Boris Krutonog

Boris Leo (Lee) Krutonog (born July 26, 1960) is a Moldovan (Soviet-born) actor, producer and entrepreneur. He has appeared in supporting roles in US film and television, including The Hunt for Red October (film), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, The Italian Job (2003 film), The Americans, among others. Krutonog also co-created and Co-Executive Produced Dog the Bounty Hunter, a reality series on A&E Networks. Additionally, Krutonog is President and CEO of AmWest Ambulance, an emergency ambulance company in Los Angeles. Krutonog is also a voice actor, with many video games credits to his name.
== Career ==
After a two-year stint at the McDonnell Douglas aerospace company, Krutonog took up acting full time and was accepted to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts. A year later, together with a friend and a playwright Stephen Romagnoli, Krutonog launched a theater company in New York's East Village, Manhattan, where Romagnoli wrote and directed the plays, and Krutonog produced and starred in them. Their collaboration Stealing Heaven had a successful run at the off-Broadway Samuel Beckett theater, which Krutonog produced under the pseudonym Sirob Gonoturk (Krutonog in reverse).
Krutonog was “discovered” at a party in New York City, where a stranger approached and stated he needed a Russian man for a scene in an action film he and his buddies had been shooting in upstate New York that weekend. Krutonog traveled three hours to shoot one scene, in which, he had only one line. Krutonog was invited back to star in the subsequent three low-budget action films in which he acted, constructed sets, operated cameras and wrote his own scenes.
A few months later an agent showed that footage to director John McTiernan, who immediately cast him in The Hunt for Red October (film). That was followed by Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Monolith, Love Affair (1994 film) (with Warren Beaty)”, Air Force One (film), The Italian Job (2003 film), and others.
In 1994, after reading about the bounty hunter Duane Chapman in Tony Robbins book Awaken the Giant Within. Krutonog called Duane Chapman and secured his life rights. 10 years of rejections later, the show was launched on the A&E (TV network) as the highest-rated reality cable show in history. Krutonog served as Co-Executive Producer on the series and was the best man at Dog and Beth Chapman (bounty hunter) wedding.
In 1998 Krutonog co-wrote a feature film titled Alexander the Great with Tom Epperson about the Russian Mob in LA, where the lead character thinks he is actually Alexander the Great. The script had been optioned numerous times and is currently in development with Roger Donaldson attached to direct.
In 2000 Krutonog and Dmitry Netkach launched a Cosmonaut Training Camp in Star City, Russia, where American space enthusiasts trained alongside real astronauts and cosmonauts. They performed zero-gravity endurance flights, underwater weightlessness simulation exercises, endured centrifuge’s G-forces, etc.
In June 2003, Krutonog filmed the capture of bail jumper and wanted serial rapist Andrew Luster by Duane Chapman Dog the Bounty hunter and his crew in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Krutonog, the bounty hunters and Luster were all arrested and spent 6 days in Mexican jails. The Dog the Bounty Hunter TV series was launched shortly thereafter. That same year Krutonog also starred in Spinning Boris, where his character Braynin helped steer President Boris Yeltsin’s 1996 bid for re-election.
In July 2010 Krutonog launched AmWest Ambulance in Los Angeles. Krutonog continues to serve as President and CEO of AmWest Ambulance, and is involved in community and charity work. In December 2020, AmWest became one of only three ambulance companies in Southern California licensed to provide COVID-19 vaccines.
In 2015 Krutonog was cast in the Golden Globe Awards and Peabody Awards winning TV series The Americans. Originally Krutonog was hired for one episode, but the show’s creators (Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields) loved the character and made it a regularly recurring character for the last four seasons.
== Personal life ==
Krutonog was married to Maureen Kedes 1999 – 2011 with whom he shares two sons – Sam Krutonog and Nolan Krutonog. Russian Magazine “Cinematograph” recently published an article stating that actor Boris Krutonog looks very much like Vladimir Putin and should play him in a movie.
== Film and television appearances ==
=== Filmography ===
Year	Title 	Roles
2022	Devil's Fruit 	(post-production)
2021	Another Girl 	Sam Tverdovsky
2021	Payback 	Slava
2019	Full-Dress 	Cohen
2013	Delirium 	Yuri Komarovsky
2012	A Beer Tale 	Mr. Volkov
2011	Where the Road Meets the Sun 	Raffi
2003	Spinning Boris 	Felix Braynin
2003	The Italian Job 	Yevhen
2000	Thirteen Days 	Alexander Fomin
1999	Black and White 	Peeping Tom
1999	The Auteur Theory 	Italian Man - Paradiso's Film
1998	Modern Vampires 	Concierge
1997	Air Force One 	MiG Leader
1997	Contact 	Astronaut (uncredited)
1995	Make a Wish, Molly (Short) 	Molly's father
1995	My Antonia 	
1994	Love Affair 	Second Officer
1994	Shrunken Heads 	Thug shot in head
1993	My Family Treasure 	Preet
1993	Monolith 	Rourke
1991	Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country	Helmsman Lojur
1991	Comrades in Arms 	Mercenary (uncredited)
1990	The Hunt for Red October 	Slavin - Red October
1988	Shocktroop 	Mischa
1988	Search and Destroy 	Boris Otlaff
1988	Covert Action 	Orloff
=== TV Appearances ===
Year 	Title 	Roles 	Episodes
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	START (2018)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S6 E04 - Mr. and Mrs. Teacup (2018)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E12 - The World Council of Churches (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E10 - Darkroom (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E09- IHOP (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E08 - Immersion (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E06 - Crossbreed (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E05 - Lotus 1-2-3 (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S5 E01 - Amber Waves (2017)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S4 E05 - Clark's Place (2016)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S4 E04 - Chloramphenicol (2016)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	S3 E08 - Divestment (2015)
2015-2018	The Americans 	Igor Burov 	Baggage (2015)
2016 	Castle 	Sergei Mishkin 	S8 - E11 - Dead Red
2011 	Chaos 	Sokolov 	S1 E6 - Eaten by Wolves
2010 	Look: The Series 	Ivan 	
2010 	Look: The Series 	Ivan 	S1 E3
2010 	Look: The Series 	Ivan 	S1 E2
2010 	Look: The Series 	Ivan 	S1 E1
2010 	Cold Case 	Bela Ionescu 	S7 E17 - Flashover
2008-2009	Crash (2008 TV series)|Crash 	Marco 	
2008-2009	Crash (2008 TV series)|Crash 	Marco 	S1 E13 - The Pain Won't Stop (2009)
2008-2009	Crash (2008 TV series)|Crash 	Marco 	S1 E05 - Your Ass Belongs to the Gypsies (2008)
2007 	24 (TV series)|24 	Vasili 	
2007 	24 (TV series)|24 	Vasili 	S6 E13 - Day 6: 6:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m.
