Interview with Bezrukov about his work. Sergei Bezrukov and Anna Matison: first joint interview

"The owner is alone in the theater. It's me"

Three years ago, Sergei Bezrukov took over the theater in Kuzminki under the disastrous name “Regional House of Arts,” where a theatergoer had never set foot before. Many then regretted popular actor, being confident that he would destroy himself and would not help the disastrous cause. But three seasons passed, and the Provincial Theater actively and firmly began to win its place on the theatrical map of Moscow: nine premieres per season, tours and even scientific conferences. About Vladimir Vysotsky, own discoveries, fear of officials and sleepless nights young father we spoke with Sergei Bezrukov immediately after the premiere of the play “Vysotsky. The birth of a legend."

The play “Vysotsky. The birth of a legend." Photo: Anna Koonen

“Vysotsky really died in Bukhara - there was clinical death»

Sergey, why did you decide to stage a play about Vladimir Vysotsky in your Gubernsky? The premiere has just been a success. So were you dissatisfied with the film “Thank You for Being Alive”?

In no case. I was under the spell of a film where there was a secret, and I was sure that the secret would not be revealed to the end - the image of the artist should not distract from screen image Vladimir Semenovich. With all the pros and cons, to my great regret, many did not see the most important thing in the film beyond the main theme of illness - the very “Prayer” that I now read in the play. The monologue was written by Nikita Vysotsky: “Let them all be well, who is alive and who is not... Maybe I didn’t die today in order to have time to say: “How I love you all.” Maybe in order for this performance to be born, the film took place.

The idea in the play is so obvious and understandable - the resurrection of the poet Vysotsky. After all, he doesn’t write anything for six months, before his trip to Uzbekistan, to Bukhara, devoured by illness, he is in such a human trap. He wants to break free, but he can’t and pushes himself: “Okay, five concerts in Uzbekistan.” That is, screw yourself up and go into a dive. In Bukhara he really died - it was clinical death. But a miracle - his heart was started.

The play “Vysotsky” touches upon two important topics, directly related to the image of the poet, are freedom and censorship. Censorship broke out among theater workers like a fever: “Guard, censorship!” So does she exist or not?

She didn’t touch me and God forbid that she touched me. I don’t feel any harassment, although I understand perfectly well that censorship as such does not exist, but there is an opinion. Moreover, the opinion was sometimes expressed by lower-ranking officials. Locally, people blow on the water according to the principle “no matter what happens.” This is the same thing from Chekhov’s story “The Man in a Case” - “no matter what happens” - and it works... Since Soviet times, innate fear has forced local officials to commit inappropriate actions.

And of course there is no Soviet censorship that we talk about in our play. Now times are free - and theaters that position themselves as theaters of freedom feel excellent, self-realize in creativity as they want and do not kick anyone out of work.

Or maybe the whole point is in the nature of our psychology - to always be dissatisfied with the authorities: it strangles, it doesn’t - it’s all the same.

The topic is so complex, I don’t presume to judge. Each artist must be considered individually, and there is even less need to analyze the artist’s character, because artistic people are too emotional and sometimes even very touchy. Therefore, we must be careful with us. By the way, I remember there was an incident in my life: at one event - I won’t say where it took place - people came up to me and asked me not to read Vysotsky’s poem “My Black Man in a Gray Suit.”

- And what did you answer them?

I said, "No, I'll do what I want." - "Maybe we should not?" - they said uncertainly. “No, it’s necessary.” And there were no sanctions, nothing terrible happened, but it was funny and strange. First of all, there is the artist’s conscience, which allows or does not allow him to do something, his own moral barrier, which I will never step over. They say: “Old man, you will make money from this.” - “I will never do this.” - “This will bring you success, scandalous fame.” - “I will never do this.”

- Can you clarify what exactly Sergei Bezrukov will never do?

Well, for now, I allow myself the topics that we touch on in our performances. Let’s say, “trench truth” in the play “The Jolly Soldier” based on Astafiev, and he speaks very unflatteringly about Zhukov and other military leaders, but, oddly enough, the performance turned out to be pacifist.

