Iván Kamarás
Hungarian actor
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ivan Kamaras (born 22 December 1972)[1] is a Hungarian actor who became first known worldwide for his role as Agent Steel in the 2008 superhero fantasy thriller Hellboy II: The Golden Army, directed by Guillermo del Toro.[2] Kamaras voices the title character in the 2018 Hungarian animated feature Ruben Brandt, Collector.[3][4][5][6]
Tibor Orban in Silent Witness
Iván Kamarás | |
|---|---|
Ivan Kamaras photographed by Steindl Máté in 2019 | |
| Born | 22 December 1972 |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Notable work | Agent Steel in Hellboy II: The Golden Army Tibor Orban in Silent Witness |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Website | http://www.ivankamaras.com |
Personal life
Kamarás was born and raised in Pécs, Hungary.[7] His mother, Teodóra Uhrik, and his stepfather, Pál Lovas, were both ballet dancers, and much of his childhood was spent in theatres.[8] When he was seven, the family acquired a recording of the 1980 BBC production of Hamlet starring Derek Jacobi as Hamlet and Patrick Stewart as Claudius. Kamarás fell in love with the role of Hamlet and within two or three years had learned Hamlet's monologues from the play by heart. He was in elementary school when he became a regular member of an amateur acting company and by the time he was in high school he played his first serious role in a performance of the Pecs Chamber Theater.[9] From 1991 to 1995, he studied at the Academy of Theatre and Film in Budapest.[7]
After gaining experience with major theatrical companies and alternative theater groups, he emerged as one of Hungary's prominent actors. Despite continuing stage performances at various theaters until 2009, a growing passion for film led him to shift his focus. Seeking international exposure, he decided to relocate to the United States. Initially delving into directing, he later enrolled in filmmaking and acting courses, honing his skills for several years.[10] Drawing from his combined Hungarian and American education and practical experience, he now imparts his knowledge by teaching acting classes at the inaugural accredited Hungarian school dedicated to training movie actors, which opened its doors to students in the fall of 2012.[10][11]
His hobbies include sports and fitness training. He likes to promote charitable causes. Since 2014 he has been an Ambassador for the "Keznyom" campaign of SOS Children's Villages in Hungary.[12][13][14]
Career
Theatre
From 1995 until 1997 he was a member of the Budapest Chamber Theatre,[15] between 1997 and 2008 a member of the Comedy Theatre of Budapest. He won widespread admiration for his first role playing Othello at the age of 23 in 1995.[16] For the Budapest Chamber Theatre he has also starred as Horst in Martin Sherman’s Bent (1996),[17] Treplyov in Anton Chekhov’s The Seagull (1997),[18] Stanley Kowalski in Tennessee Williams's A Streetcar Named Desire in 1999 (a role he had previously played for the National Theatre of Győr in 1997),[19] Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (1998), and James Tyrone Jr in A Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O’Neill (2003).[20]
For the Comedy Theatre of Budapest he has played Wayne in Ben Elton’s Popcorn (1998), Alyosha in an adaptation of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov (1999), Edmund in King Lear (2001), Su Fu in Brecht’s The Good Person of Szechwan (2001), Raskolnikov in an adaptation of Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment (2001), Eugenio in The Coffee House by Carlo Goldoni (2005), Benedict in Much Ado About Nothing (2007),[21] and Trofimov and Pjotr Sergeyevich in The Cherry Orchard (2007).
He has also played Julien Sorel in an adaptation of The Red and the Black by Stendhal for Gyor National Theatre (1995),[22] Brick in Williams's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (2000) for the Pest Theatre, Antony in Antony and Cleopatra (2002) for the Pest Theatre, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester in Friedrich Schiller’s Mary Stuart (2006) for the Pest Theatre,[23] Christian in Festen for the Pest Theatre (2006), Jamie in Jason Robert Brown’s one-act musical two-hander The Last Five Years for the Palace of the Arts (2007), a role he debuted in Hungary,[24] and Ruy Blas in the Szeged National Theatre production of Victor Hugo's Ruy Blas (2009).
