Menshikov Oleg
Born on November 8, 1960 in the city of Serpukhov, Moscow Region.
People's Artist of Russia. Theater and film actor, director.
Oleg was born in the family of a military engineer and doctor. Soon, the Menshikov family moved to Moscow. At six, he went to elementary school. From childhood he was fond of music and his parents, noticing the boy’s inclination, sent him to a music school in the violin class. Oleg even played in the ensemble of young violinists in Moscow.
In 1977, after graduating from comprehensive and musical schools, Menshikov entered the Moscow Theater School. Mikhail Schepkin (course of Vladimir Monakhov).
At school, he took part in student performances, played the roles of a German officer in the play "Invasion" by Leonid Leonov, Milovzorov in "Guilty Without Guilt" based on Ostrovsky's play.
Menshikov's thesis was the role in the play "The Ladder of Glory" based on the play by Skib. In 1981, after graduating from a theater school, he was accepted into the troupe of the Maly Theater. In 1982, after a year of work at the Maly Theater, which did not bring vivid roles, Oleg Menshikov was drafted into the army. He served military duty at the Central Theater of the Soviet Army from 1982 to 1985. Unlike the Maly Theater, here Menshikov was very densely occupied in the repertoire. He played in the plays “Clock without Hands” based on the novel by Rachmanin, “Privates” based on the play by Dudarev, “Forest” based on the play by Ostrovsky and others. One of the most striking roles played by him in this theater was the role of Ganechka in the play based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky "Idiot".
In 1985, after the end of the army service, Menshikov moved to the Moscow Drama Theater. M. Yermolova at the invitation of Valery Fokin, just appointed the main director of the theater.
The most prominent roles in this theater, where he served from 1985 to 1989, were the roles in the performances staged by Valery Fokin “Sports Scenes 81” based on the play by Eduard Radzinsky, “Second Year of Freedom” based on the play by Alexander Buravsky, “Speak!” a re-enactment of Buravsky according to Ovechkin’s essays “District weekdays”.
In 1989, Petr Fomenko invited Oleg Menshikov to the Mossovet Theater for the main role in the play Caligula based on the play of the same name by Albert Camus, for which the actor received an award and a diploma from the Moscow Seasons Festival.
In 1991, he played the role of Sergei Yesenin in the play "When She Danced" based on a play by Martin Sherman at the London Globus Theater, where he played a duet with the famous English actress Vanessa Redgrave. In 1992, for performing this role, the actor was awarded the Lawrence Olivier Prize of the British Academy of Theater Arts.
In 1994, Menshikov again played Yesenin in the play "When she danced", but already staged by the Paris Comedy Theater on the Champs Elysees.
In 1992, Oleg Menshikov played in London on the stage of the Triisecl Theater in the play "Players" by Gogol (the role of Ikharev).
In 1993, he played his next theatrical role in the entreprise "Bogis"; it was the role of the great Russian dancer Vaclav Nizhinsky in the play "N" Nizhinsky, based on the diaries of Nizhinsky (author of the dramatic basis Alexander Burykin). The performance was awarded the Crystal Rose Prize (1993).
In 1998, Oleg Menshikov created and headed the entreprise "Theater Partnership 814", where, as director and actor, he created a play based on the play by Alexander Griboedov, "Woe from Wit" (1995), in which he played the role of Chatsky. In his subsequent productions of “Kitchen” by Kurochkin (2000), “Players” by Gogol (2001), as well as in the play “Demon” by Lermontov directed by Kirill Serebrennikov (2003), he also plays the main roles. In 2008, in the “Theater Partnership 814”, he staged a one-man show based on the work of Alessandro Baricco “1900”.
In parallel with the theatrical works, Oleg Menshikov is actively filming a movie.
Oleg Menshikov played his first role in the movie - reconnaissance Shurka in the film "I Wait and Hope" by Suren Shahbazyan, in 1980, as a fourth-year student at the school. Then came the supporting roles in the films "Relatives" (1981) by Nikita Mikhalkov and "Flights in a Dream and Waking" (1982) by Roman Balayan. Studying in the last year of the Theater School, Menshikov starred in the main role in the film by Mikhail Kozakov “Pokrovsky Gates” (Kostik). The film, released in 1982, brought the actor popularity and love of the audience.
