The best roles of Evgeny Leonov. The best roles of Evgeny Leonov (Photo and Video) One of the most roles of Evgeny Leonov

September 2 marked the 87th anniversary of the birth of the wonderful theater and film artist Evgeny Pavlovich Leonov. He has been no longer with us for almost 10 years, but the touching and comical characters he created on stage and in films continue to excite the viewer to this day. Our article is about the best roles of Evgeny Leonov.

Evgeny Pavlovich first appeared on the stage of the Moscow Theater of the Dzerzhinsky District in 1947, having graduated from the drama department of the Moscow Experimental Theater Studio. And since 1948 he has been performing at the Theater. K.S. Stanislavsky. Over 20 years, he played more than 30 roles, including the Orderly from “Three Sisters” and the cook from “The Seagull” by A.P. Chekhov, Don Diego from the comedy “They Don’t Jokes with Love” by P. Calderon, Lariosik from “Days of the Turbins” by M. Bulgakov, Vincenzo from the drama by E. Filippo “De Pretore Vincenzo”, the storyteller from “The Snow Queen” by E. Schwartz, Peachum from “The Threepenny Opera” by B. Brecht, the sentry from M. Shatrov’s play “The Sixth of July” and others. Evgeniy Pavlovich's talent is multifaceted; he has proven himself not only as a dramatic actor, but also in comic roles in his repertoire. He played good storytellers, simpletons, and typical heroes.

Since 1968, Evgeny Leonov has been an actor at the Theater. V.V. Mayakovsky. Here he worked for a short time, playing Vanyushin from S. Naydenov’s autobiographical play “Vanyushin’s Children,” Narokov from N. Ostrovsky’s play “Talents and Admirers,” and Sancho Panza in the play “Man of La Mancha.” Due to disagreements with Andrei Goncharov, who was the artistic director of the theater at that time, Evgeny Leonov was forced to move to Lenkom, where he worked until 1989. In this theater he played his wonderful dramatic roles, full of deep psychologism. This is Ivanov from the play of the same name by A.P. Chekhov, the father from V. Myslivsky's play "The Thief", the peasant walker from the play "Blue Horses on Red Grass" and the defendant from M. Shatrov's "Dictatorship of Conscience", the leader from V. Vishnevsky's "Optimistic Tragedy", Tevye the milkman from "Funeral prayers" by G. Gorin according to Sholom Aleichem.

http://youtu.be/yLc9ULDEy0w

In parallel with the stage, Evgeniy Pavlovich acts in films. In 1949, he made his debut playing a cameo role as a fireman in the musical comedy Happy Flight. Having flashed on the screen for a couple of minutes, without saying a single word, he was already remembered by the audience for his bright, charming smile.

Then there were episodic roles in the comedy “Pencil on Ice” (1949), a waiter in a restaurant from the adventure comedy “Sporting Honor” (1951), a cook from “The Sea Hunter” (1954), drivers Pashka Eskov from “The Road” (1955) and Mishka Snegirev from “The Rumyantsev Case” (1955).

In “Unique Spring” (1957) Evgeny Leonov played doctor Alexei Stepanovich Koshelev. In the same year, viewers saw him in the role of policeman Serdyukov in the comedy “The Street is Full of Surprises.” His heroes are simple people, a little lazy or trying to cheat, but invariably tormented and conscientious. In 1958, he appeared in the image of the communard Agathon from the drama “Difficult Happiness.” In 1959, Evgeniy Pavlovich starred in four films: in the comedy “Don’t Have a Hundred Rubles,” he played Ivan Sergeevich Mukhin, a museum caretaker; in “A Work of Art,” he appeared as Sasha Smirnov, and in “The Tale of the Newlyweds,” as Fedya Makarov, in the children's film “Snow Tale” the audience saw Evgeniy Pavlovich in the image of the Old Man of the Year.

His first success and recognition was brought to him by the comedy “Striped Flight” (1961), in which he played Gleb Savelyevich Shuleikin.

http://youtu.be/enyQw7qpZOg

The next successful role was King Eric XXIX from the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” (1966). A sort of domestic tyrant.

