— Tell us about the “This Is Us” sketch show. What is it about and who are your heroes?
“This is a show about people, that’s why it’s called This Is Us.” Almost all of us have experienced one or more of the situations shown in the series and have encountered similar people. These are very clear images and situations. My heroes are completely different girls. There are salesmen, cashiers, cinema workers and just beloved wives, girlfriends and mothers, silly girls and supermodels.
— The description states that this is a sketch show “about situations that any person living in Russia might find themselves in.” Have you found yourself in any of these situations?
— This project is primarily humorous, so of course everything here is exaggerated. I have personally encountered similar situations, but in theory I think anything is possible in our world.
— Is this usually personal, family situations?
— Situations are different there. There are family, personal and household ones. There is a word called “Zhiza”; That’s exactly what the series is about.
— You have improved yourself as a comedy actor throughout your career. Did you initially see yourself as an artist of this genre?
— When I entered the theater institute, I was faced with the task of showing myself in different genres – through prose, poetry and fairy tales. In other words, just as an applicant reads a fairy tale, this is also how he manifests himself in the comedy genre. Now that I think about it, I realize that this is definitely one of my strengths. During the fairy tale, everyone immediately started laughing, and as a rule, this was the moment when the commission decided that I should go further. That’s why I’ve always relied on comedy. I also have a lot of humor in my life, so the nature of humor is very clear to me. I can say that as I get older, I take life more seriously, but I should not forget to “make it easier” for myself. You should try to remain light despite the burden of daily experience that falls on your shoulders.
— Is it difficult to make the audience laugh?
— In general, you should not deliberately try to make the audience laugh: if you just try to make them laugh, then it immediately ceases to be funny. While shooting “Univer,” I often analyzed everything around me; I am such a person. I looked at the artists who starred in comedies – they were all very light, quite naive, it is this experience that allows you to bring a smile to other people’s faces when you find yourself in some ridiculous situations.
— Should a comedy actor try to make the director or producer laugh?
“You just have to feel what the joke is and somehow live it funny.” I probably won’t explain it to you that way. But I never particularly tried to make the director or producer laugh.
— Do you want to take part in a serious TV series, show new facets of your acting skills?
– I really want. Last year I starred in “Univer” and we had many dramatic lines and serious, deep experiences with the characters. Even though everyone was used to perceiving “University” as a comedy, I enjoyed my job very much. Yes, this is a comedy, but at this point it may even have turned into a drama. Those who see me in dramatic roles are surprised at how good a dramatic actor I am. But this was my fate, I don’t regret anything. Sometimes you want to try your hand at a completely new project, but comedy is great too. I enjoy working in the humor genre immensely.
– You made your big screen debut at the age of 16 with the project “I Planned an Escape”. How did you join the cast of the series?
— I studied at drama school and casting directors came to us. They called us, scanned us and invited those who were suitable to audition. I was one of those who arrived quite early and started shooting.
— Was it difficult to act with famous, experienced actors?
“I didn’t really know anyone at the time. It’s usually easy to work with experienced actors. Firstly, you definitely get some experience from them. Secondly, it’s nice, you feel their professionalism, so it’s very good to work with popular actors.
— In addition to starring in TV series and movies, you managed to take part in many television projects and almost won the program “Survive in Dubai”. Would you agree to appear on a reality survival show again if you were invited?
– I agree, but later. I understand that such a “survival” a year is more than enough. It takes me a long time to recover from such projects. It took me an incredibly long time to recover after participating in the Stars in Africa show for two weeks. “Surviving in Dubai” is a project in which my psychological health deteriorated. It probably took me two months to get moving again.
— Recently you complained on social networks that you were “tired of being a mother” and asked not to consider yourself a bad mother. Who do you think is a really bad mother?
– No I’m not tired. I adore my children. They have different moods. I don’t want to label someone as a bad person. Speaking from a child’s perspective, I want my mother to be understanding and supportive, but also to be involved in both my life and her own.
