Interview with Grigory Antipenko. Grigory Antipenko: “I adopted my child

The stars of the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” don’t have time for long interviews.
Grigory Antipenko and Ilya Lyubimov answered 50 questions from Penguin magazine in a blitz mode.
Your age?
Antipenko: 31 years old.
Lyubimov: 29 years old.
Zodiac sign?
A: Libra.
L: Pisces.
Feeling famous?
A: Rather popular
L: No.
Are you watching the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”?
A: It’s extremely rare to adjust the quality of your game.
L: On purpose, no.
In general, what do you watch on TV?
A: I watch TV extremely rarely, usually while eating late at night. I watch what is shown at this time.
L: I watch TV as a sleeping pill.
What programs don't you like?
A: All our talk shows are completely false and alien. Russian mentality. And I don't like TV series.
L: I don’t even know. As a researcher human nature I'm curious to watch many programs.
Is it true that the stars of the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” receive fabulous fees?
A: I was invited for quite modest money. Nobody expected this series to be such a success.
L: I can’t answer for everyone. I have enough.
How much does your shooting day cost?
A: I won’t give the exact amount. While filming the series, I managed to raise my standard of living a little – and thank you for that.
L: When work is a joy, the size of the fee fades into the background.
Which book made the most impression on you so far? Lately?
And I love classic literature and I don’t read bestsellers. Everything that is popular causes me to protest.
L: “The Capture of Izmail” by Mikhail Shishkin.
What are you reading now?
A: Sadly, I haven’t read books for several months now. There is neither time nor energy.
L: “Napoleon Bonaparte” by Manfred and “The Eternal Man” by Chesterton.
What are your top five favorite films?
A: Almost all films with Andrei Mironov, the “classics” of Nikita Mikhalkov and Mark Zakharov, “The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson.” Western – “Revolver”, “Sin City”, “ Big jackpot».
L: Among the latter are Monty Python’s “Flying Circus,” Peter Jackson’s films “Dead Alive” and “Meeting Thebes,” and the Chinese film “Kung Fu Showdown.” My preferences change quickly.
Your top ten Russian actors.?
A: Both Mironovs - Andrei and Evgeniy, Smoktunovsky, Tabakov, Kalyagin, Papanov, Dal, Mikhalkov..
L: I can’t put them in top ten!
What about Western artists?
A: Meryl Streep, De Niro, Al Pacino, Anthony Hopkins, Brad Pitt, Marlon Brando. You can continue for a long time.
L: It’s even more difficult with them.
Which director would you dream of starring in?
A: I haven’t thought about this topic.
L: Many.
Where is it more interesting to work - in the theater or in the cinema?
A: To the cinema. It has more dynamics and less repetition.
L: These are two different crafts. Both are interesting.
What is closer to you as a viewer?
A: Cinema. I hardly go to the theater.
L: Of course, cinema is more comfortable. Theater requires more intensive work on the part of the viewer.
What kind of music do you listen to?
A: Very different, depending on the mood: classics, jazz, blues, rock, good pop, like Shakira or Jackson. I categorically do not accept only chanson.
L: Various. I don’t want to show off my erudition.
What or who can make you laugh?
A: Petya Krasilov, who plays Roman Malinovsky in our series. He is an amazing comedian and produces wildly funny acting improvisations.
L: I laugh at myself very often.
Are you interested in politics?
A: No. But I care for the fate of my country, and I am sincerely saddened by the idiocy going on in our country.
L: Yes. My profession is human research. In politics, people show themselves like nowhere else. This is a game with colossal stakes, and it is very interesting to watch.
Russia - great country?
A: The greatest. There are no such countries anymore.
L: Russia – Country. Every country is great in its own way.
Do you play sports?
A: I once did karate, and then I realized that I was unlikely to achieve serious success, because I was not malicious by nature. Mountaineering is much closer to me, but I don’t have time for it.
L: I don’t do sports, but keep fit. In the summer I ride my bike a lot.
Do you believe in God?
A: Yes.
L: I believe.
What does it mean to be a real man?
A: Be able to keep your word. Now this is rare.
L:... (thinks for a long time).
Have you served in the army?
A: No.
L: No.
Do you swear?
A: Of course! Often he helps resolve the situation. The assemblers taught me the mat. I started as an assembler at Satyricon. Then I realized that swearing is not swearing, but the language of people of a certain class. They don't understand anything else.
L: The important thing here is that I periodically do this within myself. It is not the word that is bad, but what the word gives birth to. Such emotions destroy a person.
Can you punch someone in the face? A: I did this in another life. I am a peacemaker by nature and usually break up fights.
