Gerard Depardieu wants you to know that he’s not yet claiming his Russian pension. This Thursday, Depardieu’s representative, Arno Frill, told the tabloid “Life” that the French actor has been paying Russian taxes for three years without receiving any Russian pension payments (to which he is entitled as a 67-year-old Russian citizen).
“Depardieu pays taxes when he earns money in Russia, but he’s not receiving a pension in Russia,” Frill told a correspondent from Life. “He pays taxes for his pension, in order to receive it. But he’s still working, and he isn’t on his pension now. He’s been a Russian citizen for three years. He goes everywhere and says how much he likes Russia. For him, this country is his second homeland. You can spend hours talking with Depardieu about Pushkin, Russia, and its history.”
Read: Putin Awards Steven Seagal With Russian Citizenship
Frill added that Depardieu isn’t personally acquainted with the American actor Steven Seagal, who received Russian citizenship on Thursday, following an executive decree by Vladimir Putin.
“California, where Steven Seagal is from, is like another world for Gerard,” his agent explained.
In May 2015, Depardieu said he was “ready to die for Russia,” the country whose citizenship he adopted in 2013 to avoid France’s higher income taxes. Vladimir Putin personally presented him with his Russian passport at a meeting in Sochi.
According to Life, Russian pension officials have declared that Steven Seagal, as a 64-year-old Russian citizen, is also entitled to claim a monthly pension of 5,000 rubles ($78).
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