I probably wouldn’t have sunk into total blackness. I believe that in our time we need to show white too. They say: “Stop it, we are all black.” - “But still, if you look closely, you can’t help but see white...” It’s simple different approaches to that very education... Listen, the theater was created for this purpose, to talk about the life of the human spirit, about those very basic truths that the great masters spoke about, and we, young people, even at 43, look at them. Why do I go on stage? For what? You can work on denial, but today there is too much denial, negativity both on the Internet and in relationships between people. On the contrary, you need to lift, not push away. You can, of course, provoke the crawler to leave, to shout “shame” - and get a scandal. But it's not for me.

Performance "The Dream of Reason". Photo: Svetlana Selezneva

“I can be a despot, but not a tyrant”

- For three years now you have been the head of the theater, that is, the artistic director. Three main discoveries you made for yourself?

First, it’s hard to work in a large team. The second is to be a democrat and a dictator at the same time, because one is impossible. Tolerance is also not an option. Third, worry about people you didn’t know before, as if you were yourself. And they are artists, they need roles. In “Snuffbox” I looked at Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov in exactly the same way: “When will you let me play Khlestakov?” And Oleg Pavlovich: “Right now, right now, Seryoga, wait, we’re looking for a director.” So I waited and waited and as a result I played Chichikov in “ Dead souls" I used all my plastics there, but this is not Khlestakov.

I understand that Karina Andolenko wonderfully played Cheboksarova in the play “I Found a Scythe on a Stone” or Roxana in “Cyrano”, but she needs something new that she herself should be interested in and so that the performance would attract a full audience. My artists are wonderful - the same Karina, Anton Khabarov, Galina Bokashevskaya, they act in a lot, they are loved. They may not be considered stars of the first magnitude, but I would like to make sure that they become one, so that the audience goes to see them.

- Like Bezrukov, right?

Thank you for your trust. As before, and especially now, the viewer goes for the names or brands that the Fomenko or Zhenovach theaters have. And Gubernsky is three years old, but we already have many fans. And do you know why? They see that they are not being deceived here: what is written on the poster will be so. If it says “children's blockbuster” “Treasure Island”, then they will watch the blockbuster, knowing the value of this definition. In order to attract the viewer to the theater, you need to try, knowing that art is a big deception. But doing magic tricks is dangerous, you have to tell the truth.

- Can an artist come to your office? Talk, complain about life?

Maybe. But there is a moment of subordination - although I don’t like this military word - so as not to turn our relations into familiarity. Because the director is still the commander in chief. And when you go into battle, into an attack, everyone must listen to you. And if you are so democratic and familiar, then there will be half of those who will sit down to smoke: “Come on, come on. If you get there, then we’ll catch up.” Sometimes you need to bark so that everyone stands up and goes.

-Have you learned to bark?

I could do that. I can bark, I can be a despot, but not a tyrant. And at the same time, be absolutely gentle and kind, sincerely treat each of the artists and put yourself in their position.

Sometimes I put them in impossible conditions: they produce three performances at the same time - and I say: “You were all crying that there was no work? Now you will have it over the edge. But don’t cry afterwards.” They howl, but they work very hard.

- Are you disappointed in the actors, have you re-evaluated them?

No, because I know the nature of the profession - I am an artist myself. So look at the artist from the outside, like in a mirror: what do you remove first of all from yourself? A certain whim, dissatisfaction, self-examination, and this hinders the director in the artist: self-examination will not allow him to act, let’s get on with the job. I learned this from my father, who worked with me as a teacher. Then at Tabakov's.

- An act that you did not expect from yourself?

I did not expect that I would be able to unite two theaters. I wouldn’t wish what I experienced during the reorganization on my enemy. And this was Moscow regional house arts (MODI), and in it Chamber theater And regional drama Ostrovsky. I ask: “Where is the theater? What to lead? And I unite the theaters, come up with a name - Gubernsky. But we need to unite in creativity, as Rimas Tuminas did in his time at Vakhtangov. Then I chose Ostrovsky, staged the play “I Found a Scythe on a Stone,” and the actors played in it different theaters. I also came up with cameo roles, which the playwright does not have to occupy more artists. And I will never forget handing over the performance to “moms/fathers” when the artists arrived. I saw “kind, kind looks” in the hall, and they read: come on, do it. And then I saw their faces after the run - they looked into their eyes: “Can I go out a little? In a small role? We had to win. I proved it with deeds.

- Did the artists who were dissatisfied with you or whom you fired write about you?

