'Reagan' actor who immigrated from Soviet Union says 'atmosphere' in US changed after he became president

Soviet immigrant Elya Baskin, who plays B.E. Kertchman in 'Reagan,' revealed how the 40th president was able to change the atmosphere of the nation with his leadership.

Bailee Hill is an associate editor with Fox News Digital. Story ideas can be sent to bailee.hill@fox.com 

"I came here almost half a century ago, and I thought I came to paradise," Baskin told Griff Jenkins on Friday. "And then... Gerald Ford was the president. And then there were four years under President Carter, and that was four very different years… The Shah of Iran was betrayed by Carter and got Khomeini instead, the hostage situation, and he started treating Israel like an enemy… and inflation was huge. I remember it was like 10, 12% inflation."

"Every time you go to the store, it's more and more expensive, and I thought maybe I did the wrong thing that I came here," he continued.  "I was dreaming about. And all of a sudden… what's happening? And then came Reagan, and the whole atmosphere in the country changed. And... you understood that things will be better and life will be much better, and it became much better and… that's how I feel now."