- Approving me for the main role in thisscale project, like "Scythian", was a risk, "says Alexei. - In general, if it were not for producer Sergei Selyanov, probably no one would have decided to create this film. And he did not need recognizable faces from the TV. Directed by Rustam Mosafir for three years pierced this project. We worked with him on the TV series "Search", after that we made friends on the basis of an immense love for the cinema. And if it were not for him, then I would not even call a casting director to try the "Skif". And on the samples we had a "hit" with a partner. They became Sasha Kuznetsov, this is his first central role, and, in my opinion, he is the future of Russian cinema. Has a rare charisma and energy.
A photo: Roman KuznetsovWe are by no means competitors to either the "Viking" or the "Legend of Kolovrat." Firstly, we do not position ourselves as historical cinema. If it is possible to use such a definition, then "Scythian" is a fantasy, a fighting fairy tale for adults. A fairy tale in the notion of "epic". We were repulsed from such genres as western and samurai Japanese cinema. My character Lutobor is the head of the prince's guard. Serves him as a faithful samurai. His wife and child are kidnapped, and he is sent to rescue them.
About difficulties on the set
For "Skif" they bleached my hair - it turned outthat my pigment easily lends itself to this. My mother is light-blond and blue-eyed. There was a funny moment when I once flew in from filming, Glasha (Glafira Tarkhanov's wife. - Ed. "Antenna") met me at the airport with her sons, and the eldest did not recognize me. Everyone rushed to me, and Kornei just walked past. With the film crew, the opposite effect occurred - when we saw each other at a photo shoot some time after the end of work, they were surprised because they were used to seeing me as a blond. As for gaining muscle mass - I have been involved in sports all my life, so this was not an issue. After the approval occurred, we spent another month preparing all the fights with the stunt team. In parallel, we trained on horses. According to the plot, we have three nationalities: Slavs, Scythians and Berendeys. And three natural worlds: steppe, mountains and forest. 95% of the film was shot on location. So when you shoot in the steppe, there is such a wind that you start to be blown away together with the horse, which weighs 400 kg. It penetrates to the bone, there is no way to save yourself. We also dipped into a mountain river at sub-zero temperatures. But it is the difficulties that become the happiest moments in life. Because you know why you are doing all this. And then you remember only the good things.
Photo: film company "Our cinema"
On the prick of romanticism
The best answer to the question "Why did you want to"to become an artist?" Daniel Day-Lewis said, "Because I wanted to prolong my childhood." I completely agree with him. I was born in Ryazan and grew up as a romantic Soviet boy in a provincial town. It was the 90s, what was happening then can be seen in a number of documentaries from the "Criminal Russia" series. But, as Vysotsky sang, "you read the right books in childhood." Even the last hooligan read back then. I had a standard set: Jack London, books about Indians. Such men's literature, and I liked similar films all my life. I got a "shot" of romanticism from my father. My parents have nothing to do with creativity: my mother is an engineer, my father is a history teacher who never worked in his profession. But he is a romantic and a lover of cinema. I have a favorite memory. When I was 10-11 years old, one of the Ryazan movie theaters suddenly decided to re-show “The Magnificent Seven” (John Sturges’s 1960 film. — Antenna’s note). I was blown away, I still remember that feeling. The heroes on the screen became the quintessence of masculinity for me. Then we went to a smart video store, where we bought a tape of “Seven Samurai” by Akira Kurosawa. Since then, he has been one of my favorite directors. Incidentally, he is a great friend of my teacher, Yuri Mefodievich Solomin.
About adrenaline and Instagram
In everyday life I miss the adrenaline thatI get it on set. For those moments when you are almost on the edge. Many people ask me: why do you box? But I can’t not do it. I’ve been going three times a week for six years now. Now I have a stable. After “Skif”, I discovered how much I like being with horses. And they accept me. Now I ride for myself. I’m not interested in going to parties. I start to get tense, I don’t know what to talk about. Although there is an opinion that this is part of the profession. And I agree with it, but unfortunately, I’m not that kind of person. Glasha does. She goes to festivals, goes to events, runs an Instagram. I’m not on any social network. I tried to start an Instagram, a friend signed me up there. But I couldn’t run it. And I don’t judge those who live like that, but I can’t do it myself and I don’t want to learn. If I have free time, I go to training or meet with friends. And we don't discuss professional problems. We talk about everyday topics, like men. For example, the actor Vanya Kolesnikov, my friend, has a wife, two daughters and a dog, also a girl. And he lives in this. And my Glasha is the opposite - she is surrounded by men. They yell, fight and bully each other. And you need to find an approach to each one.
