Biography
Risto Kübar (born December 4, 1983) is an Estonian actor known for his work on stage, in voice acting, and in film.
Born in the small borough of Kose, Kübar is the younger brother of sidecar motocross racer Silver Kübar. He attended Kose Secondary School from 1990 to 1999, then graduated from Tallinn Old Town Educational College (VHK) in 2002. Afterward, he enrolled at the Estonian Music and Theatre Academy of Dramatic Art (now the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre), studying under actor and instructor Priit Pedajas, and graduated in 2006. His classmates included Inga Salurand, Lauri Lagle, Mari-Liis Lill, Laura Peterson, Ursula Ratasepp, Britta Vahur, and Sergo Vares.
While still a student, Kübar made his stage debut at the Estonian Drama Theatre in Madis Kõiv’s play Finis nihili, followed by a role in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night's Dream. Immediately after graduating in 2006, he joined Theatre NO99 in Tallinn, debuting in Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard. He has also appeared at the Tallinn City Theatre in George Orwell’s Animal Farm and at the Vanemuine theatre in Tartu, where he portrayed guitarist Jaanus Nõgisto in the 2008 rock opera Ruja, based on the Estonian rock band of the same name.
Kübar remained with Theatre NO99 until 2014, participating in international productions such as Simon Stephens’ Three Kingdoms, directed by Sebastian Nübling. His performance in Tennessee Williams’ Orpheus Descends, also directed by Nübling, earned him the Young Actor of the Year award in 2013 from the professional journal Theater Heute. Both productions toured to the Münchner Kammerspiele, where Kübar joined the ensemble from 2014 to 2015 under intendant Johan Simons.
From 2015 to 2018, Kübar was part of the Belgian theatre NTGent ensemble. In 2016, he received the Arlecchino award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Dit zijn de namen, written by Tommy Wieringa and directed by Philipp Becker. He also appeared in Die Fremden, a collaboration between NTGent and Ruhrtriennale directed by Johan Simons. Die Fremden premiered on September 2, 2016, at the Kohlenmischhalle of Zeche Auguste Victoria in Marl during Ruhrtriennale 2016, with its Ghent premiere on September 21, 2016, in the Floralies Hall.
In February 2018, Kübar worked with NTGent, director Florian Fischer, and actress Lien Wildemeersch on To name herstory, an adaptation of Kathy Acker’s 1986 work Don Quixote: which was a dream. Critics praised Kübar’s distinctive style as perfectly suited to the production, noting his creation of a new language that, despite its eccentricity, immediately connected with the audience.
Kübar made his film debut as a voice actor in the 2006 animated short Maraton for Eesti Joonisfilm, followed by a voice role in Heiki Ernits and Janno Põldma’s feature-length Estonian animated children’s film Leiutajateküla Lotte (Lotte from Gadgetville). His most notable film role to date is the lead in Rainer Sarnet’s 2011 film Idioot, an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s The Idiot.
