Mikhail Zharov

Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov is a Soviet theater and film actor Peoples Artist of the RSFSR 1944 and Peoples Artist of the USSR October 26 1949 In 1920 he graduated from the studio at the theater of the Artistic and Educational Union of Workers Organization He acted in theaters No 1 of the Revolutionary Military Union of the Republic the Safonov Theater the Baku Workers Theater the Realistic Theater and the Moscow Chamber Theater From 1938 he was an actor and director at the Maly Theater He made his film debut in 1915 with a tiny practically unnoticeable role as an oprichnik in the film Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible He played his first major role that of Red Army soldier Yegor in 1925 in the film The Road to Happiness In those years Zharov was considered an unrivaled master of the episodic genre Don Diego and Pelageya The Man from the Restaurant The White Eagle The Living Corpse Outskirts and Puppets He found expressive distinctive details and rich vibrant colors for his characters imbuing them allboth villains and heroeswith a common quality they are all great lovers of life charming confident and in control of life His heroes know how to enjoy everything food billiards wine women the simple songs they often hum a sunny day or an unexpected win Zharov combined absolute authenticity and vivid psychological characterization with a sometimes grotesque portrayal of the role enlivening any plot even the most serious with his presence In the 1930s thanks to cinema Zharov achieved national popularity The artist was in great demand He was invited by the most famous directors With Nikolai Ekk he played one of his most famous roles the bandit Zhigan A Start in Life with Grigory Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg the smug clerk Dymba The Return of Maxim and The Vyborg Side with Vladimir Petrov the cheerful prankster Kudryash The Storm and the goodnatured cheerful courtier Menshikov Peter the Great with Isidor Annensky the loud healthy landowner Smirnov The Bear the cheerful teacher Kovalenko The Man in the Case and the carefree landowner Artynov Anna on the Neck with the Vasiliev brothers the daring Cossack Perchikhin The Defense of Tsaritsyn with Sergei Eisenstein Malyuta Skuratov a cunning cruel smart peasant who managed to become the Tsars right hand Ivan the Terrible In 1944 he was awarded For successful work in the field of Soviet cinematography during the Patriotic War and the release of highly artistic films In total MI Zharov starred in more than 60 films Over the years the courage of his characters diminished they became calmer wiser and more grounded His last film character was the rural policeman Aniskina The Village Detective Anikina and Fantomas And Again Aniskina The role was a signature one for the actor his Aniskina is a village philosopher a sage insightful unfussy and attentive to all matters A hero who affirms the belief that our lives depend on our own decision to live correctly and wisely As a film director Zharov made three films Troublesome Economy Aniskine and Fantomas together with VA Rappoport And Again Aniskine together with VI Ivanov