I was not only typecast as a Russian, but I was typecast as Yakov Smirnoff. This is understandable, and I was very happy to get the roles, but it would be nice to be in a movie where I could be someone else.

If love is the treasure, laughter is the key.

Russian men have a saying: "Women are like buses..." That's it.

Many people are surprised to hear that we have comedians in Russia, but they are there. They are dead, but they are there.

I came to America to make it my home, and I did.

My father described this tall lady who stands in the middle of the New York harbor, holding high a torch to welcome people seeking freedom in America. I instantly fell in love.

I was not only typecast as a Russian, but I was typecast as Yakov Smirnoff. This is understandable, and I was very happy to get the roles, but it would be nice to be in a movie where I could be someone else.