– The series “Without Principle” has been on the air since 2020, its feature-length sequel was shown in theaters in 2023, and the TV premiere of the third season on TNT took place the previous day. How do you explain the popularity of this project to yourself?
— The project turned out to be really stable. Probably no one expected such a long fate. Producer Danila Sharapov said he was the only one who believed in this material. As a result, Danila, as history knows, took the idea to the end and won. For example, I did not understand the reason for the movie “Unprincipled”: what kind of plot is about rich people, “Patricks”, betrayals, deceptions … But then everything changed. When the first season came out, we were all happy and content.
— How has your hero Slavik changed in these three years? So are you yourself?
– It seems to me that Slavik has not changed at all. At least if we take into account the character development dynamics of my character in the fourth season, which we are currently shooting for. Spectators will see Slavik the way they are used to. As for me… It’s like everything in life is constantly changing. A lot of events happen in a year, and even more in three years. I will answer as follows: In some ways I have changed, in some ways I have remained the same.
— The “unprincipled” mocks the inhabitants of the center of Moscow, to which you belong. What is your attitude towards this kind of humor and satire? Do you like to laugh at yourself?
– I am sure that if a person is not ironic to himself, not objective towards himself, then it will be difficult for him to rely on the further development of his work. And humanity in general. It’s hard because self-irony is extremely important to every person at different moments in life. Joking and laughing at yourself is a must.
Yes, I live in the center – that’s right. Honestly this is great! Everyone asks me: “Slavik, is it you? You look just like him.” Similar on the one hand, but definitely not on the other.
– At first you said you didn’t want to act in Unscrupulous as you did in House Arrest, but in the end both dramas were filmed. Were there any projects that didn’t meet expectations that you bet on? Do you have good professional intuition?
– In fact, I was lucky both on Unprincipled and on House Arrest, and on many other projects: at first I refused them, I did not like them, but in the end everything went in the right direction. Intuition, of course, is. Although it crashes sometimes.
Naturally, there have been projects in my career that I trusted in vain. For example, “Hitler Kaput!” When they made the movie, I thought it was going to be something. And it did, but not quite as I imagined. Or let’s say he was confident in the movie “Happy Ending”: he didn’t leave the gym, he wanted to make himself a body like a real stripper. Those were the glorious days when I gave so much to make a beautiful and believable portrayal of the hero. It was written specifically for me, but I think we just did a premiere – there was no rental, as the producers did not believe the tape. The movie actually did well on DVD, although it was pretty good. However, after filming ended, I began to experience long-term depression. That’s why I don’t bet much anymore.
– In your latest work, the TV series “Samsara”, in which you play a successful person stuck in a time loop, stands out. Was it difficult to transition from a more familiar comedy genre to a dramatic one? What other challenging roles can you remember?
– Just yesterday my mom asked me about the movie “The End of Glory” and how I managed to switch genres because it’s “difficult and complicated.” Yes, it’s really hard but I like it. The harder it is, the more interesting it is. I don’t like simple missions, simple comedies, “pure” genres. After all, everything in life always goes together, tragedy and comedy go side by side.
My acting “challenges” mostly relate to dramatic roles. When I played in the Brest Fortress, I was sure that it was a failure. I had no doubt that neither the film nor my role was a success. And how I was surprised after the premiere! It was the same with The Other Side of the Moon. Then for a long time I did not understand how to do this, how to approach the role. But in the end everything went well.
The movie “Partners in Crime” by Evgeny Grigoriev, which we shot three years ago, was a big challenge for me. And it seems to me that the new tape “The End of Glory” that we shot with Marius Weisberg must be my strongest work. In general, I am lucky with difficulties in the acting profession, thank goodness.
– In the same “Samsara”, your hero has to correct the mistakes of the past in order to return to the present. Looking back, would you correct something in your past knowing what the consequences would be?
– You know, if you dream like that, all possible corrections only affect my, roughly speaking, daily aspect of my life. For example, I would tell my younger self never to get involved in questionable deposit-related scams. Just dear, buy bitcoin – that’s it! But it is, jokes. And in the creative life everything is clear. I am happy with everything that has happened to me and everything that has happened so far.
– You said that from the unclosed gestalts in the profession, only an erotic drama remains. Do you get the feeling that it is too easy to miss the target in this genre?
“Something tells me we can do it. With us, it’s up to me and the director who will/will shoot it. I don’t know, maybe I’m too old for that. Or maybe not.
– You have two daughters. Are there any projects in your filmography that you want to hide from their attention?
– In my creative biography, there are nearly 140 movies and TV shows with all kinds of roles, big and small. And of course, there are some pretty silly works among the titles in this issue. But why not? All players have to go through this process one way or another. A person has to grow up, play different roles, gain experience, then watch it all, analyze it and move on. If the kids want to watch something from my long filmography, let them take care of their health, I don’t care.
– If your daughters want to be actors in the future, would you support their choice?
– It seems to me that my youngest daughter, Sasha, is unlikely to become an actress. Of course, anything is possible, but given his character, it is unlikely. But it’s true that the eldest, Varvara, is very artistic. When I was still very young, I hinted that if he wanted to be an actor, he would do everything himself, but I will not call anyone, I will not help with admission. But now I think she lives happily with her art and has been dreaming for many years that she will have her own confectionery, a candy store.
– Speaking of the peak of the career, actors often name key roles aimed at Hollywood, and you are talking about Akaki Akakievich Bashmachkin in Gogol’s film “The Overcoat”. From where?
– The most complex and ingenious genre is tragicomedy because it has the full spectrum of an actor. But I also really want to act in a space movie, dream, be nostalgic about Earth, talk about human relationships, talk about loneliness. In fact, there are still many desires in the profession that you want to fulfill. But the most touching for me is the story of a little man. I want the audience watching the movie to have an experience with your hero. And it seems to me that this would work best in the tragicomedy about a little man.