L: Lately I’ve been successfully “punching people’s faces” in a verbal form – to the point of bloody snot.
Have you ever had to get punched in the face yourself?
A: Once upon a time I was beaten almost the same way as recently in the series. But this also happened in another life.
L: I had to. IN mild form- a couple of years ago. In severe – about six years ago. The fault was my stupidity.
Have you ever gotten completely drunk, for what reason?
A: Twice in a lifetime. Due to inexperience. Firstly, I don’t get drunk, and secondly, I can’t drink much because of chronic headaches. I know when I need to stop.
L: A very long time ago - at the institute. The occasions were the most joyful.
How much can you drink without losing your human form?
A: Hunting - a lot. The body may not be able to stand it, but the head does not turn off.
L: A bottle of vodka or its equivalent.
Which alcoholic drink do you prefer?
A: Vodka. The purest product.
L: Dark unfiltered beer.
What car do you drive?
A: I have a Land Cruiser Prado.
L: Until recently, I drove a “four”. And today they brought me a Volkswagen Bora from Germany.
What car would you buy if you didn't care about its price?
A: Exactly this one. I don’t dream of another one yet.
L: Certainly not like a fan of your fingers! So far I really like my Borya.
Are teenagers annoying you? If yes, then with what?
A: I am annoyed by human illiteracy and lack of culture. This is exactly what I don’t like about young people. Maybe I'm getting old?
L: No. I'm interested in people of all ages.
Do you have principles in choosing clothes?
A: I prefer expensive and high-quality clothes, simple and reliable.
L: There are only two criteria - beautiful clothes and comfortable ones. Sometimes I notice that I am “carried away” in the direction of “improving my style.” This makes me happy!
How much does your best suit cost?
A: I only wear suits on set. Yesterday, for a photo shoot, they brought me a suit from England itself. God knows how much it costs.
L: I don't have a suit.
How much money do you need to be completely happy?
A: The feeling of happiness does not depend on money.
L: This question has already been answered by the classics - read “The Golden Calf”.
What city would you dream to live in?
A: I was born in Moscow and I adore my city.
L: I just returned from Bogota. It is something! In general, so far I have not been able to feel tied to a specific place on Earth.
Yours favorite dish?
A: I'm a meat person. There are no favorite dishes.
L: My gastronomic preferences change often. Sometimes you like something that’s scary to say...
Who do you love more - dogs or cats?
A: Dogs.
L: People.
What should a man do if he loves a woman and suddenly realizes that he has fallen in love with another?
A: Be honest. Even if it threatens to break.
L: Love! Love is the heavenly currency. The more of it, the better.
Who do you like better - blondes or brunettes?
A: Dark color. Relationships with blondes don't work out.
L: I really like women! Hair color doesn't matter.
Which famous beauties would you like to sleep with?
A: Stupid question.
L: What if she gets offended if I tell her?
When in last time declared their love?
A: Right now I’m in the stage of falling in love and I’m not embarrassed to admit it.
L: I do this quite often.
To whom?
A: The name of my beloved girl, in my opinion, is already known to everyone. This is Yulia Takshina, who plays Vika in the TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.”
L: I won’t tell.
Married? Have children?
A: I'm divorced. I have a son, Alexander, six years old.
L: I have no wife, no children, no girlfriend. I'm alone and completely free!
Does Nelly Uvarova look like Katya Pushkareva?
A: No! Nellie is a very confident person. At the end of our story, Katya Pushkareva will look like Nelly Uvarova.
L: I love Nellie very much, but I’m not sure I know her that well. I can say that my relationship with Nelly Uvarova is not similar to the relationship between Alexander Voropaev and Katya Pushkareva.
What will you do after the series ends?
A: I wouldn't mind taking a break, but I hope to start working on the next project right away. I haven't signed a single contract yet.
L: “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” is just one of my works. Everything is already planned.
Any suggestions?
A: Very different. Short series and full length. I probably won’t dare to go long distances anymore. Although I won’t swear.
L: Yes. In addition, in my life there is the Pyotr Fomenko Theater, where I work.
What role do you dream of playing?
A: I have very little acting experience, so I am interested in a variety of roles.
L: I generally love to play. There is no specific dream.
What would you not agree to do for any money?
A: Play a homosexual. I hate to see how our society is degenerating. And one more thing: I could never participate in something that brings negativity.
L: When making a serious choice, “price” does not matter. But man is very changeable. Never say never!