Film
Aside from his role as Agent Steel in Hellboy II: The Golden Army, Kamarás has had an extensive career in Hungarian cinema. Notable roles have included the hit bedroom farce Out of Order (1997),[25] in which he played a jealous boxer in pursuit of his errant girlfriend and her politician lover, the thriller Európa expressz (1999), in which he played Jimmy, a man who becomes caught up in events when the train he is in is hijacked by a Russian mafia boss, and more recently the cult comedy GlassTiger 3 (2010),[26] in which he played Ferenc Csopkai, a rich lawyer who pursues the bumbling heroes after they steal his car and with it a huge sum in cash. In 2013 Kamarás starred in the film Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz.
Television
In addition to Silent Witness – in which his character, detective Tibor Orban, helped to uncover a baby-farming racket in Budapest while trying to track down series regular, forensic pathologist Dr Harry Cunningham[27] – Kamarás has played Pipin, the son of Charlemagne, in the miniseries Charlemagne (1993); Louis II, King of Hungary, in the costume drama Mohacs (1995); Ivan, a man who becomes obsessed on his wedding day with his newly met twin sister in Alice and the Seven Wolves (2009);[28] and the machiavellian nightclub owner and antihero Evil in the 10-part drama First Generation (2001).[28] He was also the creative force behind Mobile Poem, a series of poetry readings done by notable Hungarian actors and filmed on mobile phone, which screened on the Hungarian TV channel MTV1 in 2009.[29] In January 2011, he played a Hungarian detective, Tibor Orban, in Bloodlines, the fourth episode in the 14th series of the BBC crime drama Silent Witness.[30] In 2014 he played the role of Rasputin in the two-part History Channel miniseries Houdini.[31]
Music
He has released two solo pop albums – Bombajó (2000),[32] and Revelation (2005)[33] – and been a contributor to two others, So We Sing (2003) and Actor Songs (2009).
Directing
Kamarás has shot an experimental film on his mobile phone, Sigh,[34] which was inspired by the Yukio Mishima drama Aoi no Ue and which screened at the Hungarian Film Festival in 2005 and the Moziünnep film festival in 2006.[35] He undertook a course in directing at UCLA in 2009 and in the same year directed a production of Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin at Keszthely Castle, Hungary.[36]
Awards
- Szinikritikusok critics’ award (1996) for Othello,[37]
- Andor Ajtay memorial award (2000), given annually to the best actor and actress in the Comedy Theatre of Budapest,[38]
- Hegedűs Gyula award (2000) for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,[39]
- Súgó Csiga díj (2003) a prize for most popular actor voted for by audiences,[40]
- Mari Jászai Award (2006) a state award given in recognition for acting excellence, is the premier award of national dramatic artists,[41]
- VII. National Theatre Festival of Pécs (2007) for best male actor of the year award for Festen,[42][43]
- Gold Medallion Award (2012) actor of the year audience award[44]
Theatrical roles
Number of his registered theatrical presentations in the Hungarian Theatre Database : 56.[45]
| Date of the presentation | Theatre | Play (director) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26–29 December 2015 | Syma Events Hall and Convention Center | Toy-Maker (Pop-Musical Show with screened English-language subtitles, directed by György Bőhm)Hungarian title: Játékkészitő[46] | Keptén Kapitány the pirate captain[47] |
| January 2011 | Katona József Theatre | Presnyakov brothers: Playing the Victim (directed by Vilmos Vajdai) Hungarian title: Cserenadrág | Verhuskin |
| 30 January 2009 | Szeged National Theatre | Victor Hugo: Ruy Blas (directed by István Zamenák) | Ruy Blas |
