Secrets of the Efremov acting dynasty: who from the family remains in the shadow of famous artists

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

The name of the founder of this acting dynasty is known to everyone - Oleg Efremov was one of the most popular and demanded Soviet actors, a teacher at the Moscow Art Theater School, organizer and artistic director of the Sovremennik Theater, the main director of the Moscow Art Theater. His son Mikhail Efremov followed in his footsteps and has already played more than 150 roles in theater and cinema. But in fact, in this acting dynasty there are still many representatives who have left a noticeable mark in art, but who are in the shadow of their famous relatives.

German Menshenin

The founder of this acting dynasty was Oleg Efremov, but he was not the only one in their family who chose this profession. He had a cousin, German Menshenin, who was also born in 1927. As children, they both staged theatrical performances at home and made the sets themselves. During the war, Menshenin was evacuated to Kuibyshev, where he graduated from a drama school at the local drama theater, and after that he worked in theaters in Syzran, Vladivostok, Yaroslavl, Krasnoyarsk. Later he entered the Higher Directing Courses and worked as a chief director in the theaters of Krasnoyarsk, Yaroslavl, Gorky.

Oleg Efremov

All his life theater was the most important, if not the only, passion for him. From his youth, he walked towards his goal with perseverance, despite the failures. On the first attempt he was admitted to the acting department of the Moscow Art Theater School, but after graduation he was not accepted into the troupe of this theater even as an extra. Even during his studies, Oleg Efremov wrote in his diary: “” And although he had to work at the Central Children's Theater for 7 years at first, he did not give up his ambitions. He returned to the Studio School as a teacher. At the age of 30, having gathered around him students, his peers and pupils, Efremov organized the Studio of Young Actors, which later became the Sovremennik Theater, where he was the artistic director.

At 43, Oleg Efremov triumphantly returned to the Moscow Art Theater, already as the chief director. For 30 years, he left more than 40 performances there. At the same time, he was building his own film career, which was very successful. Oleg Efremov was remembered by the audience for his roles in the films "Probationary period", "Beware of the car", "Three poplars on Plyushchikha", "Burn, burn, my star", "Hello and goodbye", "Traffic police inspector", "Battalions ask for fire" and others. In total, his filmography includes more than 70 works.

Efremov devoted all his strength to work, and because of this, the family always remained in the background. He was married several times, but his relatives admitted that the actor did not pay enough attention to them. His first wife, actress Lilia Tolmacheva, said that "". Once Efremov was asked: "" He answered: ""

Efremov's daughter from Irina Mazuruk Anastasia told: "". Children he was replaced by "Sovremennik" and the Moscow Art Theater and, probably, he least of all thought about the continuation of the acting dynasty of the Efremovs, but his children - Anastasia and Mikhail, followed in the footsteps of their father.

Anastasia Efremova

It so happened that Anastasia Efremova was born out of wedlock - when her father began to live with her mother Irina Mazuruk, he was still officially married to Lilia Tolmacheva, but Efremov gave her his last name. Anastasia is the same age as Sovremennik: she was born in 1956, the year the theater was founded. When her daughter was 3 years old, her parents broke up. Nevertheless, the actor and director always kept in touch with his daughter. And although he did not take an active part in her upbringing, they were very close until his death. Anastasia idolized her father, so it is not surprising that she also connected her life with the theater. True, Anastasia did not become an actress. On the set, she appeared only once - together with her brother Mikhail in the film "Days of the surgeon Mishkin", where their father played the main role. Even then, Anastasia realized that the acting profession was not for her. She trained as a theater expert, and later became president of the Oleg Efremov charity foundation and director of the Post-Efremov space theater festival.

Olga Efremova

Anastasia had three children, and daughter Olga continued the acting dynasty of the Efremovs. In 2008 she graduated from the Shchukin School and was accepted into the troupe of the Theater. E. Vakhtangov. While still a student, Olga began acting in films. Her first works were episodic roles in the TV series "Lyuba, Children and the Factory", "Kadetstvo", "Code of Honor-3". At the moment, the filmography of the 32-year-old actress has more than 30 works, but there are very few main roles among them. She has not yet achieved such popularity as that of her uncle and cousin Nikita.

Mikhail Efremov

The son of Oleg Efremova and actress Alla Pokrovskaya Mikhail today is probably the most famous and popular representative of this acting dynasty. His artistic talent manifested itself in childhood. He easily entered the Moscow Art Theater School, and then performed in the same theater with his father, but he did not do him any favors. Once he even fired his son for a fight. Mikhail Efremov has never been an angel - from his father he inherited not only talent, but also his vices. Only the lazy did not write about the drunken antics of the actor and his explosive nature. With his inconstancy and amorousness, he also went to his father - news about his novels and marriages also do not leave the pages of the press.

But in acting skills and success in the profession, Mikhail Efremov is in no way inferior to his father. He began acting in films at the age of 13. To date, his filmography includes more than 150 works. His sister Anastasia says about him: "".

Nikita Efremov

The son of Mikhail Efremov and philologist Asya Vorobyova Nikita became the successor of the acting dynasty. In 2009, he graduated from the Moscow Art Theater School, in the same year he became a laureate of the Golden Leaf award in the Best Male Role nomination for the image of Chatsky in the performance Woe from Wit, and in 2010 he became an actor of the Sovremennik Theater ". At the age of 16, Nikita Efremov began acting in films and since then has played more than 40 roles, which brought him wide popularity and recognition. In the series "The Thaw" he appeared in the form of his grandfather, Oleg Efremov, in his youth. Among his other famous works - roles in the TV series "Eighties", "Gregory R.", "Quiet Don", "Winners".

Nikolay Efremov

In a marriage with actress Evgenia Dobrovolskaya, Mikhail Efremov's son Nikolai was born in 1991, who also became an actor. In 2013, he graduated from GITIS, from the age of 14 he began acting in films, and since then his filmography has been replenished with 15 more works. True, there are no leading roles among them yet, and his name is not yet as well known as the name of his brother Nikita.

Having become the founder of such an extensive dynasty, he remained a loner in his soul until the end of his days: What relatives could not forgive Oleg Efremov.