- Tell us about your character in the series "Scam".

Who is he?

- "Scam" is a series about my hero, because he is a real swindler, a swindler.

He runs a certain settlement (formerly it was called the "collective farm chairman") and enjoys the trust of his fellow villagers.

When a pandemic comes, my hero tries to make money on it: to save money allocated by the state.

And when the pandemic ends, he is silent about it.

The plot consists in the confrontation between my hero and the Popov brothers, whom he deceives and who are trying to resist him.

In general, there are a lot of other interesting characters in the series: a wonderful doctor, a district police officer ... But mostly the scams are about my hero.

- Did you immediately agree to take part in the project?

What did you like the most about his idea, script?

- I didn't even have doubts.

It all starts with a script.

I read it - I liked it.

Funny script, interesting, developing characters.

Moreover, I was interested in a completely new format for me: one episode lasts ten minutes.

I wondered what would come of it.

In each episode, something interesting happens, a certain scam happens - some of my tricks and tricks in order to deceive fellow villagers and the Popov brothers.

Of course, there were tests.

With the wonderful director Misha Starchak, we did not last long, but we talked.

He has one vision of my hero, I have another.

We tried to combine it all.

I myself am interested to see what happened.

-

Did you argue a lot with the director on the way to a consensus?

- Actually, no, because Misha is a flexible director.

We seemed to have discussed everything with him.

We meet on the first day of shooting - and suddenly I say to him: "Misha, can I make a mustache?"

He told me: “Come on.

Your character's mustache will suit. "

And here I am with a mustache.

It seems to me that this is a very successful find.

Misha offered a lot, I offered a lot.

Misha cut off the excess.

-

How comfortable were you in this format in the end - with series of

ten

minutes?

Would you agree to participate in a similar project again?

- Sure.

In fact, we shot one big movie, which we cut later.

To maintain interest, to have a story where one episode is stronger than another, incrementally.

This is very interesting to me.

Here a lot depends on the editors and on the idea.

- Where did the filming take place?

Is this really a remote village?

- I do not remember the name of the village, but this is the Moscow region.

On the Oka, very close.

In the vicinity of Velegozh.

Everything happened in the fall.

The weather was already cool enough, and we are playing summer!

Therefore, there were several problematic points.

Imagine, the end of October, early in the morning ... The water is already covered with light ice.

We meet on the set, Misha says: "Yes, this is the scene today."

Shows me a small puddle.

Explains: "Today you go to bed there, and we pour water on you from a cannon."

And so a few takes.

It was, of course, strong.

A memorable event.

Well, nothing - with jokes, jokes, they overcame everything.

  • © MTS Media

-

With the coronavirus pandemic

Has anything changed in your lifestyle?

- Naturally, there is less work.

With the pandemic, I experienced a strange, completely new feeling - that I didn't have to go anywhere.

Not filming, not even rehearsing for a month, a month and a half, even more.

And it's a totally uncomfortable, tense feeling.

So the pandemic taught me to value work.

I think I taught all the artists.

Now at least the theaters are open.

The repertoire is played.

The movie is being filmed.

Of course, it is still unusual that the hall is only half full.

Well, it’s necessary - then it’s necessary.

-

By the way, you just came from rehearsal.

Can you 

tell us which performance?

- Sergei Vitalievich Bezrukov and I are now rehearsing a new performance.

It will be a comedy.

But, probably, I can’t say more.

Very interesting, sparkling, with dances, with wonderful artists, comedy stars.

I think it will be interesting.

And at the Provincial Theater, and maybe on tour.

- Now you are collaborating with the Volkovsky Theater as a guest artist.

Would you be interested in joining a troupe?

- I served in the Provincial Theater under the direction of Bezrukov.

But a lot of time was spent on rehearsals and everything else.

I did not have time to act in films ... In the end, Sergei Vitalievich and I agreed that I would work as a guest artist.

It suits me perfectly.

- Do you see any fundamental differences between the capital's stages and theaters in smaller cities?

- Probably, there are no fundamental differences.

As for the Volkovsky theater, there are simply wonderful artists, gorgeous performances.

There are very strong, there are a little weaker.

The same applies to theaters in the capital.

There is an opinion - at least I see it when I talk to people - that in Moscow artists are promoted faster.

There is an opportunity to film a lot.

On the periphery, alas, no.

And for an artist, especially for a young person, it is important to declare himself, to show himself.

To be seen, to be talked about.

At least somewhere to light up in the movies.

Unfortunately, on the periphery, there is rarely such an opportunity.

But the artists there are not inferior to those in the capital.

When I arrived in Moscow, I got the feeling that Muscovites have calmed down a little.

They are already in the theater, they have an apartment, they have a job ... All that remains is to be creative.

And when guys from Saratov come, like me, for example, they need to work three, five jobs.

You need to participate somewhere, play a role so that you are appreciated, that they talk about you, that you are invited to the shooting.

It is definitely hard.

There is practically no time left for rest, for family.

- Could you give up cinema in favor of theater?

- Not.

It seems to me that cinema and theater complement each other.

The artist gains experience, broadens his horizons and exercises his soul only in the theater, and gives out - in the cinema.

