How director Gaidai saved the life of actor Sergei Filippov

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

Films directed by the great director Leonid Gaidai have not lost their relevance for many years. He took his films very seriously, perfecting each episode, paying attention to the smallest details, whether it was the choice of costumes for the actors or the props for filming. He selected actors for the roles even more carefully, and once, in the literal sense of the word, he saved the life of Sergei Filippov.

In search of Kisa Vorobyaninov

Gaidai could not get permission to shoot the film, which the director himself called his favorite, for several years. But Leonid Iovich was still able to convince the officials from the cinema and put the picture into production.

The director began to look for actors for the role with Kisa Vorobyaninov. According to the recollections of Gaidai's wife Nina Grebeshkova, tests took place throughout the year. Rostislav Plyatt and Anatoly Papanov, Sergei Filippov - the director could not make his choice in any way. And then there was Yuri Nikulin, with whom Leonid Iovich was friends, called him and confessed: he dreamed of this role all his life.

But Gaidai Nikulin in the form of Vorobyaninov did not see and was still rushing about, trying to find the ideal actor. And instead of the role of Ippolit Matveyevich, Yuri Vladimirovich offered to play a janitor, and Nikulin agreed, not at all offended. And he made a real masterpiece out of his episode.

Leonid Gaidai more and more often thought about approval for the role of Sergei Filippov and, in the end, decided to call the actor, telling him: "We are taking you!" There is another version of the development of events. Ostensibly for the role of Kisa Vorobyaninov, Leonid Gaidai approved Rostislav Plyatt, and he had already refused to act in favor of Sergei Filippov.

In fact, Leonid Gaidai noted that Plyatt was very harmonious in those episodes where he had to play with Mikhail Pugovkin. But even during the auditions, it was clear that this role was not for Plyatt, in independent scenes he clearly lacks brightness. The director invited Rostislav Yanovich to read the author's text behind the scenes.

Saving role

Quite a lot of time passed from the moment of the audition in the film "12 Chairs" and until Gaidai's call. The approval for the role occurred just at the time when Sergei Filippov was diagnosed with an oncological disease of the brain. Doctors believed that he had only a few months left to live.

The actor was in complete despair, began to abuse alcohol and more and more plunged into depression. The role of Kisa Vorobyaninov became a real salvation for him. During the filming, he did not think about his illness and was only worried about not being changed to another actor.

On the day filming began, the assistant director had to smash the plate on the camera tripod. It was a very long tradition and filmmakers strongly believed that it brings good luck. But on that ill-fated day, the plate did not break, and Gaidai then walked gloomier than tochi, being in full confidence: the work would not go. For Filippov, this became another reason to worry, he sincerely believed that the director was unhappy with him and would soon decide to replace him.

In the process of filming, it turned out that Sergei Filippov in the frame completely overshadows Ostap Bender himself. But Leonid Gaidai realized that he was mistaken, claiming for the role of Bender Alexander Belyavsky. And after the next tests he invited Vladimir Vysotsky instead, but he did not appear on the very first day of filming, and the disappointed Gaidai began to look for another candidate. Soon Archil Gomiashvili appeared on the set, and things finally got going.

Sergei Filippov at that time already suffered from severe headaches, but did not refuse to work. He played literally at the limit of his capabilities, was attentive to all the director's instructions. Leonid Gaidai, in turn, was sympathetic to the state of the actor, he was not annoyed when he forgot the words or felt too bad.

Surprisingly, by the time filming ended, Sergei Filippov felt much better. And the doctors, who had previously given him only a few months of life, after the next examinations offered the actor an operation. After surgery, Sergei Nikolaevich recovered very quickly and independently voiced his hero. The role of Kisa Vorobyaninov actually saved the actor's life.

And she laid the foundation for cooperation between Leonid Gaidai and Sergei Filippov. Subsequently, the actor starred in many of the director's films: "Behind the Matches", "Ivan Vasilyevich Changes His Profession", "Dangerous for Life", and others. The last work of the actor in the cinema was the film by Leonid Gaidai "Private detective, or Operation" Cooperation ", where Filippov played the role of an indignant pensioner.

Unfortunately, the ending of the actor's life was very sad: he died all alone in his apartment from cancer and lay there for two weeks until he was found. They buried Sergei Nikolaevich with money collected by the actors.

It would seem, what could the famous Soviet director and the former president of the United States have in common? Nevertheless, their interests crossed in the distant now 1991. Wherein Donald Trump went to meet Leonid Gaidai, but our director refused a small request to the American. True, at that time no one could even imagine that a quarter of a century later, Donald Trump would take over as President of the United States.