Mikhail Zharov

Mikhail Ivanovich Zharov is a Soviet theater and film actor. People's Artist of the RSFSR (1944) and People's Artist of the USSR (October 26, 1949). In 1920, he graduated from the studio at the theater of the Artistic and Educational Union of Workers' Organization. He acted in theaters No. 1 of the Revolutionary Military Union of the Republic, the Safonov Theater, the Baku Workers' Theater, the Realistic Theater, and the Moscow Chamber Theater. From 1938, he was an actor and director at the Maly Theater. He made his film debut in 1915 with a tiny, practically unnoticeable role as an oprichnik in the film "Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible." He played his first major role, that of Red Army soldier Yegor, in 1925 in the film "The Road to Happiness." In those years, Zharov was considered an unrivaled master of the episodic genre (Don Diego and Pelageya, The Man from the Restaurant, The White Eagle, The Living Corpse, Outskirts, and Puppets). He found expressive, distinctive details and rich, vibrant colors for his characters, imbuing them all—both villains and heroes—with a common quality: they are all great lovers of life, charming, confident, and in control of life. His heroes know how to enjoy everything: food, billiards, wine, women, the simple songs they often hum, a sunny day, or an unexpected win. Zharov combined absolute authenticity and vivid psychological characterization with a sometimes grotesque portrayal of the role, enlivening any plot, even the most serious, with his presence. In the 1930s, thanks to cinema, Zharov achieved national popularity. The artist was in great demand. He was invited by the most famous directors. With Nikolai Ekk he played one of his most famous roles - the bandit Zhigan (A Start in Life), with Grigory Kozintsev and Leonid Trauberg - the smug clerk Dymba (The Return of Maxim and The Vyborg Side), with Vladimir Petrov - the cheerful prankster Kudryash (The Storm) and the good-natured, cheerful courtier Menshikov (Peter the…

Known for

Acting

Born

1899-10-27 · Moscow, Russia

Died

1981-12-15