In the cinema, no one will give you time to rehearse, this is a very rare occurrence.

And in the theater you can try, suffer a week, the second, and maybe even the third.

That is, the theater is a platform for experiment.

But cinema, alas, no.

But cinema is a great material aid to the artist.

Which, of course, is also very important. 

- Do you continue to direct?

- Yes of course.

But I would not call myself such a director.

If I stage a play, I come and say: "Guys, I am not a director, I am an experienced artist."

And this removes certain restrictions in the relationship.

We are composing a play together. 

I am happy to stage performances.

My favorite genre is a fairy tale.

I really love fairy tales.

My creative youth took place in the Saratov Youth Theater.

And I saw fairy tales that stayed with me for life.

A fairy tale is, I would say, a deep genre, it has a very complex structure.

In this regard, it is very difficult to work with artists.

Whenever possible, when I have time and have an interesting play, I stage it.

  • © from the archive of Sergei Stepin

-

When

do you realize that you want to become an actor?

- I became an actor on a bet.

In her youth, my older sister Galina collected postcards from artists.

Then there was still such a magazine - "Screen".

She was probably 15 years old, I was probably 12. She also dreamed of becoming an artist.

Once we argued with her, I said: "I will be an artist."

She says: "No, I am."

Probably, this was the very first impression that it was possible to somehow enter this workshop.

But seriously - I am now looking back at my childhood, youth - I have always had a predisposition.

Certain psychophysics.

For some reason I wanted to go to theatrical circles.

For some reason it was interesting there.

Very exciting though.

This is the first thing.

And secondly, I was a very shy young man.

Highly.

The most interesting thing is that I talk with my comrades, and it turns out that they, too, were very shy in their youth, in childhood.

But the point is not only in the fight against this - apparently, the feeling of a holiday was ripening inside, which it is desirable to share with others.

It is still present.

The desire to share with people something kind, good, funny, interesting, important, necessary - this is probably where it all starts.

- Which of your senior colleagues did you look up to at the beginning of your career?

- Well, of course, Smoktunovsky.

They were not even stars, but idols with whom to live at the same time - and that is happiness.

Of course, I looked up to my teachers as well.

These were the studio teacher Alexander Konstantinovich Belov, the theater institute teachers Yuri Petrovich Kiselev, Yuri Petrovich Osherov, Grigory Semyonovich Tsinman.

How an artist learns: you have to go to performances, watch your friends, comrades, acquaintances, and so on.

Teachers have always told us: go, watch even bad performances.

Watch and learn.

- Do you have a taboo?

A role you would never agree to?

-

I had scripted moments.

They sent me scripts, I read them to a maximum of half - there was some kind of awkward feeling.

And I told the agents that I would not be filming, because it is not clear what it is, why it is, why.

I don’t have such a thing that if, for example, a mate is in the script, then it’s impossible.

Because swearing in the right place on time is sometimes necessary and gives a certain truth.

You can delve into dirty laundry, but this is for something.

And when digging for the sake of digging, in order to shock, surprise with something ... I'm probably no longer at that age to do all this.

So I focus on my feeling.

Everyone has different standards.

Probably, you cannot choose one standard and require everyone to follow it.

When a feeling of embarrassment and shame arises, this is probably the main taboo.

- Do you have a dream role?

Perhaps some role in which you would like to try yourself?

- As for the role, this is a rather conditional moment.

I am characteristic.

I myself really wanted to play a hero.

But they said to me: "Seryozha, what kind of hero are you if you are typical?"

But if I try a hero, I try to expand the scope of my acting.

I really love it when, for example, an actor with the role of a hero - tall, stately - becomes characteristic, he needs to play a small, petty person.

An artist needs completely different strings for this.

The profession of an artist is always an exam.

If life does not give you an exam, you must definitely invent one for yourself.

I am very grateful to my teachers, who, probably, even in the first year of the theater institute, asked me: "Seryozha, who do you want to play?"

I say, "I want to play a woman."

They were so surprised.

And I'm just interested in being in this skin.

  • A still from the series “Peace!

    Friendship!

    Gum!"

  • © kinopoisk.ru

It's the nature of an artist - you want to try something.

Several times I was given a hero.

The director had to decide on this.

This experience gave me a lot.

Therefore, I am practically not afraid of anything.

I can play Babu Yaga, a hero, and so on.

Because I already know these strings.

They are formed only through experiment.

About a year ago, the first season of the series “Peace! Friendship! Gum!". I play there an age character, grandfather Sanka. This is a rather dramatic role: a man who went through a war. And for me it became such a flight from a characteristic artist to a hero. I was happy that both the producers and the director approved me and went for this experiment. I was delighted. And at first, of course, I was very afraid: this is not a theater where you can try, rehearse, and then show. Here it was necessary to immediately play the old man. I was very worried about this. But I think the experiment was a success.

By the way, not being afraid of any work, any roles - this is a sign of the role of a characteristic person. This person is exactly me. I am characteristic. I'm interested in both. And there are artists who only need one track. In this case, it seems to me, the artist impoverishes himself. So they have such a nature. That's that. The main thing is that the artists are good.