After I moved to Los Angeles, I tried to take acting classes to spruce up my craft. I ran into several acting teachers that were repeatedly saying to all students how great we were. I felt they only wanted the money and they didn't care about helping actors get to the next level. So, I gave up on taking classes and instead started offering them. I was surprised how my students got offended when I told them they merely stink in a scene they showed me. Very quickly I realized Hollywood actors have much bigger egos than acting students in Russia. In the Academy I learned to take good and bad criticism and apply it to my growth as an actor; that's the way I see it. That's the way I believe. After that experience, I decided to start taking, under my wing, only students that can handle the truth. Of course, I always try to evaluate the situation, and I have softened my approach as a critic. Although, I still always tell my students everything I think.