There is a stumbling block here - open-ended contracts, and that's all - you cannot fire a person, even if he is unsuitable. But for some time now we have been concluding effective contracts, according to which we have the right to pay an artist who is not engaged or little involved in performances as much as he has earned. At least it's honest. This does not apply to popular artists, I value them.

- Listen, do you have such a healthy psyche?

I'm mobilizing. You know me: I am a person who loves theater endlessly, a fan. If necessary, as a teacher, I will tell, show, and play.

- What is your relationship with Governor Vorobyov?

Wonderful. I am glad that there is and always has been support from Andrei Yuryevich. Now we have acquired the status of a center for the development of theatrical art.

Why weren’t you at the historic event - the opening of the new Tabakerka building on Sukharevskaya Square? This surprised a lot of people.

I warned a month in advance that I wouldn’t be able to attend the shooting. But he came up with a video greeting: it’s called “Samuil Yakovlevich is almost Marshak.” Housewarming." For me it was not just a congratulations-unsubscribe. Anya (Anna Matison - wife, screenwriter, director. - M.R.) filmed it right here in the rep hall, edited it, worked with computer graphics. It's on YouTube. We agreed with Tabakerka that the congratulations would be displayed on the screen, I forwarded them, and they confirmed to me that they had received them, but for some reason they didn’t show them. Then Marina Zudina showed it to Oleg Pavlovich, and he said: “Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

With his wife Anna Matison. Photo: bogomaz.ru

“The owner is alone in the theater. It's me"

Due to the fact that you now have your own film production company, and you are interested in promoting it, will you refuse to act in other studios?

No, I agree. So I starred in young director Alexandra Molochnikova - “Myths about Moscow” - and there he played an interesting and funny role. The best promotion for a company is to produce a good product so that people start talking about you. I have already looked at the material from our third film - “Rogues”, it turns out wonderful and quality cinema Anya, as a director, finished it in November. There I play the father of the main character and his own uncle, two antipodes. And in the episodes - artists of the Provincial Theater.

- Do you place your actors in films?

I'm setting it up. The first such series was “Temporarily Unavailable” - there are 23 of my artists. Then there was the film “After You” - it’s all ours too.

- Steep family business: own company, wife - screenwriter, director. You are a producer.

I won’t talk about cool business - for now there are only investments.

-Are you investing yours?

Sometimes our own. There are applications for scripts and TV series, it is important that without my participation. But there are several written about me interesting scenarios, and I can say that if there were no Ani, there would be no “ Milky Way" or "After you." People were expecting “Yolok”, but everything there was very subtle, warm, sincere and truthful. The Japanese are now renting the film “After You,” and it is the only one they rented from the Tokyo Film Festival (it will also be released in Russia in mid-March).

- Your wife Anya Matison is a screenwriter, playwright, and director. Are you afraid that you might become the owner of the theater?

There is only one owner in this theater, it’s me. I think that's how it should be. There are assistants to the owner - director, lawyers, manager. the troupe, including the troupe itself. I have never developed nepotism in the theater... There is already enough slander. Everything should be according to the talent: if the play is talented, I will take it one hundred percent and not watch it, whether it is a relative or an unknown author.

You are an artistic director, you have a foundation, now your own film company, performances and creative evenings. I'm not asking how rich you are...

I don't have any business, oil wells. There are either sponsors who love and respect me, and there is my demand, which I fuel with my work. Sometimes I really want to earn money like in business, but I don’t understand much about it.

- But how much are you enough - that’s the question?

I'm trying to combine it somehow. I can do it. Life and art should not crowd out each other, everything should be in harmony. And since Anya and I creative people, then I think everything worked out here.

With daughter.

I will never leave my children - they are all mine

You, an artist closed to publicity, suddenly appeared on Instagram, and the whole country watched Sergei Bezrukov with his newborn daughter in his arms. What happened that you went online?

-Are you driving yourself?

But the Internet today is such a clearing for mutual grievances and aggression. People are accustomed to a kind of impunity, which gives rise to a desire to offend: I pour it out, but nothing will happen to me. They write words, but words are worthless. There is a lot of negativity, but there is also a lot of good - this is what to live with: you want to live in negativity, live there, but it is destructive.

Well, yes, I carefully posted photos on Instagram... I just shared my joy that I am a dad like everyone else. And also with sleepless nights, motion sickness, lack of sleep.

- Do you have a nanny?