Fame and popular love overtook Gregory suddenly. Having starred in the TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” he one day woke up famous. Today he has everything that any actor could dream of: offers from directors, enviable fees, public recognition. And just a year ago, when signing a contract for the role of Andrei Zhdanov, Grigory could not even imagine how dramatically his life would change...

Gregory, how did it all begin?

From samples, of course. Moreover, the tests for me took place in two stages. At first I was approved. Then they called and said that for some reason I was not suitable and another actor had been approved for the role of Andrei Zhdanov. Then they called again and invited me to audition again, after which I was finally approved.

They say that the producers' decision was influenced by female half the team that took care of me. I don't know how true this is. But even if it’s a myth, it’s a very pleasant one. (laughs).

I believe that after the series, offers from producers rained down on you like from a cornucopia. Where are you filming now?

Brief questionnaire.

Are you friends with the Internet?
No.

What is an unaffordable luxury for you?
If I want something, I will most likely achieve it... At least that’s how it was until now.

What animal do you associate yourself with?
With some lazy person, a bear, for example.

Did you have a nickname as a child?
Only derivatives of the surname. There was nothing special.

How is a man different from a woman?
Everyone.

Are you a night owl or a lark?
Night owl, but would like to be a morning person.

Do you have a talisman?
No. I wear a cross, and that’s enough for me.

How do you relieve stress?
Differently. Depends on stress.

Where did you spend your last vacation?
In Cuba.

What ringtone is on your mobile phone?
Something from jazz.

Favorite aphorism?
A strong man cannot command his desires, but he must be the master of his actions.

Well, not exactly a cornucopia. New proposals, of course, appeared. Now I'm filming a 12-episode film, "The Man Without a Gun."

Have you changed after the series "Don't Be Born Beautiful"?

Absolutely not. As I was, so I remain (laughs).

How do you feel about your fans? To fan clubs that grow like mushrooms after rain? There are a great many of them on the Internet.

I’m not familiar with the Internet, so I can’t estimate the scale of these fan clubs. And as for ordinary life, then I drive a car, and this, to some extent, protects me from the excessive attention of women... And men, for that matter! (laughs).

Doesn’t it bother you that the fans love not Grigory Antipenko, but Andrei Zhdanov?

Not at all. This is an absolutely natural process. The audience likes my character and they try to see me as their favorite hero. But this is an absolutely pointless exercise. Andrey Zhdanov is Andrey Zhdanov. And I am me.

Why can you love Grigory Antipenko?

In fact, I do not think that I am worthy of this nationwide love that has befallen me. I am the most ordinary person. With its own shortcomings and advantages. Very lazy, maximalist...

You are very critical of yourself.

How else? If I had not been so critical of myself, I would hardly have achieved what I have now.

There is a feeling that you are a person living in harmony with your inner world. Don't complain about fate, don't whine about missed opportunities. Are you a fatalist?

I can’t say that I’m a fatalist... I believe in God, not in fate. And I am looking for this very harmony that you are talking about.

Gregory, you have a dangerous hobby - rock climbing. You also wanted to jump from the roof of a building with a parachute. Managed?

I haven't been able to jump with a parachute yet. And I don’t have any time for rock climbing right now. Hope it comes soon.

Are you lacking adrenaline? Looking for a thrill? Adrenaline is a drug after all. And you seem to have gotten involved.

Rock climbing for me is not just a hobby. This is a way of perceiving life.

Passive recreation such as fishing, hunting, football is not for you?

Hunting is not my thing at all. I don't like killing animals. Fishing - maybe sometimes, but not a fan either. As for football, I am absolutely not a football fan. Any sport on TV is a waste of time.

