Anatoly Vasiliev is an actor who is organic and convincing in any role. He equally well succeeds both in images of refined urban intellectuals and in simple village characters, devoid of gloss and pomp. Vasiliev is well acquainted with Soviet and Russian viewers from the films “The Crew”, “Beloved Woman of the Mechanic Gavrilov”, the series “Mikhailo Lomonosov”, “Fathers and Sons”, “Tatyana's Day” and, of course, “Matchmakers”.
Biography: childhood and study
Anatoly Alexandrovich was born back in 1946, or rather, on November 6th. The actor’s hometown is Nizhny Tagil, located on the slope of the Ural Mountains, not far from the conditional partition between Europe and Asia. By Soviet standards, his family was considered influential and wealthy, since his father held a high post in the city leadership. Anatoly Vasiliev’s mother did not work, she devoted herself completely to home and family. However, this did not stop her from becoming interested in music, theater, and cinema. And it is quite natural that the son did not remain aloof from the hobbies of his mother.
Nizhny Tagil Vasiliev left when the future actor was nine years old. Moving to Bryansk was necessary for the career of the head of the family. The arrangement in the new place went smoothly. Young Anatoly attended a drama club, loved to play the guitar. He easily made friends, because he was distinguished by an open and sociable disposition. Even then, thoughts of an acting career began to visit him.
However, Vasiliev’s father wanted a more mundane profession for his son, so after school he sent him to study at the engineering college. After two years of torment, Anatoly Alexandrovich fled to Moscow to enter the Moscow Art Theater School. Mom supported this decision and convinced the father to accept his choice.
Vasiliev entered the course to the famous actor and teacher Vasily Markov. He became a certified actor in 1969.
Creativity: roles in film and theater
During a long theatrical career, Anatoly Vasiliev managed to work in three theaters:
- Moscow Academic Theater of Satire (1969-1973);
- Central Academic Theater of the Soviet Army (1973-1995);
- State Academic Theater named after Mossovet (since 1995).
Satire Theater, which was accepted after graduating from the Moscow Art Theater School, Vasiliev left due to lack of roles. For four years, he took part in only two productions, playing minor characters. In the theater of the Soviet army, the actor was more in demand. He appeared on the stage in the roles of Boris Godunov (The Death of John the Terrible by A. Tolstoy), Macbeth (Shakespeare's Macbeth), Rogozhin (Idiot F. Dostoevsky).
In the theater of the Moscow City Council, the comedic talent of the actor was revealed. He took part in the productions of “Comforter of the Widows”, “School of defaulters”, “Mother Courage and Her Children”, “Scandal! Scandal? Scandal … ", " Krechinsky’s Wedding ".
Anatoly Vasiliev made his film debut in 1977. He played the role of Dymov in the film "The Steppe", shot by Sergei Bondarchuk on the novel by Chekhov of the same name. This film was not very successful, but served as a good start for Vasilyev’s career on the big screen. Almost immediately, he starred in two more films - "Ivantsov, Petrov, Sidorov" and "Close Range".
The truly popular love brought the actor the role of Valentin Nenarokov in the film "Crew" by Alexander Mitta. In 1980, the Soviet audience was conquered by a drama unfolding on the screen with elements of a disaster film. Anatoly Vasiliev was entrusted with one of the main roles. According to the scenario, the second pilot Nenarokov is experiencing a difficult divorce from his wife and separation from his son, which negatively affects his work. The actor managed to convincingly convey the personal drama of his hero.
The success of the "Crew" provided Vasiliev with roles for many years to come. Especially often he was invited to military films:
- The Scream of the Loon (1979);
- “The Corps of General Shubnikov” (1980);
- “If the enemy does not surrender” (1982);
- “Gateway to Heaven” (1983).
For many years, in the cinema, the actor played officials, bosses, doctors, representatives of the law, historical figures. In the film by Sergei Bondarchuk, “Boris Godunov” (1986), he played the role of Peter Basmanov, the son of the favorite Ivan the Terrible. In the series "Mikhailo Lomonosov" (1986), he reincarnated as the father of the famous scientist - Vasily Dorofeevich.
In the crisis 90s, Vasiliev began to appear on the screen a little less often. Since the early 2000s, he has been actively starring in the series:
- “Love.ru” (2001);
- “Balzac age or all men are their own …” (2004-2007);
- Blind 2 (2005);
- “Icon Hunters” (2005);
- Tatyana’s Day (2007);
- “Fathers and Sons” (2008);
- “Matchmakers” (2008-2010);
- “Bear Corner” (2010);
- “The scream of an owl” (2013);
- The Alienation Strip (2014).
The second wave of popular love was given to Vasilyev by the role of Yuri Kovalev in the Ukrainian series “Matchmakers”. The plot of the series is built around the relationship and confrontation of two families whose children are married to each other. The situation is aggravated by the fact that the husband’s parents are urban intellectuals, and his wife’s parents are rustic villagers. The series turned out to be bright, vital, sparkling. Anatoly Vasiliev took part in the filming of four seasons, played the role of an intelligent professor Yuri Kovalev. He left the project due to creative disagreements with the creators of the series and colleagues. According to the actor, the scriptwriters reduced the interesting plot to flat jokes and bullying of one character over another. He could not accept such a vision of his hero. And in the fifth season of “Matchmakers, ” the grandfather of Jura, played by Vasiliev, died of a heart attack.
