every aspiring dancer. What’s more, he’s determined to give back: He says his new Project Polunin is designed to be a company to support other dancers by setting them up with resources like scholarship funds, lawyers looking out for their interests and agents who can connect them with other industries—like film.
