If the phrase “action has the magical power of turning dreams into reality” had a face, it definitely is Pavel Kozlov. Born and raised in Moscow, among Math professors in his family, Pavel developed his interest in a different field. From being a professional athlete to becoming a SAG actor and from being a brand ambassador for different renowned brands to becoming a successful entrepreneur, Pavel Kozlov’s life is an inspiration for all young minds out there.
At the age of 14, he was introduced to the world of wrestling through television, and he knew this was exactly what he wanted to do; be a professional wrestler. Since there were no schools for professional wrestling in Russia, he started training in self-defense and kickboxing. During his university years, when he was studying journalism in his country, he started fighting in clubs. For him, wrestling was not just about fighting. It was about storytelling, well-defined characters, and finely sketched-out appearances.
As his love for the sport grew, he realized its limitations in his homeland. With only a handful of money on him, no friends and family to support him, and a language he was not fluent in, Pavel left his job as a journalist and traveled to the United States of America to pursue his dreams since it was the center of professional wrestling in the world. Believing that nothing is impossible, he took a giant leap of faith. He just relied on his passion and hard work to make a name for himself on his own – in a foreign country amongst people he knew nothing about.
He commenced his new journey from Georgia at age 21, where he started training at World Wrestling Alliance. Within two years, he moved to Florida and joined the Team 3D Academy of Professional Wrestling. His time at 3D Academy shaped him physically and emotionally, building his character and teaching him the tricks of the trade.
Pavel started seeing the change in himself. From a boy next door to a larger-than-life character you watch on TV, his personality took a 360-degree turn with everything going his way.
However, it was in 2015 that Pavel got his first big break when he tried out for matches in WWE on Monday Night RAW and SmackDown. Finally, he made it to the American Professional Wrestling. The young Pavel Kozlov from Russia was now America’s Victor Romanoff, the Siberian Fighting Spirit. A kid’s dream became a reality because of his relentless dedication to the sport and persistent hard work.
With a great wrestling career ahead of him, Pavel Kozlov didn’t stop there. He took a deep dive into his talents and stepped toward his second passion – acting. His on-screen persona and intense looks soon got him roles in movies, TV series, and independent projects.
While he loved the adrenaline rush related to the sport, the wrestlers’ extraordinary entrances, the diverse characters, and the storytelling truly mesmerized him. And that is precisely what he incorporated into his various TV and movie roles; character development and how the story unfolded around his characters.
Understanding that every craft needs to be learned to perfect it, he joined and graduated from the Meisner Master Acting program. From there, he completed a 4-year acting course from Los Angeles’ prestigious acting school, Playhouse West.
When he enrolled in his first acting school in Orlando in 2013, he thought that his big muscle looks would get him roles in action movies. How wrong he was. After one month of acting classes, he understood the importance of fundamental education. He believes that only one percent of people are born with acting talent, yet to make it big in the industry, one needs to study hard, learn the skill and keep improving over time to succeed in the field.
To continuously hone his skills, he also attends acting workshops. His success story serves as a real-life learning experience for the young, ambitious actors in the program.
His character, Victor Romanoff, led him to cash in on the “Evil Russian” stereotype and played evil characters in Hollywood. He is the producer’s choice of a Russian ‘bad boy’ who portrays terrorists and killers in various movies and dramas. His Russian descent gives him an edge over others as he is fluent in the language. Besides, he has the proper accent required to perform one of the quintessential bad-guy stereotypes.
When he moved to Los Angeles, his goal was to become ‘the best bad guy in Hollywood’, and with his acting skills, he has achieved that. His acting prowess can be witnessed in shows like MacGyver and Black Lightning.
As for his personal life, Pavel strongly supports America’s law enforcement, firefighters, and the military. To showcase his appreciation for America, he partnered with Nine Line Apparel to represent their values through their high-quality clothing. The clothing line exuberates his true spirit – a fighter who never gives up even in adversities and rises with even more enthusiasm to attain success.
In 2019, he ventured into his own business by establishing the best kids’ entertainment company in Los Angeles – Let’s Celebrate Entertainment, along with his wife, Julia Kozlov. Together with his wife, Pavel decided to bring all that knowledge and experience to the pinnacle of entertainment to create Let’s Celebrate Entertainment, creating incredible events and parties to suit birthdays, holidays and celebrations of all kinds for clients all over Los Angeles.
Since the focus of the events is on kids, Let’s Celebrate Entertainment has a tailored approach for each client. From their choice of host to activities, each event is designed keeping in mind the kid’s favorite theme, be it superheroes or TV shows. They help create events that make lifelong memories for the children. Since its launch, the company has been making dreams come true for children across Los Angeles by providing them with the most entertaining and fun-filled experience.
From a young little boy from Russia to a professional wrestler and entrepreneur in the USA, Pavel Kozlov’s career trajectory is a real-life inspiration for everyone. It teaches us that anyone can break the limiting walls around them if they have the will and perseverance to achieve their dreams. He believes that nothing is impossible if you are willing to work hard for it. Taking the first step toward your dreams is always hard, but you must jump out of your comfort zone to succeed.
When he expressed his desire to become a pro wrestler, everyone told him it was impossible, yet, he proved them wrong. When he first started acting, people laughed at him and told him he could not handle it. Yet, he proved them wrong.
Every achievement improves with time, but starting soon is the key. This is what Pavel Kozlov did. His ambition brought the best out of him. He left his comfort zone and ventured into a new world of opportunities without knowing what the future would hold for him. Yet, he kept working to reach his goal, trained himself, changed his entire personality, and became what he dreamt of as a 14-year-old school-going boy.
Be it his wrestling, acting, or business, he teaches aspiring young minds to go for their dreams and make them happen. Believe, work hard and be unstoppable, just like Pavel Kozlov.