| 5 December 2008 | Budapest Moulin Rouge | Gergely Zöldi: Bonnie and Clyde media gangster romance (directed by György Bőhm) | Clyde |
| 20 October 2008 | Óbuda Social Club | Guest at the west table (literary editor Zoltán Fráter) | himself |
| 5 April 2008 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Pierre Beaumarchais: The Marriage of Figaro or the Day of Madness (directed by Enikő Eszenyi) | Count Almaviva, governor of Andalusia |
| 3 November 2007 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | William Shakespeare: Much Ado About Nothing (directed by Enikő Eszenyi) | Benedetto |
| 29 September 2007 | Hero’s Square, Budapest | The Birth of a Country (directed by Sándor Román) Original title: Szent István – Egy ország születése | Szent László |
| 4 July 2007 | Károlyi Garden, Budapest | Yvette Bozsik Company: Cabaret Berlin (directed by Yvette Bozsik) | |
| 18 March 2007 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | A. P. Chekhov: The Cherry Orchard (directed by Róbert Alföldi) | Trofimov, Pjotr Sergeyevich |
| 5 January 2007 | Palace of Arts Budapest, Festival Theatre | Jason Robert Brown: The Last Five Years (directed by György Bőhm) | Jamie |
| 7 October 2006 | Pest Theatre | Thomas Vinterberg – Mogens Rukov – Bo Hansen: Festen (directed by Enikő Eszenyi) | Christian |
| 30 April 2006 | Home Theatre Emese Vasvári | Yukio Mishima: Aoi (directed by Emese Vasvári) | Hikaru |
| 2006 | TÁP Theatre | Everything Is Bad Variety Show (directed by Vilmos Vajdai) Original title: Minden Rossz Varieté | well-known celebrity, celeb[48] |
| 20 January 2006 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Maurice Maeterlinck: The Blue Bird (directed by Sándor Zsótér) | The Fairy Bérylune, Light, The Oak, Neighbour Berlingot, Neighbour Berlingot’s little daughter |
| 8 October 2006 | Pest Theatre | Friedrich Schiller: Mary Stuart (directed by Róbert Alföldi) | Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester |
| 5 July 2005 | Gyula Castle Theatre | Chaplet of Shakespeare - theatre, theatre, theatre (directed by Attila Vidnyánszky) | participant |
| 18 March 2005 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Carlo Goldoni: The Coffee House (directed by Péter Valló) | Eugenio |
| 8 October 2004 | Sándor Hevesi Theatre, Zalaegerszeg | Imre Madách: The Tragedy of Man (directed by József Ruszt) | Lucifer |
| 8 April 2004 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Nikolai Gogol: The Inspector (directed by Péter Valló) | Ivan Aleksandrovich Hlestakov, inspector from Saint Petersburg |
| 17 January 2004 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Gyula Krúdy: The Crimson Coach (directed by Géza Tordy) | Kázmér Rezeda |
| 7 March 2003 | Tivoli, Budapest Chamber Theatre | Eugene O'Neill: A Moon for the Misbegotten (directed by Géza Tordy) | James Tyrone Jr. |
| 30 December 2002 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Mihály Eisemann – Imre Egri-Halász – István Békeffy: A Kiss and Nothing More (directed by Géza Hegedűs D.) | Sándor |
| 13 April 2002 | Pest Theatre | William Shakespeare: Antony and Cleopatra (directed by Enikő Eszenyi) | Antony |
| 21 December 2001 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | William Shakespeare: King Lear (directed by Gábor Tompa) | Edmund, natural Son to Gloucester |
| 6 October 2001 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Bertolt Brecht: The Good Person of Szechwan (directed by Sándor Zsótér) | Su Fu, barber |
| 20 April 2001 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Crime and Punishment (directed by Géza Tordy) | Raskolnikov |
| 13 October 2000 | Tivoli, Budapest Chamber Theatre | Arthur Miller: Death of a Salesman (directed by Pál Sándor) | Biff |