After the role of Kostik, a number of diverse roles followed, including in the films Captain Frakass (1984), Obstacle Course (1984), Mikhailo Lomonosov (1984 1986), Volodya the Big, Volodya the Little (1985), " My favorite clown "(1986)," On the main street with an orchestra "(1986)" Moonzund "(1987)," Midshipmen, go! "(1987)," Spray of champagne "(1988)," Life by the limit "(1989) ), “Staircase” (1989), “Pit” (1990), “Duba Duba” (1992), etc.
In 1994, Oleg Menshikov starred in Nikita Mikhalkov’s film “Burnt by the Sun”, the role of which became one of the brightest in the actor’s creative biography and brought him several awards: the State Prize of the Russian Federation (1996), the Kinopressa prize - “Best Actor of the Year”, professional Award for Best Actor "Green Apple - The Golden Leaf."
The next role in the film directed by Sergei Bodrov Sr., "Prisoner of the Caucasus" (1996, Russia, USA) was also awarded with many awards, including: "Golden Aries", Grand Prix at the Kinotavr festival for best actor, prize for best actor III International Baltic Pearl festival in Riga, professional cinema award "Nika" for best actor (all 1996), State Prize of the Russian Federation (1998).
In 1998, the actor again starred in Nikita Mikhalkov's film "The Barber of Siberia", for whose work he was awarded the third State Prize of Russia, as well as the Golden Knight for the best male role.
In 1999, the film "Mom" directed by Denis Evstigneev with his participation was released. In the same year he received an invitation to one of the main roles in the film Regis Varnier "East - West" (France). The film was nominated for an Oscar in the category "Best Foreign Film".
In 2003, Oleg Menshikov starred in the English television series The Principal Suspect, followed by Golden Calf (2005), State Counselor (2005), Doctor Zhivago (2006) and Burnt by the Sun 2 (2010).
In March 2010, the premiere of a new film with the participation of Oleg Menshikov "What Men Talk About" took place.
Since 1998, Menshikov heads the Foundation for the Support of Russian Culture. He is a permanent member of the independent jury of the Triumph Prize in Literature and Art.
In 2002, he established the award for Russian theater critics "Best critic of the season" to them. Alexander Kugel.
In 2003, Oleg Menshikov was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia (bypassing the Honored).
For his theatrical and cinematic activities, Oleg Menshikov was awarded many prizes and prizes. In 1987, for his participation in the movie "Moonzund," he was awarded the silver medal named after A.P. Dovzhenko.
In 1990, he was awarded the Prize and Diploma of the Moscow Seasons Festival for his role in the play Caligula; in 1992 - Laurence Olivier Prize of the British Academy of Theater Arts for her role in the play "When she danced", in 1993 - the Victor Rozov Crystal Rose Theater Award for her role in the play "N" Nizhinsky.
In 1996, Oleg Menshikov was awarded the Golden Aries prize for the year “Universal Actor - the Leader of the Cinematographic Generation”; in 1997 - the Grand Prix of the Kinotavr festival for best actor and prize for best actor at the Baltic Pearl international film festival, as well as the Nika professional cinema award for best actor. He is a laureate of two awards "The Seagull" (for the role of Chatsky in "Mountain from Wit"; for the best acting ensemble - the play "Players").
In 2004, Oleg Menshikov received one of the main French awards in the field of art, the government order "Academic Palms". He was also awarded the French Order of Arts and Literature.
Menshikov is a laureate of the State Prize of Russia (1994, 1997, 1999), a laureate of the Russian independent Prize "Triumph" for his outstanding contribution to Russian culture (1996), and the prize "Idol" (2000).
At the Locarno festival in 2004, Oleg Menshikov became the first winner of the prize "For contribution to acting."
In 2001, the Swiss Longin watch company chose Oleg Menshikov as a “symbol of elegance” (2001).
Pyotr Shepotinnik made a documentary about Oleg Menshikov "Players, or Oleg Will Come Out Now".
In 2004, Oleg Menshikov married GITIS graduate Anastasia Chernova.