Photo: Roman Kuznetsov
About education, swords and robots
I am convinced that it is impossible to be strict with children.Glasha is great in this regard, she is a psychologist, she knows how to redirect attention. It is easier for me to put in place, to say harshly. All sons are different. They have absolutely different characters and absolutely different interests. The eldest, Kornei, is into technology. Robots, all that stuff. I understand absolutely nothing about this, but I support his hobby. He goes to robotics classes, radio engineering. Yermolai is a warrior man. He likes everything related to war. Swords, shields, knives. Gordey is five years old, he has not yet decided. For now, he looks at the older ones in turn. And the youngest, Nikifor, is only 3 months old. Glasha and I periodically discuss that we have a Soviet upbringing, which does not help in modern society. We cannot be consumers, she and I are old-fashioned in this regard. And our boys are growing up like that. We have certain restrictions. The children do not watch television, for example. We instill in them a love of books. They ask me to read to them at night. Now it's "Roni - the Robber's Daughter". They are constantly going somewhere - performances, exhibitions. Glasha's mother Alena is very busy with them. The sons get tired because they are busy all day. If it's a family weekend, then we all go together to some entertainment center or to friends outside the city, we go to the forest there. The children know that their parents are actors, but they are not behind the scenes or on set, we do not take them to public events. They go to a regular kindergarten, a regular district school and live a regular life. Without the feeling that they are from a bohemian family. And I insist on this. But in the future they will have their own personal choice of life and profession. Thank God, in my opinion, no one dreams of being an artist yet.
About his wife and candid scenes
I didn't imagine that by the age of 40 I would become a fatherfour children. Until the filming of the series "Main Caliber", where we met Glasha, I had no dreams of marriage. Our first meeting took place at the auditions: I was already approved and was throwing her the text from behind the camera. And the whole first day of filming we talked together on the bus. I can't explain why she won me over, I think it's logically impossible to do. We met in the summer, and got married in the fall - in October it was 12 years since the wedding. And we didn't have any thoughts about "we will be a large family". Everything happened by itself.
Photo:Personal archive of Alexey FaddeevI believe that Glasha as an actress was defined not by her role in the series "Gromovs", where she basically plays herself - a touching and bright person. But by the series "Infidelity". If she were like her heroine in life, I would never live with such a woman. But this is a wonderful characteristic role played by the actress Glafira Tarkhanova. Her acting talent. The role of a tearful heroine, which has stuck with her, does not correspond to reality. She is very versatile. A gorgeous clown, she has everything in order with her sense of humor. And it is a pity that after "Infidelity" there are no such offers. We never discuss work at home. I cannot prepare for auditions together, she has her own creative kitchen, I have mine. A profession is another side of life that should not be brought into the family. Glasha has long set boundaries that she does not act in explicit scenes. But it's not about my jealousy in any way. We just have four boys growing up, and children can be cruel. And they don't need anyone to joke about their mother. We agree with her on this.
About the theater and the roles of dreams
There are things that are destined to happen that we do not choose.I got to the Maly Theater in my third year of theater school. Yuri Mefodievich was staging the play "The Forest" at the time. I got the role of Bulanov, Irina Vadimovna Muravyova played Gurmyzhskaya. And by the end of my studies, there were no questions about which theater to go to. And now, 18 years later, I don't think I can work in another one. I am not a theater person by nature. I love the Maly, I love acting in the plays where I am involved. But it is difficult for me to participate in the inner life of the theater, to devote myself to rehearsals. I feel more comfortable on the set. But it was in the theater that my dream came true. I dreamed of playing Lopakhin in "The Cherry Orchard," and I play him. In this regard, I am lucky. As for cinema, films like "Skif" are rare, so I have to act in different ones. I have a family, children - I need to earn money for them. I treat my profession as a job.
About the crisis 40 years
I am now gradually approaching my age.characters from the films I liked as a child. They are all men over 40. There couldn't be teenagers in men's films back then. And now, as far as I can see, the fashion for rejuvenating cinema is fading. Even a young man isn't very interested in looking at his peers. What should he strive for and who should he look up to? Age means different eyes. So what midlife crisis? When I was 20, I couldn't count on such roles. In this sense, it's easier for a male actor than for a woman. There are very, very few leading female roles. All world drama is written for men.
