Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov will join the theater troupe of pro-Kremlin filmmaker Nikita Mikhalkov following his early release from prison on parole, Mikhalkov confirmed Friday.

Yefremov, 61, was convicted in 2020 of killing a delivery driver in a head-on collision while driving intoxicated in central Moscow. He was sentenced to eight years in a medium-security prison, later reduced to seven and a half on appeal.

A court granted the actor parole in March, and he was released in early April.

“Yes, he’s recovering and we have a contract,” Mikhalkov told the state-run TASS news agency. “I truly hope he will join the theater team because he remains a remarkable actor despite everything.”