— How did you feel after reading the script of the second season? Were you surprised by some of the plot points the writers placed your character in?
— We have such technology that we cannot read all the scripts at the same time. We read three or four of them, make a movie of them, then read them again. The script group is constantly changing, each writer has his own achievements and characteristics. At the same time, both the production and the TV-3 channel itself provide the opportunity to think about something, to transform it into the situation we are in. This makes me feel like the scenarios are becoming more diverse and interesting. And the parallel detective line is also completely unexpected.
— Should the audience expect some kind of “collapse” in the new season or will it be a smooth continuation of the first season?
— The fault is not specific to the series. The series is a classic, a complete story: the plot does not change, the filler changes. And it can be incredibly funny, incredibly touching, or incredibly mystical in some way. The episodes I’ve already watched are very different. So they appeal to a wide audience. Whether there are VIP guests there or not, some will like one, some will like the other.
— The Ivanov family turned out to be very organic; many viewers note that she has “good energy.” What was the situation like on set? Was it easy to work with new directors and cinema relatives?
— We always have great energy on set, regardless of the director. Yuri Osipov directed the first season. The second season was directed by Stanislav Nazirov, but now the great Vyacheslav Kirillov is directing. Our managers are changing because, first of all, this is a large volume. And to my admiration, Yuri Nikolaevich directed the first season, consisting of 39 episodes, from start to finish. I worked a lot with Stas Nazirov, he is great. And Slava Kirillov is now gushing with us.
— Why do you think there is such a great demand for Tarot readers, hypnologists and other magicians now, and why are projects such as the series “Super Ivanovs” so popular with viewers?
— I think there is always a demand for tarot readers and the like. Why did this become popular? I don’t know, maybe it’s due to some kind of mystical mood. The trick of our series is that it is a combination of genres – this has probably been talked about more than once. It combines comedy, mystery and detective work. And the fact that this series will show that a family of prophets is also human is a big plus for him.
— Do you yourself believe in mysticism? Have there been times in your life when you really wondered about its existence?
— Like my character Valera, I don’t really believe in mysticism. Of course, there have been some unfortunate or fortunate coincidences in my life, but I still believe that this is not mysticism, but a coincidence of circumstances. I think that’s why Valera is so close to me. I still think they’re more funny than mystical.
— How do you generally evaluate the level of modern Russian TV series? Why do you think there are so many of them in recent years?
— I am not a critic to evaluate the level of Russian TV series. There are TV series I like to watch. Why are there so many TV series? Well, firstly, this is the demand, and secondly, many foreign companies have left, so we need to produce more content in Russian. And the quality is sometimes not inferior to Europe and America. I’m proud to take part in them. It seems to me, on the contrary, that there are not enough Russian TV series, so they are making more films now. This makes me incredibly happy!
— You have often appeared in various reality shows before. Recently, the first Russian season of “The Last Hero” on TV-3 ended. Interested in this project? Would you consider taking part in this?
— First of all, I was not invited to TV-3’s “The Last Hero” program. If I had been invited I would probably have taken part in it. I love these. I attended various shows and enjoyed the experience. Would you like to take part in this? Definitely!
— Do you have a business dream that hasn’t come true yet?
— All artists dream of interesting works. Of course, I love TV series, a new entertainment program on television and a great role in the theater. You see, that’s how the body works. One dream comes true and the next dream appears. Therefore you need to dream in doses.
— You recently released the song “Ponty” together with Leonid Agutin, Gosha Kutsenko and Alexander Gutin. How did you get involved in this quartet and what feelings do you get from this collaboration?
— I am very friendly with the author of the text, Sasha Gutin, who wrote the poems. I’m Gosha’s friend. And one day Lenya Agutin and Sasha Gutin sat down and decided to do this with four middle-aged men and combine them in one clip. It turned out very nice. And great music and great texts.
– Is this a one-off event or do we have the new Beatles?
— We tried to match the vocals of the wonderful Agutin. I think this is a one time event for now. This is for Leonid’s new album.
— The song criticizes ostentation. For many, they serve as a means of advancement in social networks and careers. What do you think is attractive about them and is it bad?
– There is a lot of vanity in our life – this is neither bad nor good. If you can just joke and smile, why not.
— You voiced characters in many foreign films in the early 2000s. Why did you quit dubbing?
– I’m still doing voiceovers. True, there are more commercials than movies. I started with this, it was a good experience and a good income. Then I started shooting movies, hosting a program, and others replaced me, so they don’t invite me so often anymore. But I know how to do it and I enjoy it. Now, by the way, my son does this very often, he does voice-overs as a young artist.
— What do you think about the “Quartet I” phenomenon? Why did the audience love this theater so much and why did a wide circle of important artists form around the quartet of its creators?
— It’s hard to judge the scale of talent since I’m in and I’ve done two performances for them. I think this is one of the most beautiful theaters of our time. It’s definitely modernity, because it’s about us, it’s about the present, it’s about what worries everyone, not just middle-aged people. About the problems that we are now talking about in a cafe with friends, about the problems that we are silent about. They are incredibly modern and are trying to stay that way. This is probably their phenomenon.
— What are your immediate creative plans? Should the audience expect something unusual from you?
– Let’s keep the intrigue to a certain point, because in general this is my profession: to surprise. Not just for me but for all artists. Therefore, when there is something new, of course I will share it.
I continue to present two programs on television: “History of a Great Country” in the new season and “Super Ivanovs” in the new season. There will probably be another program on the Rossiya channel that I cannot talk about yet. But I will start shooting in September, which I am very happy about. I will share the news as soon as it comes, I don’t care!