Biography
Vladimir Nikolov Penev was born on October 24, 1958, in Sofia, Bulgaria. He is a Bulgarian actor known for his work in film, television, and theater. In 2013, he served as the culture minister in the caretaker government led by Marin Raykov. His father, Nikola Penev, was a journalist for the newspaper "Agricultural Flag." Vladimir completed his secondary education at School No. 8 in Sofia. In 1982, he graduated in Acting for Theatre from the National Academy for Theatre and Film Art in Sofia, studying under Professor Nikolay Lyutskanov with assistant Margarita Mladenova. Between 1985 and 1992, he was part of the Youth Theatre troupe in Sofia before joining the National Theatre "Ivan Vazov." Since 2003, he has been a member of the "Small City Theatre behind Channel" troupe.
Penev has received numerous awards, including the "Golden Mask" at the International Theatre Festival "Ohrid Summer," the Union of Bulgarian Actors' "Icarus" Award for his role as Edgar in "Dance of Death," and the "Asker" Award in 1996 for his role as the Husband in "Nirvana" by Konstantin Iliev, directed by Margarita Mladenova. He also won the "Asker" Award in 2007 for Edgar in "Dance of Death," the Best Actor Award in Rijeka in 2007, and the "Golden Chest" Best Actor Award in 2000 for the film "Hourglass," directed by Georgi Djulgerov. In 2010, he was nominated for an "Asker" Award for Supporting Actor in "Pleasantly Scary" at Theatre 199.
Since the late 1980s, Penev has been involved in dubbing commercials, films, and series. He took part in the dubbing of "Mrs. Doubtfire," one of the first made-for-TV dubbings. He is also well-known for his work on American TV series such as "Twin Peaks," "The Diaries of Red Shoes," "Highlander," "The X-Files," "Monk," "Two and a Half Men" (seasons two through eight), "CSI: NY," and "Desperate Housewives." On December 20, 2013, he received the Dublart Lifetime Achievement Award.
