Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel poses for photographers during a handprint and footprint ceremony honoring the actor at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles April 1, 2015. Reuters/Phil McCarten

“Furious 8” star Vin Diesel, 48, is interested in becoming a Russian citizen, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, 65, claimed. “The Man in the High Castle” actor recently talked about his decision to get Russian citizenship and claimed that Diesel and Robert De Niro, 72, are planning to follow suit.

“Three weeks ago, I asked for a Russian passport,” Tagawa told Life News. “Other Hollywood actors, such as Robert De Niro and Vin Diesel, are also willing to obtain Russian citizenship.”

Tagawa was recently in Moscow to attend the official weigh-in of Roy Jones Jr.. 46. The boxer and actor, who was knocked out in the fourth round of his fight against Enzo Maccarinelli, 35, in Moscow, is also a new Russian citizen having granted citizenship by President Vladimir Putin in September, according to RT.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Tagawa had his breakthrough as a Hollywood actor in the 1987 biopic “The Last Emperor.” He is also set to play Yasuhiro Nakasone in the upcoming biopic “Reagan.”

Neither Diesel nor De Niro has confirmed Tagawa’s statement about obtaining Russian citizenship. Currently, Diesel lives in Los Angeles while De Niro’s primary home is in Marbletown, New York.

Meanwhile, before reprising his role as Dominic Toretto in “Furious 8,” Diesel will star in “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” opposite Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund. The drama comedy film is directed by Ang Lee.

Aside from Diesel, Jason Statham, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris are set to reprise their respective roles in “Furious 8.” Directed by F. Gary Gray, the action film sequel will hit theatres on April 14, 2017.

On the other hand, De Niro is set to star in at least three films in 2016. He will star opposite Julianne Hough and Zoey Deutch in “Dirty Grandpa,” opposite Edgar Ramirez and Ana de Armas in “Hands of Stone” and opposite Lily Rabe and Michelle Pfeiffer in the TV movie “The Wizard of Lies.”

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