— Could you tell us how you got involved in the project and what emotions you experienced after reading the script?
— Like many in our profession, I came to the project through casting. First, I recorded my own tests, and then I was invited to a face-to-face meeting with other actors, to tests. After that, I came to Moscow a few more times and was approved. You know, every time you receive a message saying “You are approved”, there is an unforgettable feeling. The body has time to miss work. As for the script, I liked it right away. But to be honest, I stopped imagining something in my head a long time ago – how it will be or how this or that scene will be solved. Reading a script and bringing it to life are often completely different things. You never know how we will do it.
— In the annotation to the project, your hero is described as a 27-year-old, attractive, lazy guy… Was it easy to get into the role of such a guy? Do you have anything in common with Artem or are you completely different?
— Gradually, in parallel with the auditions for this role, I tried to understand his character, his habits, re-read the script and look for his unique features. I can’t say it was difficult, but it was a very big and exciting process. Of course, we have something in common. Of course, I don’t have a room with thousands of toys like Artyom anymore… But the slowness of growth is definitely our common point.
A frame from the “She’s So Cool” series
KION press service
— The creators of the series “She’s So Cool” describe the project as “a road movie about friendship that is stronger than prejudice.” What does this project mean to you?
– Your question contains an answer. I have similar thoughts about our history. About friendship, about love, about changes in our men, about finding a common language between these four men. This is a story about people. We tried to tell it honestly.
— Did you know your colleagues on set before the shooting process began? How did the team come together? What challenges did you face during the shooting and what was the most difficult for you personally?
— I didn’t know the guys before the project. We met at the casting and quickly found a common language, so there were no problems during the shooting process. Leva Zulkarnaev and I were in the same trailer: during breaks we joked a lot, read our own poems to each other. But there were no such difficulties. Of course, there were disagreements and opinions, but only during the creative process. Dialogue is important in cinema: when you discuss the script as a large team and look for the most suitable solution for a particular scene. It seems to me that we almost always managed to find an approach that would give the series the truth of our existence.
— After the release of “Kapelnik”, a wide audience remembered you. The series was warmly received by both viewers and critics, one of whom wrote: “The first thing that catches your eye in Kapelnik is the actors’ worn-out faces (and the main character has such a memorable face that you immediately forget about him). And yet, it seems that the authors of the series wanted to create a new Sergei Bodrov from Denis Prytkov: he wears the same sweater as Danila Bagrov, and he is also a brother.” How do you like this comparison and do you agree with the author?
– I don’t know what to answer. I hope you don’t get bored with my forgotten face, I’ll try (laughing).
— But did the comparison with Sergei Bodrov and his cult character make you proud? Or is this “not your hero”?
— Sergei Bodrov is very close to me in terms of content. I watched “Brother” and “Sisters” at a very conscious age, and then watched them many times. I think it can’t be more flattering. Maybe someone will notice the similarity, but I think it’s just a similarity. If today they often return to such cult characters, then people need such a hero. I wish I knew now what kind of hero he was, a hero of our time.
Actor Denis Prytkov
From the personal archive of Denis Prytkov
— How did your life change after “Kapelnik”, both in terms of career and everyday life?
— It hasn’t changed at all in terms of fair life. Of course, more work has come along, which can’t help but make you happy.
— Your next “big work” was the role of Lensky in the film adaptation of Sarik Andreasyan’s “Onegin”. How did you prepare for the role? Was it difficult to transform into a cult novel character?
– It depends on what you mean by reincarnation. I tried to prepare for my role carefully. I started from the very beginning – re-reading the novel “Eugene Onegin”. Then I took up the comments on the novel, then I did the analysis, I talked with the consultant of the time… There was a lot! Cooking at home is a rather chaotic and creative process. It was difficult to learn to sit in the saddle and ride a horse in a short time (laughing).
— Which classic works of Russian or foreign literature would you like to bring to life on the big screen?