How do you keep fit?

Absolutely not. I have already said that, firstly, there is no free time, and secondly, I am a very lazy person.

How so? You have a great figure!

This is all from the distant past. Once upon a time I was professionally engaged various types sports Now I don’t do anything to stay in shape.

We know about your reverent attitude towards Hemingway. I have heard the opinion that this writer is understood only happy people. Can you call yourself one?

Yes, I'm a happy person.

What do you think a person needs to be happy? Money? Glory? Health?

For complete happiness, everything should be in moderation.

You have repeatedly said that you found your ideal woman in Yulia Takshina. Are you not going to get married?

Marriage is not the goal of any relationship. All marriages are made in heaven, and this must be remembered. If suddenly the need arises to put a stamp in your passport, then why not?

Now there is no such need, we are satisfied with everything anyway.

Your favorite actor is Andrei Mironov. Surely you want to be something like him? Or not?

It is pointless. He and I have completely different roles. He is a comedian, and I... And I haven’t decided yet what kind of actor I am (laughs). Too few roles have yet been played. I want to play too much more...

Gregory, are you a patriot? If you were offered filming abroad, would you accept?

Yes, I'm a patriot. I love my country, my homeland madly. Maybe he would agree to film abroad. But I only want to live in Russia.

You are talking about the Motherland, but you yourself have not even served in the army...

Yes, I didn't serve. In Russia, unfortunately, we do not have the army in which we would like to serve.

Do you consider yourself a realized person?

Rather, in demand. I hope that the current demand will result in that very complete self-realization. This will happen when I can say that I’m tired of filming, and most importantly, I can allow myself to say it. For now, no.

You are nominated this year for TEFFI as best performer male role in a film/series. Do you think you will receive a statuette?

I treat all kinds of awards with a certain degree of indifference. I already have some kind of figurine. It's lying around the house, perhaps dusty. I don't think I'll notice if she gets lost. Maybe it will contribute to new roles, but for me it is absolutely meaningless. I don’t like these ceremonial presentations and parties. For me, the main thing is work. If it exists and I can fulfill it, I’m happy!

It so happens that our conversation is taking place on the eve of your birthday. How will you celebrate the holiday?

It’s unlikely that I’ll celebrate it at all - the filming schedule is very tight. I'm not making any fuss about this. Birthday and birthday. What's the big deal?

28/04/2012 07:33

“Now is such a stupid time that many artists, having gained fame, turn off their brains”

The actor is a favorite character of popular films, TV series and theater plays(“Fool Bullet”, “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”). On April 27, the premiere of another film with his participation will take place - I’ll Give My Wife to good hands"On the eve of the release of the melodrama, journalists from Novye Izvestia met with Grigory and talked about work:

(ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF OLEG MENSHIKOV AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE ERMOLOVA THEATER)

“In any case, this is a positive movement. I don’t know what kind of artistic director Oleg Menshikov will be, but there is hope that he will be good: he is a responsible person...”

(ABOUT CAREFUL SELECTION OF ROLES)

“Indeed, I do not agree to all roles, and this applies primarily to the theater. For me personally, the theater is a temple, a place of confession. If the work does not have a theme that affects me so that I want to tell it to the audience, I will not go to this production. In general, there are a lot of conditions under which I either fit in or don’t fit in.”

(ABOUT ADMISSION TO “PIKE”)

“I had a rather tough upbringing in my family - I am not a spoiled person. I was taught to do everything on my own and to be completely autonomous. Studying with a different generation was not easy. Of course, I made allowance for the fact that I was the same about ten years ago. But in general it’s difficult with people who think differently due to age; it’s not easy to find common interests and contacts. In my opinion, I was the oldest not only on the course, but among all the Pike students at that time. I almost fraudulently entered the school, saying that I was twenty-two years old, but I was already twenty-four. I revealed this secret to Ovchinnikov only in my fourth year. But in some ways I was lucky - I had a huge everyday experience“, it was not difficult for me to come up with sketches, and my young classmates were poking around, inventing stories out of their heads, trying to look for something in books.”
(WHAT IS MORE IMPORTANT FOR HIM – THEATER OR CINEMA)

