Russian actor Igor Jijikine always thought he would do something in the sports/physical world for a living. As a child he was very interested in acting and movies, but he was also very into sports and a good athlete. He got a full scholarship to college where he trained in gymnastics, soccer, ice skating, and skiing. He graduated with a master’s degree then, of all things, joined the Moscow State Circus. While the circus was in the USA on tour, the manager of the circus stole the money and shut it down, literally leaving Igor broke and living on the streets. He stayed in the US and got a job working in Las Vegas as an acrobat. His circus career led to him taking acting classes which helped him land a part in a play. He immediately fell in love with acting and focused his efforts on that. It’s worked out well with him appearing in more than 45 movies and TV shows, more than 40 commercials, and as a main character for the video game Red Alert. There’ll be a red alert in your pants when you see a shirtless Igor in the pilot episode of Political Animals where he sits and plays strip poker with three ladies. As they drink and play cards, we get to check out his strong, fit upper body.