— What helps you maintain peace of mind during stressful times?
– Depending on the degree of stress. If it’s too strong, unfortunately nothing will help me. Only time and a burst of emotions – I can cry and “burn” all this. And nowadays, a routine helps to survive some everyday moments and become more resistant to stress – I mean sleep, proper nutrition and, of course, meditation, quiet walks in the fresh air.
— Is it possible to openly say to a child “I’m tired of you”?
– It is forbidden. I am not allowed to do this under any circumstances. Children may misperceive such expressions from their parents due to their age. Since they are still children, their egocentrism is very developed and therefore they begin to shift everything to themselves and may feel that they are the cause. stress of their parents, but the reason for this, of course, lies not in the child, but in a combination of factors that fall on the adults.
— Continuing to talk about children, you have your own kindergarten. Why did you decide to open it?
— I loved spending time with children since my childhood, and even dreamed of becoming a teacher. The idea of opening a kindergarten came to my mind when I was in my 20s. Since you cannot ignore your desires, I valued this idea, developed it and added new meanings to it. And when I had children, I realized that there was no place where I could feel that the children were in a safe space, that they were receiving a good education within the framework of a humanistic approach. That’s why I opened my own kindergarten and I want to bring this idea to the school level, but it all depends on whether I have the strength and time for this.
— How did you prepare for the opening of the kindergarten? How did you see it?
– Ah, it was not an easy process – I wanted to approach the discovery with all seriousness, understand all the details. I walked towards my goal for a long time – I read books, talked with psychologists and looked for qualified specialists. I saw it as the place where the best environment was created for children to grow up healthy.
— Do you have any other projects you want to implement in the future? Or maybe you are already implementing it?
— I worked with my team for about six months to create a homewares line in 2023. Currently this line consists of aroma diffusers for the home and in the near future I will also introduce scented candles. In fact, quite a lot of work was done during these six months; we had numerous focus groups, focusing not only on choosing scents that would delight customers, but also creating a brand philosophy that I wanted to convey to my friends. subscribers.
Herbalists and runologists work with us in our team. Each scent has its own rune associated with it, which can be activated during use. I really like what we do because scents are a natural and natural part of our lives. I want people to be able to relax, unwind, be filled with energy and dive into their best memories.
— You graduated from Plekhanov Institute in Marketing and Advertising. Have you ever applied the knowledge you acquired in the acting profession?
— Of course, no higher education should go to waste. Thanks to marketing, I better understand many processes of self-promotion, and the basics of advertising helped me to competently declare myself as an actor in the first place. Some may think that acting has nothing to do with such fields; They say it’s pure creativity. But we must not forget that this is still show business, where both talent and the art of self-promotion are important.
— You openly mention that you resorted to injection cosmetology. Can you tell us about when you first received a botulinum toxin injection?
— I had Botox for the first time at the age of 25 to “block” my active facial expressions, but here it is of course important not to overdo it, because facial expressions are one of the main tools of an actor.
— Why do you think society often condemns the use of traditional methods to correct changes in facial or body skin?
– We live in interesting times; On the one hand, we are told that we need to be the best version of ourselves, and on the other hand, we are told that it is important to love yourself just the way you are. Finding the golden mean here is the main and most difficult thing. Most of the time when I don’t like something about myself, I first turn my attention to nutrition and start exercising because these are proven methods. Cosmetological correction is rather an add-on, but does not replace a healthy lifestyle.
— How do you stay slim? Do you have a special diet and training system?
– I pay attention to what I eat. Of course, there are also days of gluttony and cheat meals, so to speak. But this is extremely rare. I practice healthy yet intuitive eating. I stopped eating meat a few years ago, but I allow myself to if I feel like my body wants it. Grains save me – pasta, rice, quinoa, bulgur. I also got into the habit of not eating before bed to avoid heaviness and insomnia. Of course, sports cannot be done without it.