No, we decided to do it ourselves. True, there are grandparents - they help. Increased attention to children, especially public people, spoils their characters. As a rule, famous people try to hide their children and send them somewhere to study, so as not to attract undue attention to them. Now we were in Germany on tour, we went into a restaurant: the waiters and visitors didn’t know who I was, but I saw how much sincere participation I saw, how they admired Masha, asked what to bring. We only behave this way with children. famous person, and another child nearby will be immediately passed by. This is what Anya and I are afraid of.

Therefore, less attention to my children, because they will compare, lisp, and the world is not so simple - there is a lot of hypocrisy. When a child is brought up in adoration - look, I just walk in, and everyone already loves me, I can do anything - this gives rise to depravity of character. No, you will achieve everything in life yourself, your parents will help, but achieve everything yourself. My father helped me when he saw acting talent in me, but my father was not at the level of fame to place me in the Moscow Art Theater School.

- But your other children... Do you communicate with them?

Yes, I have children. I communicate, help and will help them.

You don't disown other children. And these words inspire respect. Garry Kasparov publicly renounced his daughter - I will never forget his interview - and lost a huge electorate of fans.

I will refrain from commenting. I will never leave my children - they are all mine. But talking and spreading about personal things means harming children. Not for me - for them. We need to protect it, so I try to be closed to the press on a personal level: someone is making money from this. They say about me: he quarrels with everyone. It's not true, I'm just defending the right to my privacy.

When Masha was born, I took maternity leave, specially left filming and was with Anya for a month and a half. There were sleepless nights: then I said that I was returning from maternity leave, and they immediately wrote: “Bezrukov left his wife and small child" So how? It is impossible to sue for a title, but courts are a separate issue for us.

There are happy families, where they are friends with third wives, with fifth husbands, raising children together... Ideal harmony of the world.

I also strive for harmony, and in principle everything works out great for me.

Theater, like other arts, must be practiced with good mood. “Theater is a fun thing,” said Oleg Pavlovich. And I think that during his life he had read a lot about himself, but he was so strong that he ignored a lot of things, that’s all. I think you just have to be able to let things pass by. But sensible criticism is another matter. After all, people involved in theater are mostly sincere, so help them, don’t humiliate them.

Successful in everything he does. He is one of the most popular and sought-after theater and film actors, as well as artistic director Moscow Provincial Theater. This year, Sergei revealed himself in one more way - by creating a rock band called “ Godfather».

It's hard to believe, but this year the national favorite turns 45 years old. Despite his busy work schedule, Bezrukov agreed to let Channel One operators into his life for two weeks, who followed him on his heels. Moscow, Irkutsk, Kaluga, St. Petersburg, concert rehearsals, run-throughs in the theater - this is only a small part of where film crew managed to visit with the actor. As a result, the project “ And again with clean slate ", which will air on October 21.

Sergey Bezrukov

In a frank interview, Sergei Bezrukov spoke not only about his old and new roles, but also about back side his glory, but also about the most happy moments of your new life. For example, about how he fell in love at the age of 42, about being present at his wife’s birth and almost dying of happiness there. And only after he took little Masha in his arms did he feel like a real father. That he and his wife are expecting their second child. Viewers will see exclusive footage for the first time - home video Sergei with his little daughter Masha.

Anna Matison also took part in the filming of the project. Director for the first time since life together with Sergei Bezrukov, she decided to make a public confession and openly spoke about her marriage to the famous actor.

Anna Matison and Sergei Bezrukov

Sergei Bezrukov with his daughter Masha

Bezrukov's father, Vitaly Sergeevich, was also involved in the filming. He remembered his son's marriage and revealed real reasons their divorce. Moreover, Vitaly Bezrukov for the first time spoke in detail about Sergei’s illegitimate children and what kind of relationship his son’s senior heirs had with Anna Matison. Bezrukov himself says little about illegitimate children. The creators of the docufilm managed to find out that they now live with their mother, but the actor communicates with them regularly.

Viewers will also be able to look behind the scenes of the Gubernsky Theater and watch the work of Sergei Bezrukov with other actors, see exclusive footage from the filming of the new Channel One film “ Ilyinsky line", and from the rehearsal of the group "The Godfather". In addition to family members, about famous actor Colleagues will also speak out:

Write it like this: I just found my director - that’s all. It happens that an actor lives his whole life and, unfortunately, never finds him. That’s what happened to me at the age of 42... Moreover, Anya is not just a director, she is also a screenwriter - she combines everything! An amazing sense of proportion, taste and an absolute sense of truth.

