Artak Aleksanyan’s Exclusive Interview with Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan (video, photos)

Aleksanyan shared with the actors that, like many viewers, he had watched the film twice—first focusing on the Armenian dialogues and then experiencing the film in its entirety.

“After Anora, it seems a new Armenian acting presence is emerging in Hollywood. I remember meeting Vache after filming and he told me he had starred in a very serious project. After the Cannes award, I wrote on Instagram that the Oscar was left, and when the film ultimately won, that comment collected over a thousand likes. Time will tell, but Karren Karagulian’s role is already leaving a significant Armenian mark in Hollywood.”

Karren Karagulian revealed that following the Oscar-winning film, he was invited to join the Oscar Film Academy, an organization of 1,400 actors responsible for evaluating films. He emphasized that no Armenian actor had ever been part of the Academy before. Karagulyan explained that Anora emerged from his long-standing collaboration with director Sean Baker, centered on the lives of Russian and Armenian communities in Brooklyn.

“The film was challenging because I had to speak three languages. Although I’ve lived in the U.S. for thirty years, I am fluent in all three. There was one scene where my dialogue spanned 11 pages—I’m constantly on screen. During the Armenian parts, Vache and I worked closely to adjust the text and add some new fragments.”

The actors noted that while they did not think about Oscars during filming, they recognized they were creating a high-quality, impactful work. For Vache Tovmasyan, this was his first film role. He received the offer directly from Sean Baker after living in the United States for two years.

“When Sean called and offered me the role, I thought it was a joke. My friends were playing a prank. He told me Karren Karagulian had recommended me. I checked Instagram and saw Karen had messaged me five years ago—I hadn’t replied. Had I known it would become such a serious project, winning five Oscars, I would have been more nervous. The crew was entirely American, with Karen as the only Armenian, and yet Sean created a wonderful environment. We enjoyed the whole filming process immensely.”

Both actors explained that the film included a lot of improvisation, particularly around the use of Armenian dialogue. They debated whether to include swear words in Armenian, ultimately deciding that formal, bookish language would not fit the story. Film critics counted the word “f*ck” 149 times in the film. Karren Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan agreed that Anora is fundamentally a story about love and the emotional experiences of a young woman working in the sex industry.