A celebrated actor, Vladimir Dolinsky, recalls that his peers Valentin Gaft and Anatoly Papanov often spoke in sharp terms about his performances. Those remarks are captured in an interview with aif.ru.
Dolinsky quotes Gaft saying, “That’s enough, I’ve seen it all in bad films, it’s time to skip them—don’t watch this one.” He remembers Papanov remarking, “It’s hard to name a worse actor than me! Yesterday I performed in a way that earned barely two rounds of applause when there should have been four.” These recollections illustrate a common truth in the acting world: even highly respected artists scrutinize their own work closely.
The actor notes that conversations with acclaimed colleagues helped him realize a simple point: strong artists often criticize themselves and their output as part of a continual self-assessment rather than out of vanity.
Dolinsky adds a personal dimension by sharing observations about Andrei Mironov, a performer he has known since childhood. He describes Mironov as someone prone to jealousy throughout his life, suggesting that envy can accompany even the most successful careers.
“Do you know who Mironov was envious of? Of course, of Oleg Tabakov. Even when Mironov was already famous, and arguably not worse than Tabakov, he still felt jealousy toward him,” Dolinsky explains. He also notes that the star of the series Diamond Arm did not seem as magnetically appealing or as widely embraced as Tabakov, which Dolinsky attributes to what he calls an “Andryusha complex” tied to Tabakov’s popularity and influence as a leading artistic director.
These reflections offer a glimpse into the dynamics of a close-knit artistic community where admiration and rivalry can coexist, shaping how performers perceive their own careers and those of their peers. The anecdotes, while personal, echo a broader pattern in acting circles where candid criticism and comparison are part of the ongoing dialogue about talent, popularity, and professional growth.
In related news, there have been recent reports about Alla Pugacheva visiting a monastery in Cyprus, drawing attention to the varied paths and personal moments that frequently intertwine with public life in show business.