“The theater is the main thing, it seems to me. There are, of course, unique examples when people did without theater and became, in general, good film actors, and continued to do so until the end of their lives, but there are only a few of them. All the same, a person must nourish himself somewhere, try somewhere, build up his creative muscle mass somewhere... Even if you act in films all the time, and, God forbid, if you are offered different roles. But most often directors don’t do this; you exist in the same form that they use. Theater is an opportunity to try yourself in different genres and other incarnations. It’s great happiness when you meet a good director who begins to discover new facets of your abilities and possibilities that you don’t know about. So far, thank God, I'm lucky with this. I only play leading roles and grow from very good material.”

(ARE THERE BORDERS OF ALLOWED ON STAGE, SCREEN)

“I don’t like obscenity, it annoys me. In my opinion, art, with the exception of some behind-the-scenes experiments, should be limited by the boundaries of morality. Art allows, thanks to various creative forms and solutions, to embody certain scenes in some other way, not directly, not through undressing and shocking. When there was censorship and other restrictions, we made great films. It remains like this even now, you don’t want to close your eyes in front of the screen and squeeze into your chair. Maybe it's just me who feels this way, but I think it's wrong when anything is possible. In any case, I will not take part in this; for me there are clear boundaries that I do not cross. Everything should be beautiful in all respects - both spiritual and visual. “Beauty will save the world” - this is my attitude towards art.”
(ABOUT SHOCKING IN ART)

“What do these people who have filled an impressive territory in art today want, what position do they choose? Capture large audience young people, should they be attracted to this shocking action? Earn money more money? Is this the goal of the masters who undertake this? Where to next? Humiliate everyone and lower them to the level of hell and tumble there? This is definitely not my thing... Nowadays it’s such a stupid time that many artists, having gained fame, turn off their brains and turn into some kind of incomprehensible characters, bloat like bubble, doing something unclear. As a rule, this does not end well.”
(WHO IS THE AUTHORITY FOR HIM)

"Andrey Mironov. For me, he is the absolute embodiment of an actor with positive energy, with positive aspiration. Absolutely all of his work - dramatic, comedic - all his roles are aimed at creation. You cry, you laugh, but these are all genuine emotions, from them the soul is cleansed and life becomes easier. For me, Mironov is the ideal actor. Another thing is that it is impossible to learn, it either exists or it doesn’t. I love many directors: early Mikhalkov, Tarkovsky, Danelia, and many others. It’s just that now the “old people” would rather not film anything. Now there is some kind of timelessness, there are no big director names in the theater either - everyone lives in the background former victories. And our best television programs are based on retro, because they themselves can’t come up with anything, they have no talent, but they want to make money as quickly as possible, weaken something, repeat it, get money and go to the Bahamas.”
(WOULD LIKE HIS CHILDREN TO BECOME ACTORS)

“Sashka, my eldest son, wants to, but I try to dissuade him in every possible way, saying: “Learn everything for now, you might need it later.” Acting bread is stale. There is nothing for anyone here, there is no absolute happiness here, immediately after the rise comes, if not a fall, then disappointment, a desire to leave the profession. If you are not prepared enough for this, it is easy to slip away. Stay afloat and be true to your profession and your moral path… Here you have to have character in order to become someone, otherwise what’s the point?”

Few people know that Grigory Antipenko’s first education is as a pharmacist. In connection with the flu epidemic, the artist spoke about what preventive measures he uses. “I am an introvert by nature. In principle, I avoid society, large groups of people. I communicate with the audience through the ramp. In a sense, I have social immunity. In general, you cannot be protected from infection. A random passerby can sneeze on you. But, I think people don't get sick because they are sneezed on. When the time comes. When you have to pay for something, that’s when people get sick. Therefore, you need to think about it. My attitude towards the disease is not medical,” the Komsomolskaya Pravda website quotes Grigory Antipenko.

ON THIS TOPIC

Note that For the last three years, the star of the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” has not acted in films.. According to Antipenko, he doesn’t like anything. “There is not enough talent. Directing, acting and producing in general. There is not enough talent. I am not interested in what is offered to me. Maybe someone is filming something good. I don’t see it,” the actor explained.