The new joint film was not just magic, connecting the creative and personal paths of Anna and Sergei, it also revealed their attitude to divorce and to love in general. As Mathieson admitted, sometimes divorce is what is needed to save a relationship and not traumatize children, if any. But Bezrukov expressed a slightly different point of view, especially.

I'll just keep quiet here. Because everyone has their own experience. It's different for everyone. Our picture is about finding happiness. Whether it will work out or not. Everyone wants love. Someone, it turns out, has it. And for some, it happens that they no longer have it. And then we need to look for it. The film is really about finding love. And for everyone, I think, there will be their own answer in this picture.

And if, without hiding herself behind seven locks, then Anna Matison admitted that for her relationships are purely personal, which in no case is brought into the public sphere. The director hopes that fans will be interested in her work first and foremost, and not in her personal life.

Antenna-Telesem, 11/28/2018

Material on the publication's website The end of the year for the couple is filled with pleasant expectations - recently they became parents for the second time, and on December 6 their third joint film, “The Reserve,” will be released. “Reserve” is a film adaptation of the story of the same name by Sergei Dovlatov, but the action is moved to modern times, and main character- not the writer Boris, but the musician Konstantin (Sergei Bezrukov). His car...

Our radio, 10/5/2018

Delighting your listeners is the most important mission of OUR Radio! Today, October 5, 2018, on air morning show“Lifts” an absolutely fantastic guest has arrived - People’s Artist of Russia Sergei Bezrukov! Behind Lately The artist’s boundless talent rushed into a new, but, according to Sergei himself, expected creative side: Bezrukov tried himself as a rock artist...

TV channel Mir24, Cult personalities, 10/4/2018

People's Artist of Russia Sergei Bezrukov in exclusive interview in the “Cult Personalities” program on the “MIR” TV channel, he told what the viewer likes today, why the film based on the story “Reserve” by Sergei Dovlatov changed its name, how the Provincial Theater headed by him will celebrate its fifth anniversary, and also what he wanted to become as a child. - This year the Provincial Theater is five years old. How will you celebrate...

Woman.ru, 06.17.2018

In an interview with Woman.ru, spouses Sergei Bezrukov and Anna Matison talked about the difficulties of working in cinema, their new film “Reserve”, as well as about children, love and their more than active lifestyle. A week ago, the country's main film festival, Kinotavr, ended. The film “Reserve” directed by Anna Matison took part in the main film competition. The main role in the film was played by Sergei Bez...

Lyubov Egorova, Metro, 06/17/2018

Sergei Bezrukov and Anna Matison presented at Kinotavr the film “Reserve” based on the story of the same name by Sergei Dovlatov, which will be released in wide release on December 6. Alas, the film was left without awards. Bezrukov not only performed main role, but also acted as a producer of the film. The Metro newspaper spoke with the actor about how difficult it was to film the film without government support. It's a shame that you...

Olga Galitskaya, Russian newspaper, 28.05.2018

New film Anna Matison, where Sergei Bezrukov played the main role, changed the name, and on June 9, in the Kinotavr competition, instead of the previously announced film “Pushkin. Whiskey. Rock and Roll”, “Reserve” will appear. What is correct: it’s Dovlatov, it’s him story of the same name transferred to the screen - however, on new way. Sergei Bezrukov, artist and producer, told RG about the upcoming premiere. Fo...

Interfax, 11/17/2017

Material on the website of the publication The actor told how much his image in the released comedy “Myths” corresponds to the reality of Moscow. November 17. INTERFAX.RU - Russian actor, director, screenwriter, artistic director of the Moscow Provincial Theater Sergei Bezrukov played one of the key roles in the comedy “Myths” by Alexander Molochnikov. The film tells about the heroes of secular Moscow, including...

In a previous interview with TN, you said that your wife gave you a surprise for your birthday: she invited craftsmen, and they renovated your dressing room overnight Provincial Theater. That story happened three years ago. What other surprises have there been since then on October 18?

I can’t imagine a bigger surprise than the one I’m giving myself and my fans now! I sing with my group at the Crocus City Hall! If someone had told me a year ago, I wouldn’t have believed it.