— I don’t have specific ideas about who I want to play. I just try to make my characters real, to put them in a complex and diverse plot. Try to do it as honestly and openly as possible. What awaits me there in the future, I leave to time and the future.
— What genres of films are you interested in as an actor? Which Russian director would you like to work with?
— If fate brings us together, I would really like to work with Yuri Bykov, Fyodor Bondarchuk, Anna Melikyan. From the cast – with Konstantin Khabensky, Yura Borisov… I can list them for a long time. There are people with whom I really want to work, and if fate brings us together, it would be a great experience for me.
—Are you a popular actor today? Can you afford to turn down this or that role? If so, do you often turn down roles and for what reasons?
– Probably, it is still seen from the outside whether a person is in demand or not, but there is work and I am happy. I reject some projects, yes. You know, there is a feeling of incompatibility with the material. But this is a normal workflow.
Actor Denis Prytkov
From the personal archive of Denis Prytkov
— What movies did you grow up watching? What movies influenced you as an actor? Are there any paintings you still watch today?
“My father had a very large collection of films; his eyes were full of variety. And these were films of all genres, from action films to melodramas. “Mad Max,” “The Notebook,” “Artificial Intelligence” — everything I hadn’t seen. As a child, I really loved Quentin Tarantino’s works, I watched “Kill Bill” so many times that I can’t even turn it back on today! I love “Spirited Away” and all the parts of “Harry Potter”; I am ready to watch all the films back to back at any time. I love watching movies and I always try to make time to watch both new and old ones.
— Do you follow the cinema news? Which movies and TV series released last year caught your attention?
— There are so many movies coming out today that it’s impossible to keep up with all the new releases. I try, but it doesn’t always work, even though I have subscriptions to almost all platforms. And I recently re-watched “Night Watch.” Of course, it’s not new, but I watched it as if it was the first time.
— Do you watch your movies and series?
– I don’t mind my own business.
Actor Denis Prytkov
From the personal archive of Denis Prytkov
– From where?
— Because I have already experienced it in several stages: first during the auditions, then on the set. I know the history of my projects from the inside and I am grateful for this experience. In fact, in this process you already understand what works and what doesn’t. And I always leave the audience with a complete, finished story, so that the audience can fully appreciate it with a new and fresh look.
– How self-critical are you? Whose opinion is important to you?
“I am a skeptical person and I am rarely satisfied with this or that scene.” I will never say to myself: “How wonderful everything turned out, how well I just played.” But I have no such task. I just do what I love and try to approach projects honestly and responsibly. And whose opinion is important to me, I will keep it a secret – I consider it intimate and confidential enough to be shared with everyone.
— Is it difficult for young actors to get into projects these days? What advice would you give to young people who are just starting their journey in cinema?
– Patience. Effort. Hope. The hardest thing is to open the door where your profession awaits you. But we are all moving towards it. Actually, I am afraid to give any advice because I do not have enough experience to share. Give me a little more time, because I still feel young and just starting my journey and I am experiencing. I want to believe that everything is ahead.
— In addition to your acting career, you also do illustration and have a blog where you call yourself a “pain artist”. Are you joking about infinity? Where do you get inspiration for your drawings?
– I don’t know if this is a joke or not. It somehow came up with its name spontaneously. I try to find inspiration in life or on the Internet. I create something in my mind. But I rarely post anything there anymore. I try to find my artistic style, and it’s not so easy.
Actor Denis Prytkov
From the personal archive of Denis Prytkov
— What do you dream of today as an actor and an ordinary person?
— The word human is directly related to inner qualities that need to be constantly worked on, the desire to remain human throughout life. But I will not reveal my dreams. When any of them come true, I will definitely tell you. In the meantime, I carefully keep them to myself.
What are you thinking?
Source: Gazeta
Brandon Hall is an author at “Social Bites”. He is a cultural aficionado who writes about the latest news and developments in the world of art, literature, music, and more. With a passion for the arts and a deep understanding of cultural trends, Brandon provides engaging and thought-provoking articles that keep his readers informed and up-to-date on the latest happenings in the cultural world.