Leonov's characters represent a single whole with the actor himself; he endows them with his own unique features. Such is the cautious man, the customer in “Short Stories” (1963), the machine gunner Yakov Shibalok from the drama “The Don Tale” (1964), a gentle father, a homely man with kind eyes and caring hands, capable of not only holding a weapon, but also nursing a child, and the dentist’s patient Ivan Sergeevich Travkin from the comedy “Thirty Three” (1965). His phrase: “Happiness is when you want to go to work in the morning and go home in the evening” - has become an aphorism.

The greatest success was enjoyed by “Gentlemen of Fortune” (1971), in which Evgeny Leonov played the main roles: the head of the kindergarten Evgeny Ivanovich Troshkin and the recidivist San Sanych Bely, nicknamed Associate Professor.

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Replies and phrases from this film have become popular. On Mosfilmovskaya Street there is a monument to the Associate Professor, a favorite character in the film.

In 1972, the television film “Big Change” was released, where Evgeny Pavlovich played Lednev, an elderly man forced to learn to read and write with his daughter.

http://youtu.be/CULiFJ5wqsI

The role of Sarafanov in the television film based on A. Vampilov’s play “The Eldest Son” (1975) is full of drama. An elderly musician forced to make a living by playing at funerals is very lonely. He is ready to believe in a made-up story about his eldest son in order to feel at least for a moment the touching care of the younger generation. Soft-bodied and tearful Sarafanov, vulnerable and sensitive - such is Leonov’s hero.

http://youtu.be/ddzqoDv0VCI

Many people remember him in the image of the king from “An Ordinary Miracle” (1978). Leonov's hero is a tyrant who explains his behavior by the genes of his ancestors. The talented actor, who mostly plays good-natured people, did an excellent job in the role of a tyrant who calmly gives orders for hanging.

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No less dramatic is the role of actor Bubentsov from the film “Say a Word for the Poor Hussar” (1980). For the sake of his daughter’s happiness, he is ready to sacrifice himself.

For the role of Lariosik, the young actor had already played several roles in films and was seriously thinking about changing his profession. A specific appearance, some problems with diction and natural shyness helped Evgeny Pavlovich enter the theater (the admissions committee laughed out loud when he read poetry), but prevented him from making a real career. Yanshin saw his successor in Leonov and gave him the role that he himself played and after which the artist woke up famous throughout the capital.

Gleb Shuleikin (“Striped Flight”, 1961)

A bartender who was forced to retrain as a tiger and lion trainer is Evgeny Leonov’s first star film role. “The Striped Flight” showed, if not everything, then a lot for which audiences love the actor to this day: charming clumsiness, soft intonations and the general image of a charming klutz with whom it is easy and pleasant to associate oneself with in moments of awkward life incidents.

Yakov Shibalok (“The Don Tale”, 1964)

One of Leonov’s first unexpected works was the role of a Red Army soldier in love with a Cossack woman in the film adaptation of the story “The Shibalkovo Seed.” Thanks to this film, in which Leonov brilliantly played a duet with, viewers and filmmakers saw that, despite his attractive round appearance and good-natured charm, he was quite capable of sharp-character roles.

Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh, 1969)

Without this cartoon and its two sequels, the image of Leonov as an actor will, of course, be incomplete. Along with and Evgeny Pavlovich became one of the main cartoon voices for many generations of Soviet and Russian children. However, in addition to “Winnie the Pooh,” in this regard, I would also like to recall the brilliant “Magic Ring” and other cartoons based on fairy tales, in which Leonov brilliantly played the role of narrator.

(“Belorussky Station”, 1970)

One of the key dramatic and even tragic roles in the career of Leonov - a former intelligence officer, and now a mechanic, meeting with front-line comrades at the wake of a deceased fellow soldier. Thanks to “Belorussky Station”, many viewers discovered incredible tragic depth in Evgeny Pavlovich. It turned out that he might not be funny at all, and just looking at him from under his furrowed eyebrows could bring tears to his eyes.

King (“Ordinary Miracle”, 1978)

Another unexpected comic facet of Evgeny Pavlovich was revealed in Zakharov’s film adaptation of the brilliant fairy tale by Evgeny Schwartz. The quarrelsome, mean King, performed by Leonov, radiated a completely irresistible negative charm.