| 19 February 2000 | Pest Theatre | Tennessee Williams: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (directed by Gábor Máté) | Brick |
| 2 December 1999 (role taken over in March 2004) | Tivoli, Budapest Chamber Theatre | Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire (directed by Géza Tordy) | Stanley |
| 16 October 1999 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Fyodor Dostojevsky: The Brothers Karamazov (directed by János Szikora) | Ilyusha |
| 1999 | Szeged Open-Air Theatre | Tibor Déry: An Imaginary Report on an American Pop Festival (directed by Balázs Kovalik) | József |
| 7 May 1999 | Pest Theatre | Attila Réthly: Dead or Alive (directed by Attila Réthly) | Günter |
| 27 February 1999 | Pest Theatre | Here There Over There (directed by István Horvai): Chekhov: The Wedding Bertolt Brecht: A Respectable Wedding Ilf and Petrov: Sensual Passion | Babelmandebskiy Hans Chulanov |
| 1998 | Comedy Theatre of Budapest | Ben Elton: Popcorn (directed by László Marton) | Wayne |
| 1998 | Tivoli, Budapest Chamber Theatre | William Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet (directed by József Ruszt) | Romeo |
| 30 November 1997 | Pest Theatre | Róbert Alföldi: The Phaedra Story (directed by Róbert Alföldi) | Hippolutos |
| 15 February 1997 | Budapest Chamber Theatre – Ericsson Studio | A.P. Chekhov: The Sea-Gull (directed by Róbert Alföldi) | Treplyov |
| 1997 | Győr National Theatre | Tennessee Williams: A Streetcar Named Desire (directed by Csaba Kiss) | Stanley |
| 1996 | Budapest Chamber Theatre | Martin Sherman: Bent (directed by Róbert Alföldi) | Horst |
| 1996 | Budapest Chamber Theatre | József Katona: Bánk Bán (directed by József Ruszt) | Ottó |
| 28 January 1996 | Pest Theatre | László Dés – Péter Geszti – Pál Békés: The Jungle Book (directed by Géza Hegedûs D.) | Shere Khan |
| 1995 | Budapest Chamber Theatre | Pedro Calderón de la Barca: The Constant Prince | Muley |
| 1995 | Győr National Theatre | Stendhal: The Red and the Black (directed by György Bőhm) | Julien Sorel |
| 28 October 1995 | Budapest Chamber Theatre | William Shakespeare: Othello (directed by József Ruszt) | Othello His first widely acclaimed performance both by professionals and audiences. |
Theatre Directing
- 9 marc 2009, Keszthely, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin (opera) (directed by: Ivan Kamaras)
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Stationary | Short  | |
| 1996 | Ezüstnitrát |  - - | |
| 1996 | Bolse vita | Árva | |
| 1996 | A bűvész | Short | |
| 1997 | A miniszter félrelép | Marosi Róbert | |
| 1998 | Európa expressz | Jimmy | |
| 1999 | A Morel fiú | Géza | Short |
| 2000 | Fehér alsó | | |
| 2001 | A csodálatos mandarin | Tramp | Short |
| 2001 | Vademberek | István | |
| 2002 | Szerelem utolsó vérig | Dandy | |
| 2002 | Szent Iván napja | Székely Iván | |
| 2002 | Somlói galuska | short | |
| 2003 | Libiomfi | színész a válogatáson | |
| 2005 | Sóhajok | iPhonefilm 50 min Actor, Director, Cinematographer, Producer | |
| 2005 | Le a fejjel! | Kozár, a bérgyilkos | |
| 2006 | Semleges hely | Man | short |
| 2008 | Para | Viktor | |
| 2008 | Hellboy II: The Golden Army | Agent Steel |  |
| 2009 | Team Building | Sanyi | |
| 2010 | Igazából apa | Bálint | |
| 2010 | Sudden Death! | Thug | |
| 2010 | Üvegtigris 3. | Dr. Csopkai Ferenc | |
| 2010 | A tüke fenomén | Himself | documentary |
| 2011 | A Love Affair of Sorts | Boris | |
| 2012 | Blood and High Heels | Ivan Milkov | short |
| 2012 | Aglaja | Milo | |
| 2012 | Rabbi vagy miazisten | Tibi | Short |
| 2012 | The Mark | Phillyp Turk | |
| 2013 | The Mark: Redemption | Phillyp Turk |  |
| 2013 | A Good Day to Die Hard | G-Wagon Driver | |
| 2013 | 100 Degrees Below Zero | Dr. Goldschein | |
| 2013 | The Developer | the Jumpsuit Guy | Short |
| 2013 | World War Z | Gambling Soldier | |
