Rusnak recounted how she was laid off after 18 years at Loto-Zabava
Ukrainian actress and TV host Larisa Rusnak spoke candidly about her dismissal from the show “Loto-Zabava,” to which she had dedicated 18 years. According to her, the management’s decision came as a surprise, as one day she was simply told that she would no longer be hosting the show. As a farewell gift, the actress was given a watch, which she took as a sort of “consolation prize.”
For many Ukrainians, Larisa Rusnak was a familiar face on Sunday mornings for many years. Viewers knew her as the host of the popular lottery show “Loto-Zabava.” However, the actress herself admits that she didn’t initially plan to stay in television for long. Rusnak joined the TV project out of curiosity. She wanted to try something new, since acting remained her main profession. However, what was supposed to be just a new experience ultimately turned into 18 years of work on one of Ukraine’s most famous TV shows.
The job of a host required constant concentration. Live broadcasts didn’t allow for relaxation, as she had to keep an eye on several cameras at once, interact with the studio audience, and memorize large amounts of text.
According to Rusnak, this experience taught her a great deal. At the same time, her popularity on television had another side to it. Because her face appeared on screens every Sunday, viewers became so accustomed to her as a host that it hindered her acting career for a while. “There was a period when people recognized me solely because of that: my face was shown every Sunday, and it was impossible not to remember it,” the actress said in an interview with Wave RBC.UA.
Rusnak tried to break away from that image. She deliberately took on complex dramatic roles that were very different from her television persona. In particular, the actress played complex characters and women struggling with addiction. However, the most painful moment for her was when she had to say goodbye to “Loto-Zabava” itself.
“They just told me, ‘That’s it.’”
According to Rusnak, she was essentially presented with a fait accompli regarding her dismissal. There were no prior conversations or explanations for the decision. “They just told me, ‘That’s it, you’re not hosting anymore.’ Suddenly, all in one day. It was very painful,” the actress recalled.
She noted that around that time, one of the show’s other hosts was kept on, while the network began searching for new, younger hosts to replace her. At the same time, Rusnak never found out why management decided to end their collaboration with her specifically after so many years of work. What struck the actress as particularly strange was the way she was let go. Instead of a serious conversation about ending their 18-year collaboration, she was simply handed a gift. “They even gave me a watch, as if I were retiring. It felt like a consolation prize,” Rusnak said.
The actress admitted that she was going through a very difficult period at the time. After so many years on the show, it was hard for her to accept that her familiar job was gone. “I decided then that I’d have to gradually ‘crawl to the graveyard,’” she recalled bitterly.
Despite this experience, Rusnak continued to work as an actress. For many years, she has been performing on stage at the Ivan Franko National Drama Theater, as well as appearing in Ukrainian films and TV series.
What Is Larisa Rusnak Known For
Larysa Rusnak works not only in theater and film. She is also known as a voice actress. Her voice brings to life the heroines of popular foreign films in Ukrainian theatrical releases. Over the course of her career, the actress has played dozens of roles. She has worked in various genres and has not limited herself to a single type of character.
Her television career has also become an important part of her life. It was “Loto-Zabava” that made Rusnak widely recognizable to the general public. She spent 18 years on the show, so her sudden dismissal was not just a job change for her, but the end of a major chapter in her life.
Rusnak continues her acting career today. And her experience working in television, she says, remains an important part of her professional journey, even though the end of that chapter turned out to be painful for her. This was reported by Wave RBC.UA.
