Before audiences came to know him as Georgi Asparuhov – Gundi, Pavel Ivanov had already spent years working in the theatre, appeared in television series and performed in two comedy shows that took him across Bulgaria and Europe. However, his role in the film “Gundi – A Legend of Love” turned him into one of the most recognisable faces in Bulgarian cinema. The film was seen by 705 856 viewers in Bulgaria by the end of 2024.
Ivanov was born on 8 September 1993 in Ruse. As a student, he trained in basketball, performed folk dances and attended Baba Tonka Mathematics High School. His interest in the stage grew after he encountered the one-man shows of Marius Kurkinski and Kamen Donev.
From Ruse to the National Theatre
His first professional steps were taken at the Sava Ognyanov Drama Theatre in Ruse. In 2012, he was accepted on his first attempt at the National Academy for Theatre and Film Arts, in Professor Stefan Danailov’s class, and graduated from the academy in 2016. While still a student, in 2014, he began performing at the Ivan Vazov National Theatre.
On stage, he has appeared in productions based on works by Ivan Vazov, William Shakespeare, Dimitar Dimov and Friedrich Schiller. The titles include “The Duel”, “The Merchant of Venice”, “The Guilty One”, “Love and Treachery”, “Lunatics” and “The Colour of Deep Waters”. Television audiences also know him from the series “Fathers” and “The Devil’s Throat – The Demon’s Autumn”.
Seven years of preparation for the role of Gundi
Pavel Ivanov began preparing for the role of Georgi Asparuhov even before there was a completed script. According to him, screenwriter Emil Bonev initially approached him to find out whether he would be interested in the role, and seven years passed before filming began.
The actor studied the football legend’s physical condition, habits and character. “My second thought was: How would he react?”, Ivanov says of the way he built the character. Following the film’s success, he also joined the sixth season of “Undercover”, where he plays Yavor Krestev – The Quiet One.
A ballerina by his side and a little debutant in cinema
When he is away from the stage and the film set, Ivanov is the husband of ballerina Marina Stoilova, who is a member of the troupe at the Stefan Makedonski National Musical Theatre. The couple welcomed their first child in April 2023.
Their son also appears in “Gundi – A Legend of Love”. He plays the role of baby Andrey Asparuhov, the son of the football legend. In this way, Pavel Ivanov’s most famous character is connected not only to his professional path, but also to his family’s first small appearance on screen.
The actor himself says that he prefers to devote his energy to Bulgarian projects. “There are so many unperformed roles that can be filmed in Bulgaria,” says Ivanov, who continues to combine theatre, cinema, television and family life.
Sources: hotarena.net, telegraph.bg, nova.bg