American Dream

As career gambles go, Igor Jijikine's was the equivalent of putting it all on red.

A Russian trapeze artist with the Moscow Circus, his American odyssey began almost 20 years ago when the touring troupe ran out of money in Atlanta. Almost overnight, Jijikine was operating without a net.

"Somebody said Las Vegas was the entertainment capital of the world, and we thought we could sell ourselves and find jobs," he says.

So they moved to Las Vegas, where their run of bad luck continued. One day, Jijikine's friends informed him they were giving up their American adventure.

Out of almost 20 performers, Jijikine was the only one who chose to stay. It was no picnic when the money ran out.

He slept in a park, he recalls, near Charleston Boulevard and Eastern Avenue. "Maybe it was Maryland Parkway," he says.

Dirt poor, he survived on popcorn after realizing tourist coupons helped him battle hunger. Soon he was showing up at Circus Circus, or "any place that gave away popcorn."

Today, his face is familiar worldwide after landing a role as a Red Army villain in the global blockbuster "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

When I caught up to him last week, he was house hunting in Los Angeles, a sure sign that life is good.

That's a far cry from his first job in Las Vegas, helping to mow lawns, an illegal act since he didn't have the proper papers to work in the United States.

A small motel, he says, offered to pay him under the table as long as he worked at night "so no one would see me."

At Circus Circus, he met a trapeze group called the Caballeros and "they took me to their home and I stayed with them for a while. I would practice the trapeze with them. They had like nine or 10 children."

He got his foot in the entertainment business as a special acrobat with "Enter the Night" at the Stardust.

An audition with "Jubilee!" at Bally's "changed my life also," he says.

He landed the role as Samson, which led to his first acting lessons.

"Jubilee" company manager "Fluff" LeCocque was his first acting coach, Jijikine says.

After four or five years, he moved to Cirque du Soleil's "Mystere" and started taking more acting classes.

About two years ago, he made the cut when Steven Spielberg came up with a cast to build around Harrison Ford.

Released in May, the latest Indiana Jones installment is approaching $800 million at the box office worldwide.

Jijikine's life has changed in many ways, he says.

His career has exploded. Prior to his "Indiana Jones" role, he had done one movie. He's currently working on his sixth this year, with upcoming shoots in Zurich, Switzerland; Moscow; Los Angeles; and Prague.

During recent trips to Moscow, where he grew up, Jijikine came face to face with his fame.

"Before, I could take the bus or the Metro. Now I don't. So many people come up to me it's a little scary. I take a taxi now."

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find more online at www.normclarke.com.