Interview with Grigory Antipenko. Is Grigory Antipenko a confirmed bachelor? You are very critical of yourself

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 of an 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.

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?”

If I were completely alone, I would probably die, despite all my self-sufficiency.

Each “long-running” series gives birth to new folk idols and sex symbols. Judging by the letters and phone calls, today most of our readers are dreaming of a sexy, intriguing brunette who heads the ZIMALETTO company, whose offices have recently been located in the AMEDIA film pavilion. Or simply put, about Grigory Antipenko, who played the role of Andrei Zhdanov in the new series on the STS channel “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” Despite his crazy busy schedule, the actor found time to talk with our correspondent.

Grigory, you fit so seamlessly into the stylish office of your Zhdanov... Do you feel comfortable in the “skin” of this playboy and tough businessman?

Yes, I like this hero. Probably because Andrey is not at all like me. He is a representative of the “golden” youth, to whom his parents gave everything he could dream of. Such a chocolate-licked child. My own life much more complicated and therefore much more interesting. Therefore, I try to bring a little bit of myself into his character, to saturate the hero with my own flavor. It seems like something is working out, because it’s not for nothing that they silver my temples before filming. Andrei, of course, did not serve in Afghanistan and Chechnya, but, probably, something happened in his life, which is why he turned gray before his time.

They say that you often make fun of your partners on the set, Nelly Uvarova, for example?

Sometimes I even go too far, because I’m not ideal. But Nellie is a smart person and takes jokes adequately. I don't want to offend anyone. And if I make a really stupid joke, I’ll apologize. By the way, it’s only me who is so emotional on the set, but in life I’m more closed. I have many acquaintances and friends, but I only let those I completely trust close to me. That's why I have only one friend - my mountain partner.

What about self-irony?

I'm probably a toxic person towards myself. In this I completely agree with my hero.

Are you visiting the website of the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”? Do you communicate with fans?

Fans are a delicate issue. I never had an idol, I didn’t want to be like anyone, so it’s hard for me to understand people who dream of taking an autograph from an actor and touching him. I'm afraid to offend my fans; they are certainly interesting to me, but at the same time completely incomprehensible.

Is there someone whose opinion you are willing to listen to?

I’ll say it with a phrase from the play “I am my own judge and censor.” All advice is subject to my personal censorship.

How do you prefer to spend your free time?

Now I have busy schedule filming, so there is no time left for yourself. However, I don’t have any special hobbies. I'm not a party animal, I prefer to spend my leisure time alone. Sometimes I can drive a car all night and get great pleasure from it. Or sit in the park and look at the trees. It's enough for me to just be with myself.

Are you into fashion?

Shopping is a real disaster for me. It's such a shame to waste time on this. I try to buy functional clothes, but so that they suit me. Maybe someday I will buy fashionable and expensive things, but now it’s too wasteful for me.

Do the directors of the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” allow you to improvise?

Sometimes, if it works out well. Actually, I’m not good at learning text, so from time to time it’s easier for me to tell the role in my own words, with the reactions of my heart, and not bother my partners and the director with my shortcomings.

Are you from an acting family?

I have wonderful parents - they are engineers by profession and gave me such a global school of life. Thanks to them, I became an absolutely independent person.

And how did they react to your choice of profession?

Dad was categorically against it. But I'm a complete paradox. On the one hand, I grew up as an introverted child and suddenly decided to take up a public profession. Many of my friends are from old life never would have thought that I could become an actor. But I needed it, because I wanted to feel different. I believe that I can be a completely versatile actor. I'm bored of playing the same way.

How do you like working with Nelly Uvarova?

She is a wonderful actress, has a wild charm and understands me perfectly. In a word, ideal woman- tactful, wise, all this was given to her by nature. The series owes much of its success to her.

You have a son. Do you want him to follow in your footsteps?

My little son is only six years old, he just started preparatory class. He’s a very intelligent man, he even talks like an adult, but it’s too early to talk about his future. I wouldn't want him to become an actor. This is a difficult profession, a kind of roulette. Vladimir Etush once said something like this: “Male actors are married to their profession, female actresses are married to it.” Many of my colleagues have psychological problem: There is a natural desire to have a family, but it is very difficult to make a choice. This is an almost irreparable tragedy. And I also have this problem. In the meantime, I haven’t solved it, I’ll compensate for the lack of family warmth by communicating with my parents, two sisters, and friends. If I were completely alone, I would probably die, despite all my self-sufficiency.

Issue: Theater poster

Grigory Antipenko:

“One life is not enough for me”

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

What principles are we talking about?

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 saturated for me with the very real air of the Mediterranean Sea, which, I hope, is transmitted to the viewer.

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

During rehearsals for the role of “Palestinian” in the play “Smile on Us, Lord,” did you quickly find a common language with Rimas Tuminas?

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 future collaboration hangs 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 have come a long way from a shapeless log to an actor who is invited to play leading roles. It required constant work on oneself, 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.

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, after the premiere, the artistic director of my course, Rodion Yuryevich Ovchinnikov, came up to me and praised me for not being afraid to experiment and go into zones of obvious discomfort.

It turns out that you are deliberately striving for discomfort?

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 out powders, that I was finally convinced that analytical work was 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 emergencies, breakdowns, cold nights and other extreme joys occurred, a year later there was still an invariable desire to update the equipment, come up with a new peak and - “forward and upward, and there...”. This is not adrenaline or extreme, as many people think. Mountaineering is a philosophy. Each expedition to the mountains is a beautiful story, a full-fledged 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.

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

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?

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 person with a strict moral position towards himself, towards society, and towards love. He does not compromise and burns himself out for this very reason.

Isn't this play about complexes?

Will you have a nose?

There will be a huge hypertrophied nose. Not glued on, imitating the real thing, but a foreign body on the face, emphasizing the asociality of my hero, because our performance is about an inconvenient person who does not fit into the system, who stands out from the general picture with his 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 with human destinies. No, he is a reckless, brilliant artist who is given everything except external beauty. We are talking about his aesthetic perception of the world. 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?

Did you have any disputes with the director?

Certainly. At first we had completely different ideas about how it could 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?

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 and sketches in a 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.

Didn't you come into the acting profession for fame?

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

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'm the most a common 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?