| 2014 | Üzenet | Nyurga | Short |
| 2013 | Outpost: Rise of the Spetsnaz | Fyodor |  |
| 2014 | Dumapárbaj | Kész átverés show műsorvezető | |
| 2014 | Megdönteni Hajnal Tímeát | Róbert | |
| 2014 | Apám megmutatja | Miklós | Short |
| 2014 | A győztes[49] | Kovács István (in 1980) | short |
| 2015 | Spy | Club Emcee | |
| 2015 | Lámpagyújtogatók | Himself | |
| 2016 | Cop Mortem | John Holdon | |
| 2017 | High & Outside - a baseball noir | Hans | |
| 2017 | Dead End | The Hungarian |  |
| 2018 | The Big Shot (A Nagy Dobás) | Misi[50][51][52] | short |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Charlemagne, le prince à cheval (Episodes: L'empereur, Le roi) | Prince Pippin | Mini-Series |
| 1996 | Othello[53] | Othello | theater TV coverage (Budapest Chamber Theatre) |
| 1996 | Mohács | Louis II of Hungary[54] | The TV film won the Hungarian Film Critics Award 1996 ″Best TV Feature″ prize[55] |
| 1996 | Egy csésze fekete (A cup of black...) | Mini-Series (from the most interesting crimes of the XXth century, 3 parts)[56][57] | |
| 1998 | Hölgyválasz (Episode: Career) | Himself | Series |
| 1999 | Családi album | Series | |
| 1999 | Esti showder | Himself | TV show |
| 2001 | Első generáció | Evil | Series |
| 2001 | Mikor síel az oroszlán? | The man in Semmering | |
| 2003 | Szeret, nem szeret | Himself | Series short |
| 2006 | Köszönet a szabadság hőseinek | Miklós (in 1956) | (A film from the Hungarian Revolution of 1956) |
| 2007 | Szent István - Egy Ország Születése | Ladislaus I of Hungary | (Historical Rock Musical 2007, Hero Square (Exclusive Open Air Stage), Budapest[58]) |
| 2009 | MobilVers | Himself[59] | Idea from Iván Kamarás, Cinematographer (a series of poetry) |
| 2009 | Beugró | Himself | TV show |
| 2009 | Alíz és a hét farkas | Iván | |
| 2009 | Hús vétkek | ||
| 2009 | Találd ki magad! | ||
| 2011 | Silent Witness (Episodes: Bloodlines Part 1-2) | Tibor Orban | Series |
| 2011 | Feljegyzések az egérlyukból | Zverkov | (adaptation) |
| 2012 | Százbólegy | Strange Man | Series |
| 2013 | Las aventuras del capitán Alatriste | Fiore | Series |
| 2013 | Strike Back | Skander | HBO-Series |
| 2013 | Dracula | Auctioneer | Series |
| 2014 | Fleming: The Man Who Would Be Bond | German Officer - Von Ostheim | Mini-Series |
| 2014 | Houdini (Part1: Rasputin) | Rasputin | Mini-Series |
| 2015 | Kossuthkifli[60] | Péntek Kajetán | Series |
| 2016 | Tömény történelem | Dracula[61] / Koppány[61] / Francis II Rákóczi[62] / story-teller[63] | Mini-Series |
| 2017 | Korhatáros szerelem | Viktor | Series |
| 2018 | Csak színház és más semmi (3. Series)[64] | Tomi[65] | Series |
Video games
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II | "Fender" Takacs | [66] |
Sync
Selection from the Hungarian Online Sync Database[67]
| Title | Role | Actor/Actress | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Wire | Russell ’Stringer’ Bell | Idris Elba | |
| Nigel Boswell | Agent006 | Clive Owen | |
| Valiant | Gixer | Ricky Gervais | |
| Superman: Doomsday | Clark Kent (Superman) | Adam Baldwin | |
| The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy | Zaphod Beeblebrox | Sam Rockwell | |
| The Chronicles of Narnia | Prince Caspian | Cornell John | |
| The Reaping | Doug Blackwell | David Morrissey | |
| The Lookout | Gary Spargo | Matthew Goode | |
| Immigrants (L.A. Dolce Vita) | Mr. Csapó | Dan Castellaneta | |
| Snitch | John Matthews | Dwayne Johnson | |
| A Single Shot | John Moon | Sam Rockwell | |
| The Nut Job | Grayson | Brendan Fraser | |
| Ruben Brandt, Collector | Ruben Brandt | Iván Kamarás | Ηungarian Feature on Art and Animation[68][69][70] |
| The Demolisher of the World and the Restorers (Világzabáló és a visszacsinálók) | English narration | Károly Rékasi | Ferenc Cakó adapted sand animation tale[71] |