Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov - Iconic Russian Actor & Comedian

1. Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov 02.09 1926 – 29.01 1994

2. Yevgeny Pavlovich Leonov was a famous Russian/Soviet actor who played main parts in lots of famous Soviet films. He is "one of Russia's best-loved actors", he also gave his voice for many Soviet cartoon characters, including Winnie the Pooh.

3. Biography Yevgeny was born in Moscow. He was the second child in his family. His elder brother Nicolay was 2 years older. He dreamed of becoming a war-plane pilot, which was a common desire of many boys of the World War II period. His father was an engineer and worked in an airplane factory. His mother was a housewife. During the Great Patriotic War he and his whole family worked in an aviation factory. After the war, he joined the Moscow Theatre school. In 1948 Evgeny played at Moscow Dramatic Theatre by Stanislavsky. In 1957 Evgeny married Stoilova Vanda Vladimirovna. Their son Andrey was born in 1959. In 1968 he became an actor of MDT by Mayakovsky. Since 1972 he had played at Moscow Theatre of Leninsky Komsomol (1990 - Lenkom Theatre). Yevgeny Leonov began filming in 1947, and the first notable role played in 1955 was "Rumyantsev’s Case“. Leonov became very famous after the film “Striped Trip” in 1961. He appeared in more than 30 films. Leonov died on January 29, 1994 on his way to the Lenkom Theatre. He was buried in Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow near other outstanding figures of Russian culture.

4. The Most Popular Films • Striped Trip (1961) • Thirty Three (1965) • Gentlemen of Fortune (1972) • Big School-Break (1973) • Afonya (1975) • Mimino (1978) • Autumn Marathon (1979) • Kin-dza-dza! (1986) • American Grandfather (1993)

5. Kin-dza-dza! • Gentlemen of Fortune Striped Trip. • Big School-Break

6. Personality Leonov was bright and mild comic character actor of great charm. He had original dramatic talent. Leonov had played a lot of good-natured, pleasant, goodies who were rustic with a charming slyness. In his films Leonov didn’t use makeup giving the heroes his appearance. He was short with full baggy stooped figure. He had round face with a big round nose and thick lips and his head had a large bald spot. His husky hoarse voice is instantly recognizable. Leonov said: “I always remember the words of Anton Chekhov: “It is necessary to carry your own cross to the world ..." I try to do it - to carry my cross and believe. And then may be I will be rewarded ...”

7. An Amusing Episode There was an amusing episode during the filming of "Striped Trip”. " Actors worked on the ship “Sailor Zheleznyak. Leonov was afraid of tigers. The episode where he was in the bath Leonov wanted to play only behind the bulletproof glass. He personally checked on the strength of the glass. But the operator said that the glass would give the glare. The producer decided to remove the glass, but he didn’t told Leonov about it. Undressed Leonov plumped into the bath and the glass was quietly removed. A tiger immediately went to him and began to sniff. Leonov opened his eyes and gasped, jumped naked from the bath and ran away, dropping the flakes of foam. So everything happened in the most natural way.

8. The producer Andrey Goncharov said:"Yevgeny Leonov was the great Russian comedian. And do you know what Russian comedian is? He must also be the tragedian, he should have romantic tear, tone of tragedy. "