Asanali Ashimov – a legend of the Kazakh theater and cinema, actor, director, screenwriter, teacher and Hero of Labor of Kazakhstan.

Born In 1937 he graduated from the theater department of the Kazakh Conservatory, and since 1963 has connected his fate with the Kazakh Drama Theater named after M. Auezov. On stage he created about 50 roles and worked with outstanding masters of the stage.

His cinematic career began with the film "Botagoz" (1958). The roles in films "Kyz Zhibek" (1970) and "The End of the Ataman" (1973), where he played the security officer Chadyarov. This character became a cult, and his adventures continued in the films "Trans-Siberian Express" (1977), "The Manchurian Variant" (1989) and “Who are you, Mr. Ka?” (2009).

As a director, Ashimov made the films “Year of the Dragon” (1981), “Legendary Chokan” (1985), “Wormwood” (1986), “Goats Korpesh — Bayan Sulu”

In 2017 he completed the theater career, but his contribution to the arts remains significant. His work continues to inspire new generations of artists and audiences.