Vladimir Friedman (born June 20, 1959, in Kursk) is a prominent Russian-Israeli actor and musician. A graduate of GITIS under Elina Bystritskaya, he began his career in the USSR, where he received the Lenin Komsomol Prize for his performance in the play The Emigrants. Since immigrating to Israel in 1991, he has become one of the most recognizable figures in Russo-Israeli cinema and theater, appearing in over 60 films and series such as "Golden Voices", "Shtisel", "Broken Wings", and the Hollywood action film "American Assassin". He is also renowned for his autobiographical one-man show, "Where I Was Born" (Sham Noladeti), which has been performed over 2,000 times in Hebrew. Beyond acting, Friedman is an accomplished "guitar poet," performing original songs that reflect the experiences of the Russian-speaking diaspora, earning him the "Person of the Year" award for his contributions to Israeli culture in 2004.