Antipenko admitted that, unlike many colleagues in national cinema, he is not at all drawn to television. " I'm not interested in being a TV presenter. Therefore, theater is an outlet for me. It has always been stronger than cinema, in principle. This is a different job. Another distance. Here, more talent, magic, and miracle are required from the actors. You can’t play here a second time if it doesn’t work out. Theater is a fine line where it is interesting to exist here and now. Not tomorrow, not from the third take, not from the 20th, not even from the second. And right from the first - go out and do it. Do what you can,” the popular actor is confident.

Grigory is mainly busy with theatrical productions. In particular, he plays in the play “Two on a Swing” together with Tatyana Arntgolts.

Publication: Theater poster

Grigory Antipenko:

“One life is not enough for me”

Theater and film actor Grigory Antipenko is least similar to the comic image of the self-confident businessman Andrei Zhdanov, whom he played in 2005 in the TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” Having gone through a difficult path from a student of the Faculty of Biology, a stage editor at Satyricon, to an actor performing in the world theater repertoire, Antipenko never ceases to set himself the most difficult tasks, conquering more and more new heights. If Antipenko had not become an actor, he would probably have chosen the fate of a traveler, repeating the path of Fyodor Konyukhov, who constantly and alone plows the sea and travels around the world.

A mountaineer with 17 years of experience, Antipenko is of the opinion that in creativity, as in climbing, one cannot be hacky and cunning. It is much easier to fall down than to stay at a dizzying height, but you have to go forward and upward. The peaks he conquered can cause the envy of his colleagues: Orpheus, Jason, Othello, Benya Krik. The new peak, which the actor undertook to conquer in honor of his 40th anniversary, was the title role in the play “Cyrano de Bergerac” directed by Pavel Safonov at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya.

What was the reason that freelance artist Grigory Antipenko suddenly dropped anchor at the Theater. Evg. Vakhtangov?

Rimas Vladimirovich invited me to join the theater troupe when the play “Othello” was being produced. Of course, I could not refuse such a flattering offer, especially since I was invited as an adult actor, with my own already established idea of ​​principles and creative freedom.

What principles are we talking about?

I am categorically against violence. I cannot be forced to do anything, if only because I and the word “force” are incompatible concepts. You can only interest me; in extreme cases, you can politely negotiate with me. In cinema and theater you can always see when an actor does something he doesn’t like. Therefore, this is one of the fundamental principles that I follow both in life and in creativity.

Your first work was at the Theatre. Vakhtangov as a guest artist was Jason?

Thanks to Yulia Rutberg. Since Yulia played my mother in the play “Pygmalion” directed by Pavel Safonov, she continues to take care of me like a mother at the Vakhtangov Theater. Therefore, I am very grateful to her and for this invitation in particular. The entire Jason scene is actually a 25-minute monologue that I taught on the shores of the Adriatic, relatively close to where the play takes place. Therefore, this whole story is imbued with a very real air for me. Mediterranean Sea, which I hope is conveyed to the viewer.

Why was Jason interesting to you? After all, “Medea” is a play about Medea.

No, “Medea” is a play about the relationship between these two epic personalities. And believe me, 25 minutes of monologue is enough to tell in all the nuances about your hero and about this most complex tragic collision between a man and a woman, where Jason does not justify himself, but tries to explain. There is no right or wrong in this story.

During rehearsals for the role of “Palestinian” in the play “Smile on Us, Lord,” you quickly found mutual language with Rimas Tuminas?

It would be presumptuous to think that I found a common language with him. In working together on the role, I only had the opportunity to get acquainted with his method of work. The Tuminas Theater is a theater of one director. As a rule, he does not accept proposals from actors, because he knows in advance what the performance should be like. Maybe somewhere in a random test he will say “that’s right, so good,” but he will not ask you to improvise - on the contrary, he will show everything himself, right down to intonation. He has an absolutely clear picture in his head of how the performance should look. While inside the rehearsal process, I watched how the fabric of this great performance was sewn. And I am convinced that this is a great performance, like all of his works.

Did you talk about future joint plans?

Rimas Vladimirovich is a mysterious person. Nobody knows about his plans. Sometimes it seems that he himself does not know. But the intrigue of the future collaboration hanging in the air. Hope...

