Casting Director: Dmytro Malyshev

– I was born in Kyiv. Currently, I live in Boryspil, which is a very calm and cozy city compared to the noisy metropolis. I feel very comfortable living there.

– My professional education is in logistics – “Organization of Transport.” But my path in film and theater began back in 8th or 9th grade, when I accidentally joined the municipal theater “Berezil” in Boryspil, in Les Kurbas’s studio. We were mentored by strong professionals like Halyna Serhiivna Pomynalna and Natalia Arkadiivna Osypenko.

Halyna Serhiivna was also our director, and she invited me to join the team – not as an actor, but as a sound engineer and operator. We had very strong performances that won many awards, including “Zolota Pektoral.” That’s how I first got involved in theater.

Sadly, Halyna Serhiivna passed away in early January. I offer my condolences to her family and loved ones. May she rest in peace.

In my second year at university, a friend suggested I join him for a McDonald’s commercial shoot. He couldn’t go in the end, but I was curious and went alone – and for a student, some extra money never hurts. Arriving on set, I discovered a completely new, fascinating world. I was quickly drawn in and became passionate about it. I started getting invited to participate as a background actor. Later, I was offered a position as an assistant for actors on set.

Back then, the internet wasn’t as advanced, so actor searches happened over the phone or through connections. Project after project followed, and then a pivotal one came – “Match of Death.” This project taught me a lot and showed me how the film world really works from the inside. I worked with crowd actors – a lot of them, sometimes 500–600 people a day, even up to 2,500. The filming took place in Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Vasylkiv. We shot the stadium scenes in Vasylkiv with 2,500 people. The production ran from June through August – it was tough, but fascinating. After this, I knew I was in the right place, and more invitations followed.

– There were many. One of the most memorable was “Ivan Poddubny,” which was filmed in Crimea. I was always invited to serious and interesting projects. After that one, I was invited to Moscow to work with Khudyakov Production. At the same time, I managed to work on a Hollywood project starring Keira Knightley, Chris Pine, Kenneth Branagh, and Kevin Costner. It was incredibly interesting to work on something of that scale. In parallel, I was also working on the project “Odnoklassniki.Ru.”

– There’s not a huge difference in the actual work, but you definitely feel the difference in preparation, budget, equipment, scale, and organization. There was no rush or chaos – everyone was ready for the process.

– After returning to Kyiv, my partner and I had a lot of projects. So much work, in fact, that at some point I decided to step away from film, rest, and recharge – leaving everything to my partner. I took a break, but two weeks later I received a call with an offer for a very interesting project, planned to run for about nine months. I agreed, since I had already rested. As a result, my partner stayed in Kyiv, and I went to Russia. I really enjoyed working on that project – I built warm friendships with colleagues. It ended on a very symbolic note for me: it was the 100th shooting day, the final day, and it happened to be my birthday. The wrap party was amazing. When I came back to Kyiv, my partner and I couldn’t agree on how to run the agency, so we parted ways.

– Yes, I founded my own agency called “Good Casting Agency.” We handle the full casting cycle – from lead actors to extras. We have a strong, professional, and close-knit team involved in all aspects of casting.

– Yes, of course. Especially for large-scale or interesting projects – I help my assistants with organizing everything.

It’s a great pleasure to work with the Badoev team! Every project with them is something extraordinary. Alan Badoev is an incredibly creative director. Being on his set feels like entering another world. I also work with foreign productions, most often with the Israeli Laco Films. Their projects – feature films, series, commercials – shot in Ukraine are always very exciting.

– “Good Casting Agency” was established in 2016

– On January 1st, the agency’s website went live, and it will contain our actor database. It will be a closed system – only agency staff will have access. One unique feature is that we’ll also have dedicated actor agents.

– Our interests need to align in terms of development and professionalism. I really value qualities like humanity, fairness, integrity, and of course – talent. With actors like that, you want to collaborate and grow together.

– I review every email I receive. I present all options to the director, and together we discuss who stood out. Actors who pass the pre-casting stage are then invited for a live audition or to film a sample. Then there’s a meeting with the director. The director always has the final say, although producers and clients (in the case of commercials) may also weigh in. But generally, the director’s vision aligns with the client’s.

– I treat every project with a personal touch – like a small child. But there are a few that truly changed me. The first was “Match of Death” – as I mentioned earlier, it showed me the world of cinema on a grand scale and made me fearless. It became a turning point in defining my path.

Another was the feature film “Nelson,” a WWII story where the main character, as a boy, grows up to avenge his parents. All the actors were English-speaking, mostly from our region, but also from Romania, France, Israel, and other countries. Casting them was incredibly interesting, which is why this project stood out to me. But truly, I enjoy every project and never shy away from any challenge.

– No fear, because I firmly believe that there are no unsolvable problems. Any difficulty can be overcome.

– I practice on set and attend courses. When I work on English-language projects, I even sometimes join the scene for fun. But acting isn’t my calling – I love the process of searching, negotiating, organizing, and casting.

– Probably a multifunctional Swiss army knife.

– I’d love to teleport to different places. And I’d also love to play all musical instruments – that’s a superpower I’d really enjoy.

– As a child, I collected coins – I still have some interesting pieces in my collection. Now I want to get back into playing guitar – I’ve already bought one and am mentally ready to practice. I also want to learn drums. So yes, being able to play every instrument would really come in handy.

– I played football, did track and field, and tennis. I liked helping my parents with office work and was very into radio electronics. I usually placed well in sports and school fitness standards.

– A pilot. But over time, I became more interested in logistics – organizing processes and transport. I’ve always wanted to improve things, make them simpler, more efficient, and most importantly – calm. I don’t like or understand people who panic. I believe problems should be solved calmly and rationally.

– I love relaxing by the sea or ocean. I often go fishing – though I’m no pro. The biggest fish I’ve caught weighed around 3–4 kg. It’s not so much about the fishing itself, but about getting out into nature, having picnics, and spending time with family and friends.

– First, that my family always stays healthy – it’s especially important nowadays. Second, unlimited travel opportunities – a lifetime travel pass and time to use it. The third wish… I’ll keep in reserve.

– I don’t have one specific dream project – interesting ones seem to find me naturally. Each one brings its own experience, knowledge, skills, connections – and I enjoy each of them. But I would like to work more on international projects in countries like the USA, Canada, and the UK – to see how things are done there.

– I’d wish for our actors to constantly improve themselves – and please, learn English. Learn as many foreign languages as possible, because our market is expanding, and many international projects are coming in. We want to see more of our professional actors able to speak fluently in different languages. It opens doors to the European and global film industries. So yes – grow, learn languages – it’s an important skill that helps not only in film, but in life!