Prokhorov (“And That’s All About Him”, 1978)

Despite the fact that Leonov never abused eccentricity, the role of the calm and thorough investigator Prokhorov became something new even by his standards. In the serial detective story, Leonov unexpectedly turned into a character on the level of Simenonov’s Maigret - reasonable, seemingly a little absent-minded, but attentive and patient. It turned out that the artist is easily able to firmly hold the audience’s attention without a single gag or trick.

Antti Ihalainen ("Behind the Matches", 1980)

One of the latest classic films is the benefit performance of Leonov the eccentric. After many roles in dramatic comedies, Evgeniy Pavlovich played with ease and brilliance in a film of the opposite direction - a gag-based adaptation of the story by the Finnish writer Majo Lassila.

Pavel Ivanovich Vasin (“Tears fell”, 1982)

Danelia’s saddest film is probably the story of how the kindest resident of provincial Zarechensk gets a piece of the trolls’ crooked mirror in his eye. The fairytale plot of the film unfolds into a poignant story about how anger eats a person from the inside, and Leonov played here one of his most complex and uncompromising roles.

Tevye (Funeral Prayer, 1989)

Leonov's latest and absolutely brilliant theatrical work is Tevye the Milkman in Lenkomov's production of the play based on the works of Sholom Aleichem. For this role, Evgeny Pavlovich was awarded the State Prize of Russia. It was while getting ready for this performance in 1994 that the actor died after suffering a blood clot.

September 2 marks the 87th anniversary of the birth of the wonderful theater and film artist Evgeny Pavlovich Leonov. He has been no longer with us for almost 10 years, but the touching and comical characters he created on stage and in films continue to excite the viewer to this day. Our article is about the best roles of Evgeny Leonov.

His first success and recognition was brought to him by the comedy “Striped Flight” (1961), in which he played Gleb Savelyevich Shuleikin.

The next successful role was King Eric XXIX from the fairy tale “The Snow Queen” (1966). A sort of domestic tyrant.

Replies and phrases from this film have become popular. On Mosfilmovskaya Street there is a monument to the Associate Professor, a favorite character in the film.

In 1972, the television film “Big Change” was released, where Evgeny Pavlovich played Lednev, an elderly man forced to learn to read and write with his daughter.

No less dramatic is the role of actor Bubentsov from the film “Say a Word for the Poor Hussar” (1980). For the sake of his daughter’s happiness, he is ready to sacrifice himself.

Leonov-Kolya from “Afonya” (1975), in the image of Kharitonov from “Autumn Marathon” (1979), and in the role of Chatlanin Uef in “Kin-dza-dze!” (1986), and as the Soviet ambassador to Austria in the film Passport (1990).

In Yaroslavl in 2010, a sculpture of plasterer Kolya from “Afon” was installed.

Leonov’s voice is spoken by Winnie the Pooh from the cartoon of the same name (1969-1972), the king from “Vasilisa the Beautiful” (1977), the narrator of “The Magic Ring” (1979), the dog Jack from “The Adventures of Lolo the Penguin” (1986). The last voice acting was Antoshka’s grandfather in the cartoon “Dreamers from the Village of Ugory” (1994).

Evgeny Leonov’s first notable film role was in the comedy “Striped Flight,” which became a box office hit in 1961. It was watched by more than 45 million Soviet viewers. Leonov here plays the bartender Shuleikin, who, in order to get on the ship, introduced himself as a tiger trainer: they are being transported on the same board. Already here Leonov showed that he is capable of turning a supporting role into a main one. If the rest of the film’s actors remain within the chosen type, Leonov demonstrates a more extensive toolkit, complicating his image.

Still from the film “Striped Flight”

9. Ivan Travkin,

The role of Ivan Travkin begins Evgeny Leonov's long-term collaboration with. For Daneliev's eccentric fantasies, Leonov was perfectly suited. An actor with a sad face who can make you laugh, but very rarely laughs. Similar to any person on the street and yet memorable from the first seconds on the screen. Timid, embarrassed, but at the right moments he performs heroic deeds. Danelia invited Leonov to each of his new films, and he agreed, even if the role was very small.

