"I worked as a courier in America." Ulugbek Kadyrov on why he left Uzbekistan and why he is now singing at weddings

**Ulugbek Kadyrov: From courier in America to songs at weddings - about the actor's return to Uzbekistan and his new life**

Actor Ulugbek Kadyrov, who has been missed by fans for many years, gave his first interview after returning to Uzbekistan from the USA. During the interview, the artist talked about the reason why he does not show his family to the public, his life in exile, working in a delivery service, and singing at weddings.

**With which actresses has his creative partnership brought success?**

In the heyday of Ulugbek Kadyrov's work, almost all actresses were ready to partner with him. Which actress is the actor most comfortable playing with and which tandem brought him great success?

— On the street, I hear a lot of praise from people, mainly for the film "Telba". But I heard even more from my role as Shahzoda in the film “Fatima and Zuhra”. Dilnoza Kubayeva is a professional actress, my classmate Gulchehra Eshonkulova, and Zilola Musayeva, who is a singer, made a name for herself in “Fatima and Zuhra”. She even lived in the film. Lola Yuldosheva also has an innate talent, she gets into the role. I think I can still play roles with these four actresses with pleasure. But my pairing with Zilola turned out much better, says the actor.

**Why doesn’t he show his family to the public?**

Among show business representatives, Ulugbek Kadyrov is described as a strict head of the family. Is that the reason why the actor doesn’t show his family to the public?

— Family members have to listen to someone, after all. When I say strict, I don’t mean a bad father who beats and locks up his children, of course. I will try to explain. My grateful father was also a sincere, kind person. As for why I did not introduce my family to the public - I do not want to. My role in raising my children is 60 percent. I do not limit myself in many things so that they can mature and learn in life, he says.

**Why did he go to America?**

At the peak of his creativity, Ulugbek Kadyrov took a break from his career and went to America and lived there for about 4 years. What was the reason for this?

— No one, nothing forced me to go to America. For some reason, people thought that I had completely moved away. I have loved traveling since I was young. Even before that, I used to go overseas a lot. If I had dreamed of staying there and living there, I would have done so from the very beginning.

I found myself in an interesting moment. My main goal was to travel longer in America. Every time I went, I promised my family, “I’ll take you too, I’ll show you too.” When I was single, I envied those who were walking around Universal Park with their families and children. “Oh my God, I’ll come here with my children too,” I intended. I achieved my intention. But this trip coincided with the quarantine period and I got stuck there. In fact, I went for a trip. Since the situation required it, I bought a car, and with the help of my Uzbek acquaintances, I also found a house to rent, says Ulugbek Kadyrov.

**"I worked as a delivery man in America"**

— I lived in America for about 4 years. To be honest, I worked as a delivery man. I didn’t want to work in a pizza parlor. Although it was possible to earn better money there, I didn’t want to do this job. I also participated in various castings. But for this, it turned out that you need to know English very well. It is important for me to convey an educational meaning through cinema. Perhaps my being a Muslim also influenced my decision to return to my homeland. This part of my life is very valuable to me, says the actor.

**"We have no roles for actors after 40"**

— There is one of the most painful points for actors: in America, many actors achieve popularity even after 40. In Uzbekistan, when an actor reaches this age, roles decrease. Most often, they are offered the roles of fathers, uncles or uncles. Because there are few scripts and heroes. Mostly films are made about young people's love and romance. As a result, the remaining actors are left on the sidelines.

I actually did not plan to take such a break. But the situation turned out to be so. Due to the pandemic, my break was even longer. Then I came and went to my homeland. In the end, I returned to Uzbekistan with a longing for cinema and a longing for the homeland. After arriving, I auditioned for the film "Uzbek Lion" and passed. The film will be shown in cinemas in September. It is a film about war. In it, I played the role of a partisan from Fergana, he says.

**"Even if I get an offer from Hollywood, I can refuse"**

— As a viewer, I like the horror and thriller genres. Now films are also being shot for online platforms. If I get an offer from this genre, I will agree to play a negative character. But I do not interfere in explicit scenes. Even on Netflix, there are such requirements for filming a film that it does not correspond to our upbringing. Even if a major Hollywood film company comes up with an offer, if there are explicit scenes, I personally say no, says the actor.

**"Actually, I wanted to be a singer"**

— Singing is my hobby. Actually, I did not come to art with the intention of becoming an actor. When I went to the conservatory, I was sent back because I didn't have a musical background. Only then did I apply to the art institute. After going to the cinema, theater, and film studios, this desire remained in the back of my heart. They just invite me to weddings as a guest. When I congratulate the bride and groom, the hosts put money in my pocket.

I don't like to recite poetry, I have to do something in return. That's why I wrote songs in the studio with professional artists. Even now, I don't claim to be a singer, I'm still an actor. Now, I'm receiving offers of work not only in Tashkent and the regions, but also from neighboring countries, says Ulugbek Kadyrov.