2007 	24 (TV series)|24 	Vasili 	S6 E12 - Day 6: 5:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m.
2005 	NYPD Blue 	Mischa Nasikoff / Misha 'Russian Mike' Noishikov	
2005 	NYPD Blue 	Mischa Nasikoff / Misha 'Russian Mike' Noishikov	S12 E19 - Bale to the Chief
2005 	NYPD Blue 	Mischa Nasikoff / Misha 'Russian Mike' Noishikov	S12 E18 - Lenny Scissorhands
2002/2005	Alias (TV series)|Alias 	Anatoly Grodsky / Alexander Khasinau 	
2002/2005	Alias (TV series)|Alias 	Anatoly Grodsky / Alexander Khasinau 	S4 E07 - Detente (2005)
2002/2005	Alias (TV series)|Alias 	Anatoly Grodsky / Alexander Khasinau 	S1 E19 - Snowman (2002)
2004 	Curb Your Enthusiasm 	Tolie 	S4 E4 - The Weatherman
2003 	The Division 	Trey's Boss 	S3 E20 - Thus with a Kiss I Die
2003 	CSI: Miami 	Vadim 	S1 E16 - Evidence of Things Unseen
2001-2002	The Agency (2001 TV series)|The Agency	Konoplanyk / (segment "Deadline") 	
2001-2002	The Agency (2001 TV series)|The Agency	Konoplanyk / (segment "Deadline") 	S2 E9 - Thanksgiving (2002)
2001-2002	The Agency (2001 TV series)|The Agency	Konoplanyk / (segment "Deadline") 	S1 E10 - Deadline (2001)
2002 	UC: Undercover 	Avi Lermin 	S1 E11 - Teddy C
2000 	Arli 	 	S5 E11 - You Can Pick Your Friends...
1998-1999	V.I.P. (American TV series)|V.I.P. 	Badger 	
1998-1999	V.I.P. (American TV series)|V.I.P. 	Badger 	S1 E18 - K-Val (1999)
1998-1999	V.I.P. (American TV series)|V.I.P. 	Badger 	S1 E6 - Diamonds Are a Val's Best Friend (1998)
1998-1999	V.I.P. (American TV series)|V.I.P. 	Badger 	S1 E5 - Scents and Sensibility (1998)
1999 	Chicago Hope 	Janitor 	S5 E14 - Playing Through
1998-1999	Felicity (TV series)|Felicity 	Yuri 	
1998-1999	Felicity (TV series)|Felicity 	Yuri 	S1 E12 - Friends (1999)
1998-1999	Felicity (TV series)|Felicity 	Yuri 	S1 E3 - Hot Objects (1998)
1997 	Night Man 	Yuri Iganoff 	S1 E9 - Lady in Red
1997 	Millennium 	Yura Surova 	Maranatha
1996 	Star Trek: Voyager 	Helmsman Lojur 	Flashback
1995 	Cybill 	Vasilli 	S2 E9 - Local Hero
1995 	Coach 	Police Officer #2 	S7 E16 - The Kicker
1994 	M.A.N.T.I.S. 	Mitan Chetek 	S1 E4 - Cease Fire
1992 	FBI: The Untold Stories 	 	S1 E18 - Operation Lemonade
1990 	Family of Spies 	Jumpseat man 	
1990 	Family of Spies 	Jumpseat man 	S1 E2 - Episode #1.2
1990 	Family of Spies 	Jumpseat man 	S1 E1 - Episode #1.1
1987 	Leg Work 	Cabbie 	S1 E8 - Mystery Woman
1987 	The Equalizer 	Sentry 	S3 E7 - Mission: McCall: Part 2
=== Video game appearances ===
Year	Title 	Roles
2009	World in Conflict: Soviet Assault 	
2007	Syphon Filter: Logan's Shadow 	Sergeyev
2005	Medal of Honor: European Assault 	Additional voices
2004	Syphon Filter: The Omega Strain 	Dobransky / Thug B / Worker A
2003	James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing	Additional voices
2002	Soldier of Fortune II: Double Helix 	Additional voices
== As producer ==
Year 	Title 	Roles
2004-2012	Dog the Bounty Hunter	Co-Executive Producer - 194 episodes
2003 	Thoughtcrimes 	Co-Executive Producer
1993 	My Family Treasure 	Associate Producer
Category:1960 births
Category:Actors from Chișinău
Category:Entrepreneurs