- True, it looks a little like april fools prank. How did you get the idea to get into rock music?

Perhaps the filming of the film “Reserve” based on Sergei Dovlatov influenced it - it will be released this year. While vacationing in France, Anechka and I (Sergei’s wife is director Anna Matison - TN note) one evening decided to read Dovlatov aloud. Usually you read it silently and for yourself - you conduct your own dialogue with the writer. And we tried to see how convincing Dovlatov’s word would be when the artist pronounced it. Will it still remain funny and poignant, like Dovlatov’s? Anya listened and liked it. That's when the idea for a film adaptation arose. But we decided, preserving the Dovlatov spirit, to move the action to the present day, and make the hero not a writer, but a musician. Here it would have been better to ask Anya, but I think they decided to do it this way, because showing a writer’s inspiration in film is much more difficult than the inspiration of, say, a musician. After all, cinema is visual art. My hero became a rock musician, and I think this just added to the image modern sound. And the hero was named not Boris, as in the book, but Kostya: Anya believes that the name Borya does not really suit him. Naturally, we approved the script from the heirs of the work of Sergei Donatovich Dovlatov - everything is legal with us.

With his wife Anna Matison (2018). Photo: Timur Artamonov

While filming, did you listen to a lot of rock to tune in to the right wavelength? Have you talked to musicians to perhaps borrow some traits?

I always listen to rock, regardless of whether it sounds in a film or a play where I play. One of my favorite bands is Muse. Regarding the musicians, I know Yura Shevchuk, Slava Butusov, Volodya Shakhrin, and Lenya Agutin, who, by the way, starred in our “Reserve”. I know a lot of people, but I haven’t played anyone in particular, Kostya is a completely fictitious character. Like the ballet dancer Alexey Temnikov, whom I played in another Anya film - “After You”. Everyone thought I played another historical character, but in fact Alexey Temnikov was invented from start to finish. Everyone is also trying to look for analogies with Kostya, to compare him with one of the rockers, but in fact this is Dovlatov’s hero, only not the writer Boris, but the musician Kostya. And besides their names and occupations, they have everything in common: creative unfulfillment for ten years, depression, family problems - his wife is leaving for Canada, and a great desire to start all over again...

With Leonid Agutin on the set of the film “Reserve” (2018). Photo: instagram.com

-Have you learned to play the electric guitar?

I had to relearn it a little. I have a classic hand position, I'm done music school in guitar class, but I have six string guitar, but an electric guitar is something else. This was my first time playing with a pick. Of course, playing the electric guitar is an incomparable pleasure. The instrument is loud, but you can turn it on so that only you can hear it with headphones. I often played like this at home without disturbing others.

So you liked playing a new instrument - and from this it was one step to creating your own group?

I don’t know what prompted this step. Maybe it really is a role. Maybe I just tried to sing one thing, then another, and that’s how I ended up with rock. These were mainly, of course, songs for films and performances. I have a play “Hooligan. Confession” - in it I sing my songs based on Yesenin’s poems. There is a play “Vysotsky. The Birth of a Legend” - there is a whole block in the finale where I sing Vysotsky’s songs in a rock arrangement, and it sounds quite convincing. So I tried myself a little in this area, searched for my timbre, tested my vocal abilities for the ability to strain - and in the end I became so bold that I decided to record songs not for performances! He put together a group, called it “The Godfather”...

I remember one heroine of yours and our beloved Dovlatov, who asked what the name of the river was. They answered her that it was Neva, and she was surprised: “Neva? What suddenly? So, “The Godfather”? What suddenly?

I won’t tell you, this is secret information! But I can say that my musicians are really wonderful, good groups play and tour all over the world. We released three singles in the summer, the first - “Not about us” - was released on June 1, on the same day it entered the Russian “Top 5” of the iTunes music chart, and then entered the European “Top 100”! Next was the song “What Planet Are We From”, and now they have released “Hard Day”, which opens my first solo album. They are also popular, with hundreds of thousands of views on YouTube!

It must be so great to rejoice at the first achievements in a new business! After all, as an actor you achieved success very early - at the age of 23 you became a laureate State Prize, at 35 years old - People's Artist. What other awards can surprise you in this area? But with rock music it’s different: you excitedly monitor the number of views on YouTube, like a 20-year-old student, although you are soon 45 years old.