You came into the profession quite late. Was this a meaningful step by a person who had been searching for himself for a long time?

Knowing me from the past, no one would have ever said that I would even be able to go on stage as an artist. I passed long haul from a shapeless log to an actor who is invited to play the main roles. This required permanent job over yourself, but it always brought pleasure. It happens that you reach a dead end that seems hopeless, but in the evening you go on stage and realize that you cannot imagine another profession for yourself.

If we talk about complex physical costs, I immediately remember the plastic performance “Othello”, in which you play the title role. Did you think for a long time before giving Anzhelika Kholina your consent?

Such roles are not rejected. The problem was that I had never danced in my life, except for very mediocre auditions at the Shchukin School. For me, this was tantamount to entering a choreographic school without the necessary data. Therefore, all the credit for the fact that this performance happened with my participation belongs to Anzhelika Kholina, who managed to invest the entire process of training and convincing me that it would be good in one month.

Did the fact that you had a partner with ballet training help or hinder you?

Now it definitely helps. And I am very grateful to her for her support. But there was a time when I had a terrible complex that I would let down my significantly more talented partners in this area. If it weren’t for Olya Lerman, Vitya Dobronravov, Pasha Teheda Cardenas and other participants in the performance, this event would not have happened at all. Angelica managed to balance the capabilities of the actors in this production so skillfully that the audience has no doubt about the professionalism of the performers. She understood perfectly well that I didn’t have the technology and couldn’t pull it out of thin air, and she patiently waited for me to be ready and believed. It was very flattering for me when he approached me after the premiere artistic director Rodion Yurievich Ovchinnikov praised my course for the fact that I am not afraid to experiment and enter zones of obvious discomfort.

It turns out that you are deliberately striving for discomfort?

I can't stand silence. I need life to be in full swing around me. No wonder I was interested in pyrotechnics as a child. At that time, you could only buy sparklers and caps for toy pistols in stores, so you had to do everything yourself. I won’t talk about technology so that it doesn’t serve as an example to the younger generation, but in the comfortable 1980s there was no other way to stir up the space around you.

Is it this point in your online biography that is called “loved the natural sciences”?

No, we are talking about biology. Since childhood, I dreamed of enrolling in the biology department, which in turn led me to pharmaceutical school in order to improve my chemistry a little. But ironically, it was in this school, sitting at the table in a white coat and hanging powders, that I was finally convinced that analytical work not for me. I probably could have become a natural history journalist and hosted some kind of program about animals, but there was no Discovery Channel in our country at that time.

And this passion for biology resulted in a love for mountaineering?

Rather, the love for nature in general pushed me one day to go on my first hiking trip in the mountains of Crimea. We can say that it all began from this peninsula.

How many years have you been mountaineering?

Since 1997. Although there were stops and breaks, sometimes even for a year. But this is not a passing need. Even when they happened emergencies, breakdowns, cold nights and other extreme joys, still a year later there was an invariable desire to update the equipment, come up with a new peak and - “forward and upward, and then...”. This is not adrenaline or extreme, as many people think. Mountaineering is a philosophy. Every expedition to the mountains is beautiful story, a full-length story, and sometimes even a novel. There, in two weeks you can experience as many emotions as perhaps one person experiences in his entire life. Every day, every minute brings new events and thoughts, a new feeling of the world.

I remember at an audition at the institute, Pavel Lyubimtsev asked me: “Why are you going into the profession?” To which, despite the stress and young age, I unexpectedly gave a very precise answer: “One life is not enough for me.” Mountains and theater give me the opportunity to live as many lives as I want.

Was the play “Cyrano de Bergerac” at the Malaya Bronnaya Theater directed by Pavel Safonov a gift you gave yourself for your 40th birthday?

In the end, it turned out that I gave myself a gift, although I have no idea what fate awaits this performance. I don't even care how it will be perceived. The main thing is that I honestly try to play this role and use all my internal resources. What’s good about the acting profession is that you can improve endlessly. No limit. This is a space where you can achieve a level of mastery where you can convey information just by appearing on stage, without words. True, this is the peak that only a few can reach.

It turns out that if you are engaged in the acting profession, you assume that you are given the opportunity to develop your potential and reach the highest level?

