Maxim Ryagin shared the story of how his grandmother’s TV set became his inspiration for becoming an actor

Maxim Ryagin, a young actor who played one of the leading roles in the TV series “Love and Flame” on STB, shared his story about his path to an acting career.

The STB press service conducted the interview.

Maxim, originally from the city of Druzhkivka in the Donetsk region, recalls his childhood, when he first fell in love with theater, sitting in front of his grandmother’s TV. He not only watched TV series but also staged his own performances, playing all the roles himself. In high school, the young man decided to pursue acting seriously.

During the filming of “Love and Flame”, he faced real challenges – he could withstand the competition in full rescue equipment at a temperature of +40°C and filmed scenes at a height without a safety harness. “Acting is not about the absence of fear, but about the willingness to move forward, despite it,” shares Ryagin.

In the project, Maksym played Phil Malinovsky, a newcomer to the State Emergency Service. The actor believes he is similar to his character: both are just starting their professional careers, but with great dedication.

Working with actress Albina Korzh turned out to be a pleasant experience. Maksym notes that from the first days, they managed to find a common language and effectively discuss scenes, working on natural interaction in the frame. “Albina brings not only text to the frame, but also emotions – it is truly inspiring,” he says.

There were also some oddities—in one of the scenes, he had to perform artificial respiration on a plastic dog with motionless paws, which caused his colleagues to laugh, but Maksym noted that even in jokes, it is important to remember the seriousness of the issue of saving lives.

The actor believes that in times of war, art bears a special responsibility: it must preserve the memory, identity, and greatness of the spirit of the people. He also spoke about his participation in the project “House “Word” and expressed admiration for the figure of Lesya Kurbas, who remained faithful to art even in difficult times.