Yes, 45 - so what? I look, for example, at U2 - they are elderly people, I am a boy compared to them, but they perform so powerfully. Robbie Williams is my age, and he brings such drive from the stage! I am in no way comparing our achievements. I'm just saying that in rock there is no age as such. If you have an inner fire, no matter how old you are, you can play rock.

Anna wasn’t surprised by this turn of events? After all, she married an actor and artistic director of the theater...

She was the first to see a rock musician in me! She gave me a role in “The Reserve” - she believed that I could play this. She saw how I sing and exist in a song on stage, and said: “You have the makings! You are an absolute rock musician in your behavior, in your voice - you just need to develop it.” And I gradually, step by step, began to move in this direction. By the way, she gave me an electric guitar when we were filming “Reserve” - I just worked with her. Of course, I had an understudy: to become an electric guitarist, you still have to work and work. But I studied all the scores, so that both at the intermediate level and at the close-up it was like I was playing by myself.

Still from the film “Reserve” (2018). Photo: Press service of the Sergei Bezrukov Film Company

- Didn’t you want to become a rocker in your youth? Many guys dream of this, but you have been passionate about theater since childhood.

Of course, I sang songs by the groups “Nautilus Pompilius” and “Kino”! And there was one fantasy about the rocker, which is funny to remember now. At school on last call We staged in the assembly hall what is called a skit in the theater. In it we presented our alumni meeting ten years later. Then it seemed that in these ten years life will pass and we will already be old people. One decided that he would become a professor, another - a physicist, a third - a coach, someone even imagined himself as an artistic director of a theater. But, imagine, I didn’t dream about the theater then. I came out looking like a rock star, just back from tour across America. I arrived at the meeting a little late, so tired and a little arrogant. The whole school greeted me, but I hardly recognized anyone. He sang a song and said: “Sorry, I can’t stay, I have work to do.” Parodied an artist infected star fever. Everyone laughed heartily, and who would have imagined that I would one day really touch this direction!

True, at 17 years old, 27 already seems like deep maturity. At that age, you had thoughts: I’m already so old, but I haven’t achieved anything yet! “But it’s sad to think that youth was given to us in vain”?

This was not the case, but I always thought that I worked too little. It seemed to me that I didn’t have time to do much. Although the volume was always colossal, it seemed to me that much more needed to be done! This is the impatience of the heart - I wanted everything at once, a lot, now! But this is typical of all young gambling people. And over time, I realized that everything happens for a reason and the timing when something happens to you is also not accidental - it just means that your path is exactly like this.

- Can you believe that it’s already 45? How much is in the shower?

That’s right - 45. This is already maturity, when a lot has been passed, a lot has already been experienced, but at the same time there is a wonderful spiritual drive. I am truly absolutely happy now. I have a feeling that now everything is the way I wanted. There is a job, a home, a family and a great desire to create. I don't stop - this is also one of the very important points. If at 45 you still have a lot of plans ahead of you and you have not yet fully realized yourself, this is a big plus. Life is still interesting to me.

- Now you will have a huge concert at Crocus. Have there been birthdays when you ran away from everyone?

Perhaps it wasn’t, although every time my family and friends insist that I should stop working on my own birthday! It always seemed to me that either filming or solo concert, or - for the last five years - a solo one-man show “Life. Theater. Movie". And this time I have a solo concert again! But I gave my word that next year I definitely won’t be working on October 18th, but will be relaxing with my family. And if I do a concert, a one-man show or anything else, I won’t go on stage and rock it right on that day. But I’ll light it up brightly and work my ass off, because I don’t know how to do otherwise.

“Crazy Birthday” Sergei Bezrukov and the group “Godfather” October 18 at 20:00 | KZ "Crocus City Hall"

Sergey Bezrukov

Family: wife - Anna Matison, director; daughter - Maria (2 years old)

Education: graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School

Career: since 1994 he served in O. Tabakov’s “Tabakerka” theater, in 1995 he became a laureate theater award“Moscow Debuts”, in 1996 - the “Chaika” and State Prizes, in 1997 - the Moscow City Hall Prize and the “Idol” Prize. He starred in films and TV series: “Brigade”, “Azazel”, “Plot”, “Reserve”, etc. In 2014 he became artistic director of the Moscow Provincial Theater