Of course, there is no other way. I am a perfectionist, I am constantly dissatisfied with myself and constantly strive for perfection. From time to time I stop myself in my self-criticism so as not to get carried away completely. I remind myself that there are successes, otherwise they wouldn’t offer me roles, they wouldn’t bet on me. There must be moderation in everything, and in self-criticism too.

Don't you think that Rostand's play is very outdated?

Classics never get old.

What is "Cyrano" about?

About love. Agree, how can this topic become outdated?

Have you decided for yourself who your hero is - a poet or a fighter?

He is more than a poet. It was not for nothing that both I and Pasha Safonov had associations with Vysotsky during rehearsals. Cyrano is a man with a tough moral position in relation to oneself, and to society, and to love. He does not compromise and burns himself out for this very reason.

Isn't this play about complexes?

Of course, about them too. But it is precisely thanks to complexes that the topic becomes so acute. If Cyrano had no flaws, then he would not have such a deep soul. Overcoming complexes, a person strives for perfection.

Will you have a nose?

There will be a huge hypertrophied nose. Not glued, imitating the real one, but a foreign body on the face, emphasizing the asociality of my hero, because our play is about an inconvenient person who does not fit into the system, who stands out from big picture with your sincerity and vulnerability. Against his background, the rest turn into successful snobs with fake smiles, feigned self-confidence and the conviction that absolutely everything can be bought in this life. This contrast is yet another proof of the eternal relevance of Rostand's play.

It turns out that Cyrano is ready to give up his beloved woman because of his nobility, wishing her happiness?

Yes exactly. We would simplify the meaning of the play if we imagined him as a player, a talented chess player, playing human destinies. No, he's reckless genius artist who has been given everything except external beauty. It's about about him aesthetic perception peace. He deliberately refuses Roxana, not considering that his union with her can be harmonious.

Does the mask give you an advantage as an actor? Can you hide behind it or, on the contrary, does it dictate certain boundaries?

The mask gives room for imagination, because you can get weird with it. But you can’t hide true feelings and emotions behind it: without them there can be no performance.

Did you get used to your nose, did it bother you?

Oddly enough, no. I have a big nose myself. Plus three centimeters is not of fundamental importance.

Is this your first time encountering poetry theater?

Yes, this is my first experience. It's not easy, but incredibly interesting. I myself am an unrealized poet at heart. The poetic text contains enormous energy. Of course, it takes enormous work to master the mastery of words. But you can’t imagine what a pleasure it is to pronounce these lines from the stage, there is some kind of inexplicable magic in it.

Did you have any disputes with the director?

Certainly. At first we had absolutely different views about how it can be, what Cyrano should be. Pasha and I had a difficult rehearsal and constantly argued. At some point I caught myself thinking that the situation with Othello was repeating itself. It’s hard to say now what was more - lack of self-confidence or lack of confidence in the director. But it all ended with us discussing very loudly for several hours and trying to prove to each other the advantages of two translations - Solovyov and Shchepkina-Kupernik. It was akin to a conversation between two crazy people. And at one point I had an epiphany: I felt that somewhere above this performance had already been drawn up, its cast, director and my performance already existed and it was stupid to waste time trying to abandon what had already happened. After that, I became an ideal, obedient actor and no longer stopped Pasha from realizing everything he had planned.

Do you have your own rituals for preparing for a role?

They are not much different from the usual daily actions ordinary person: I wake up, do physical exercises and brush my teeth. But the most interesting thing is that on the day of the performance I very often catch myself thinking whether my hero, whom I have to play today, can behave the way I behave on this day of my life. And, oddly enough, you have to give up something.

You entered the Higher Directing Courses, but did not receive a diploma. Why?

I didn’t finish my studies and went on academic leave with the knowledge that I could make films without a diploma. In my opinion, a director is, first of all, character and an unbridled desire to shoot, to the point of schizophrenia. Like an artist who constantly draws, sketches in notebook, the director must constantly shoot using all available means. This is his way of expressing himself. If there is no such obsession, there is no need to go into this profession or it is too early. The primary thing should be the implementation of the plan, and not the desire for money and fame.

Did you come to acting profession not for fame?

No, I came because I realized that no other profession suits me.