Florian Munteanu (Romanian: [floˈri.an munˈte.a.nu]; born 13 October 1990), also known by his ring name Big Nasty, is a German actor and boxer. He is known for playing the boxer Viktor Drago in Creed II (2018) and Creed III (2023), and Razor Fist in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021).
Florian Munteanu | |
|---|---|
 Munteanu in 2020 | |
| Born | 13 October 1990[1][2] |
| Other names | Big Nasty |
| Alma mater | Hochschule Mittweida |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, boxer |
| Years active | 2016–present |
Early life
editMunteanu was born in Germany to Romanian parents in 1990. His mother is a lawyer, while his father is a dermatologist and former boxer.[3] Munteanu grew up in Bogen, and later moved to Munich to study at the university of applied science Hochschule Mittweida. In 2014 he defended his Bachelor of Arts thesis on the "Structure and organization of the sport of boxing in Germany: associations, boxing promotion companies, federations, management and marketing in general, with a comparison to the structures implemented in the USA".[4] He has competed in boxing in Germany under the ring name "Big Nasty".
Career
editMunteanu had his first film role in Bogat, a 2016 German-Romanian film shot in Munich.[2] His breakthrough in acting came in 2018, when Sylvester Stallone was looking for a European heavyweight boxer to play Viktor Drago, the son of Ivan Drago, in the sports drama sequel Creed II. Stallone found Munteanu through training videos on the Internet and personally promoted him for the role.[5] At that time Munteanu was 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) tall and weighed ca. 245 lb (111 kg), but had to shed ca. 20 lb (9.1 kg) for the role.[6]
Munteanu has joined the Season 3 line-up for Netflix's historical drama series Vikings: Valhalla. He has been cast as General George Maniakes.[7]
Munteanu lives in Munich and Los Angeles, California. He was featured on the covers of Muscle & Fitness (October 2018) and Men's Health (December 2018).[2]
Personal life
editFilmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Director | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Bogat | Razvan | Valentin Kruse | Short film |
| 2018 | Creed II | Viktor Drago | Steven Caple Jr. | |
| 2021 | Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | Razor Fist | Destin Daniel Cretton | |
| 2022 | The Contractor | Kauffman | Tarik Saleh | |
| 2023 | Creed III | Viktor Drago | Michael B. Jordan | |
| 2024 | Borderlands | Krieg | Eli Roth |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The Roles That Changed My Life | Himself | 1 episode |
| 2024 | Vikings: Valhalla | George Maniakes | Reoccurring role; Season 3 |
References
edit- ^ Amos Barshad (14 November 2018) How Dolph Lundgren and Florian Munteanu Brought the Pain to Creed II. Men's Health
- ^ a b c d V.M. Simandan (15 November 2018) Top 10 Facts About Florian "Big Nasty" Munteanu (aka Viktor Drago in Creed II). simandan.com.
- ^ Florian Munteanu's Instagram post (13 October 2020) [1]. Instagram
- ^ Struktur und Organisation des deutschen Boxsports : Vereine, Ställe, Verbände, Management und Vermarktung ; mit einem Vergleich in den USA. hs-mittweida.de
- ^ Manuel Habermeier and Florian Mesner (19 February 2019) Deutscher Boxer erobert Hollywood. sport1.de.
- ^ Martin Mulkeen (22 November 2018) The Real-Life Diet of Creed II Star Florian Munteanu, Who Trains His Abs Four Times a Day. GQ
- ^ Kit, Borys (5 May 2022). "Florian Munteanu Joins Season 3 of Netflix's Historical Drama 'Vikings: Valhalla'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
- ^ "Gest exemplar fata de Romania! Cum a aparut Florian Munteanu in fata fotografilor la premiera "Creed 2"".