Still from the film “Thirty Three”

8. Winnie the Pooh

All Soviet viewers remembered Yevgeny Leonov’s voice from early childhood. His Winnie the Pooh from the famous cartoon series is probably one of the most striking characters in Soviet animation in general. The cartoon is drawn very schematically, but Leonov’s voice turns Vinnie the bear into a complex, versatile personality. Winnie sings paradoxical songs, reflects while stuck in a doorway, raises his friend Piglet, and tries to deceive the vigilance of the bees, which he approaches in a hot air balloon. Without Evgeny Leonov, the “Soviet” Winnie the Pooh simply would not have existed.

Still from the cartoon "Winnie the Pooh"

7. King

The paradoxes of the King from “An Ordinary Miracle” are perhaps the main memory of this film in the mass consciousness, although the King is by no means the main character. And not at all positive. "Good afternoon. I am the king, my dears." “She doesn’t look like a royal daughter at all. Sometimes, when you come to the nursery, I’m ashamed to say, you start to like yourself.” “As an honorary saint, an honorary great martyr, an honorary pope of our kingdom, I begin the sacrament of the rite.” “Today I will go on a spree. Fun, good-natured, with all sorts of harmless antics.” “Because I’m a tyrant. Because now my dear aunt has awakened in me. An incorrigible fool." “All of us monsters look the same.” We can go on for a long time, and every time we will hear Leonov’s voice.

Still from the film “An Ordinary Miracle”

6. Vladimir Oreshnikov,

The conflict between man and society in Soviet cinema occurs frequently and almost always ends in reconciliation. This happened this time too, and Volodya Oreshnikov, who won ten thousand rubles and was preparing to spend it, but this money was taken from him, is not offended that it all turned out this way. He just wants to somehow arrange his life beautifully, get out of the vulgar, bourgeois philistinism and realize his right to love, a decent job, a decent life. He will receive very little, but this “little man”, from whom everything was so easily taken and divided, proved that he is not so small after all. Some things can. And without this “something” you probably won’t survive.

Still from the film “Zigzag of Fortune”

5. Ivan Prikhodko,

Locksmith Ivan among friends who, like him, are veterans, front-line soldiers, does not look very advantageous. Small, bald, poorly settled, “produced children” with a wife who despises him. Only, the film shows, it was precisely such Ivans who turned out to be real heroes during the war. And the same Ivans are capable of heroism today, these front-line soldiers, and not only front-line soldiers, inconspicuous but amazing people, hold on to the earth - just like them, wounded, exhausted, humiliated, homely. No one sees them either before or after the feat in all their beauty, but the feat exists, and it is expressed in their every gesture, if you look a little more closely.

Still from the film “Belorussky Station”

4. Uef, Chatlanin,

If you count the roles of Leonov in Danelia, it turns out that there are quite a lot of formally negative characters. The most charming and most famous of them is the alien scoundrel Uef, who every time tries to snatch something from the main characters of the film by dishonest means. The combination of harmless and dangerous principles in the image is Leonov’s true strength, and Chatlanin Uef is convincing proof of this.

Still from the film “Kin-dza-dza!”

3. Andrey Grigorievich Sarafanov,

In this film, Evgeny Leonov, as often happens, finds himself at the head of a brilliant acting ensemble, acting out a play by Alexander Vampilov for the television viewer. The plot was rare for that time, but very common for ours. Each character in the film is faced with the problem of self-determination, choice, and acceptance of their fate. Sarafanov is a classic loser, whose wife left him long ago, with whom his children remain only out of pity, and who has not realized any of his aspirations. Someone else's cruel joke unexpectedly opens up new perspectives for him, but he will have to go through a series of sufferings and humiliations.

Still from the film “Eldest Son”

2. Pavel Ivanovich Vasin,

Unexpected for many, Leonov’s role is that of a man whose eyes were struck by a piece of a distorting mirror, and after that he lost the ability to be human - to sympathize, understand, forgive, love. And in the responsible position that he occupies, being human is no less important than being with his large family. Vasin first morally destroys all his family, and then organizes a crusade in all social spheres where he means at least something. The great humanist Danelia shows that if you cease to be a person, then you win for just a short time, but then you still die. And Evgeny Leonov plays one of his best and most difficult roles - pretending that his hero has no sympathy for people left.

