US producer Stephen Mao expresses desire to 'earn' his Russian passport

US producer Stephen Mao expresses desire to 'earn' his Russian passport Stephen Mao said that he doesn't think it's right to come and just receive something without doing anythingMOSCOW, July 14. /TASS/. American producer and president of Studio Mao, Stephen Mao, told TASS in an interview that he would like to earn the right to be Russian. "I've always been the type of person that I want to earn that right. I don't think it's right - and this is my personal opinion, but I don't think it's right to come and just receive something without doing anything. You can't just be Russian because you're connected with the country. I'm earning the right to something is how I look at that," the producer said. When asked if he had plans to obtain a Russian passport, Mao replied: "Maybe." Life in Russia The American producer said he has been living in Russia for about five years. "We live out just past Vnukovo. And I love Moscow. Moscow is a great city. And we're very happy to be here. But we [also] travel" Mao shared. He explained why he chose Moscow: "It's home is where the heart is." In his opinion, "Moscow is a city which has a lot of history and culture. Great museums, great art. You know, I think the city has a tremendous amount to offer. And it's safe." "Russia has, again, like I said before, a very long history. It's an old civilization, dating back to the 5th century. So the Russian people are resolute. They're very strong. And the tradition here runs very deep," Mao noted. He is convinced that "until a person comes to Russia and experiences that, it's very difficult to understand how the Russian people think about life." The producer admitted that he has not yet started learning Russian: "It's something that I probably should do, but not something that's happened yet." However, he stated that starting to learn is "just a matter of time." "I don't think Russian is any more difficult than any other language. Grammatically, yes, but languages are not my strong suit," Mao remarked. 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