Actor Igor Kolosov revealed the secret of his 18 stitches

In a conversation with the correspondent of "MK" Igor told about his friendship with the actor and director Samvel Muzhikyan, about a piquant gift from Dmitry Bykovsky, about filming with Sergei Bezrukov and about the fact that the artist benefits from the role of on-screen macho, and what he loses forever.

- Igor, in your acting arsenal there are many images of macho that turn mountains. Don't you feel like you're being held hostage by a strongman?

- One-sidedness does not allow to develop in the profession. I cannot be in a state of stagnation. I don’t work in the theater, so I take the guitar and start writing songs. But on the other hand, it's the role that helps me play the characters that are good for my sons. I have to keep in shape to fit my young heroes. I have a lot of injuries, more than eighteen stitches on my body. And all these injuries make themselves felt. But I listen to my body and go to the gym. Thanks to sports, I don’t sit in a wheelchair and walk with a stick.

- Do you do the tricks yourself?

- After a recent knee ligament injury, I took a stunt break. He recently turned down a role where he had to run in four series. But I hope to be doing the basic tricks myself again soon. I am trained in horseback riding and extreme driving, both on a car and on a motorcycle. But all the tricks still can not perform, why take bread from stuntmen? By the way, for three or four years, the circle of my characters has expanded, among them not only solvers, convicts and guards, but also people of peaceful professions, teachers for example. This happened thanks to my friend and agent Galina Timofeeva. Galya, in addition to all his employment, manages to engage in a school of acting for children. In the orphanage where I spent my childhood, I studied in a drama club, and this gave me a lot in my life. Maybe that’s why I became who I am today.

- Have you thought about changing your profession?

- No, I'm used to extreme. I'm not afraid of difficulties. The orphanage is a good school of life. In cinema, everything is not as simple as it seems to the viewer. Behind the external lightness in the frame, great efforts are hidden, for which you pay with health. On the set of my debut film Cobra, I broke my Achilles tendon only because of the costumers’ mistakes, who gave me shoes two sizes bigger, making sure there was nothing criminal about it. I did not leave the set to the hospital, the director Igor Apasyan approached me and, seeing my desire to act, still gave me my first text. I still remember those words of mine..

One fight is sometimes filmed for five hours. Sometimes you need to memorize a few sheets of text, and even perform a complex trick. With each of your awkward movements, you can injure your partner in the frame, and you can also be injured.

- On one of your first films, “Kiss the Butterfly”, you starred with Sergei Bezrukov. Twenty years have passed since then. What are the impressions of Sergey?

- I was invited to the shooting by a wonderful director Anton Sivers, thanks to whom we met Sergey. Bezrukov is a cultural and polite person. “Kiss of a Butterfly” was filmed after the “Brigade” passed, Bezrukov was recognized by everyone, but he was not arrogant. We had three shooting days together. Sergey sings well, and since I play guitar and sing too, we found a common language. Once there was a conversation about what I like Vysotsky, Sergey animated and said: “I want to play Vysotsky.” It made me smile at the time because these people are so different. But while watching the movie "Vysotsky". Thank you for being alive, I was delighted by how filigree Bezrukov played his role. I am glad that Sergey’s dream has come true. On my last day on "The Kiss of a Butterfly," he came up to me. “Igor, it was a pleasure to work with you,” Sergey said, shaking my hand. We talked, laughed at something, agreed that we will meet again in the frame. I was pleased that the man remembered my name, although Sergey had a lot in his head, he had to learn Chinese for the role. Sergey’s partner was Chinese actress Lan Yan, who did not understand a word of Russian. Bezrukov supported her partner, helped Yan, she tried to communicate. I remember the interpreter was beautiful, with a long braid, it was interesting to see how the Russian beauty fluently explains the Chinese role in her language.

- You’ve starred in several seasons of The Magnificent Five, whose ratings haven’t dropped in seven years. What is the success of this detective saga?

- First of all, the actors who play there are successful! But how not to notice the magnificent Nodarik Janelidze. Nodar is the soul of the company, he is cheerful, likes to improvise. With another “magnificent”, Yegor Kutenkov, we have repeatedly starred in other films. All the guys are professional, create a home atmosphere on the site. By the way, in one of the episodes of the seventh season starred my friend, art director Vyacheslav Smorodinov. And he loved it! Slavon – we have long called him – is unique, he is gifted with acting, can talk in different voices, perfectly parody. For example, the voice and intonations of Mikhail Sergeyevich Boyarsky, Yuri Aleksandrovich Kuznetsov, Ivan Ivanovich Krasko, who left us, cannot be distinguished from the originals. Smorodinov worked for many years with his uncle Vanya Krasko, who admitted that he had an acting gift. Boyarsky once, having visited Ivan Ivanovich’s dacha, where they were neighbors, told Vyacheslav that he should enter the theater institute. Talent is hidden, and it will show. Therefore, director Samvel Muzhikyan, inviting him to star in the series, was pleased with his performance.

Samvel is gorgeous on stage, in the cinema played many diverse roles. Actors talk about him as a strict director, right?

- Samvel is demanding at work, it is. Could it be different?! Not just to the actors, but to myself. If he raises his voice, he will apologize. I've known him for 30 years. He is a hospitable person, when he invites, always brews delicious Armenian coffee, to which he always has nuts and raisins at home. Despite all the problems and lack of time, Sam plays sports. I showed him some exercises and gave him nutrition advice. He takes it, like everything else, very seriously. He himself directed Alla Surikova. Together with the wonderful actor Yar Ivanov, we starred in his thesis, which Alla Ilyinichna took as an educational film for future artists. Samvel likes to experiment. He, like Balabanov, often shoots non-professional actors, including those who are engaged in his acting courses. There was never a time when Samvel didn't pick up the phone, even when he was busy.

- In the drama directed by Sergei Loznitsa “In the Fog” and in “Mentov’s Wars”, you starred together with actor Dmitry Bykovsky, who also plays most often strong-willed guys.

- Dimka's a funny man! He only looks so formidable with his height of 1.95, and he's kind. Once we were sitting in a restaurant, where he began to pick on a feeble man. Dima talked to him long and politely. Noticing that this visitor enjoys the kindness of Dmitry, I took him by the shoulder and carried him out of the restaurant. "Please don't show up while we're here," I told that stranger. Dima does not allow himself, he is too well educated. Once Dmitry came to me on a horse, in a papaha, with a checker and a barrel of beer. Bykovsky generally loves extraordinary actions. For one of my birthdays, he brought me a rubber woman. “Igor, I didn’t know what to give you, but I know that you love girls,” Dima said, laughing loudly. The inflatable "girlfriend" wouldn't get into his car, so the lower, spicy part of her body was outside. He also covered this lady with helium balls, so she didn't fit in the car. A traffic police officer stopped the car. "Why are you so lucky?" he asked with reproach. It was clear from his face that he did not immediately notice that the passenger was rubber. Dima explained that this is an extravagant gift for his actor friend. “You can go, but get the girl’s ass out of the window,” said the inspector, perplexed coughing. - You've got some presents.