Still from the film “Tears Fell”

1. Evgeniy Troshkin / Associate Professor,

Although Leonov plays doubles here, one of whom is a repeat offender and the other a kindergarten teacher, Georgy Danelia’s script focuses on the second character, with virtually no interest in the first. Because the teacher faces an incredible task: to infiltrate the criminal world, imitate the criminal genius of the Associate Professor, then discern the people in the three criminals he needs to keep an eye on, and then try to turn them into good people. Not to re-educate, but to rebirth. There is no greater pleasure than watching how Leonov’s hero, between the thieves’ aphorisms spat out through his teeth and the blows he gives, little by little instills in the “scumbags” the most important human qualities.

Still from the film “Gentlemen of Fortune”

Striped Flight (1961)

The bartender Shuleikin decides to return to the USSR at any cost from a tropical port, where he suffers from homesickness and a hot climate. To do this, he sneaks onto a Soviet ship, posing as a tiger trainer and not suspecting that he will soon have to demonstrate his non-existent skills.

The role that brought Leonov popularity. The actor has demonstrated that he is capable of turning any supporting role into a leading one.

Evgeniy Leonov When “Striped Flight” was released, where, to the delight of the audience, I ran from tigers in soapy foam, many decided that now I was permanently registered in the comedians’ workshop, and they would not allow me to step outside of it. To tell the truth, I wasn’t very upset. Even in the studio I realized that I was a comedian. I have always loved comedy and wanted to act in funny films and plays. I prefer an interesting drama to a bad comedy. But I will be faithful to a good comedy all my life...

Ivan Prikhodko

Belorussky Station (1971)

Four front-line comrades took completely different paths after the war. Decades later, the plant director, mechanic, accountant and journalist meet again at the funeral of their comrade and remember the military brotherhood and mutual assistance.

Documentary film "Evgeny Leonov. Fear of loneliness"

The simple-minded locksmith Prikhodko, played by Leonov, turns out to be a real hero. This role allowed the actor to show the qualities of his own character - simplicity, openness, kindness and inner core.

Evgeniy Ivanovich Troshkin/Associate Professor

Gentlemen of Fortune (1971)

A man of the kindest soul, the director of the kindergarten, Evgeniy Ivanovich Troshkin, turns out to be surprisingly similar in appearance to the criminal authority “Associate Professor”, who stole a unique cultural relic, the helmet of Alexander the Great. Evgeny Ivanovich is introduced into a criminal environment so that, pretending to be an Associate Professor, he finds out from his accomplices where the helmet is hidden.

In this eccentric comedy, Leonov got two main roles at once: in front of the amazed spectators, he instantly transforms from a touching kindergarten director into a repeat offender. The film immediately scattered into quotes, the Lebanese ones “I’ll tear my mouth, I’ll gouge out my eyes” and “a bad man is a radish” became especially popular. After the release of the film, the actor himself received the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.

King

An Ordinary Miracle (1978)

A film adaptation of the play of the same name by Evgeniy Schwartz about a Wizard who writes fairy tales, the heroes of which come to life and begin to live their own lives. One of the stories he invented is a “reverse tale”: the Wizard turned a bear into a man and decided that he would turn back into an animal when the princess kissed him. This tale ends with an unexpected miracle.

The role of the tyrant king seemed unusual for Leonov, who was accustomed to playing good-natured simpletons. But the actor created an unforgettable character, filling the despot with extraordinary irony and touching.

Vasily Kharitonov

Autumn Marathon (1979)

A philosophical comedy about a man trying to please everyone and thereby driving himself into a corner. The weak-willed Buzykin can neither break up with his mistress nor leave his wife for her. Colleagues take advantage of his naivety and spinelessness; his neighbor leads him down a slippery slope. All his attempts to change his life end in nothing.

Despite the fact that the film has a clearly defined protagonist - Buzykin played by Oleg Basilashvili - Leonov again manages to make the audience and critics fall in love with his character, who is far from the most attractive. For his role as the drinking neighbor Buzykin, the actor received the Italian Journalists' Award for Best Actor at the 1979 Venice Film Festival.