Theater and film actor Veniamin Smekhov: biography, filmography and interesting facts

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Among the inhabitants of our country it is difficult to find a person who cannot answer the question of who Veniamin Smekhov is. The mysterious Athos from the cult film "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" will forever remain in the memory of the audience. What is known about the creative achievements and behind-the-scenes life of the “Comte de La Fere”, who once won the hearts of millions?

Veniamin Smekhov: childhood years

The man who was destined to play Athos was born in Moscow, it happened in August 1940. Smekhov Veniamin Borisovich was born in the family of a general practitioner and doctor of economic sciences. The parents of the future actor were Jews by nationality. The child was able to see his father only at the age of five, as he participated in the Great Patriotic War.

In the first years of his life, the boy Venya dreamed of becoming a driver, but soon this desire passed. Then he tested his strength as a writer, writing naive and funny tales. Those gradually gave way to poetry, however, this hobby wasabandoned, as the theater entered the life of the child. He was accepted into the drama circle that worked at the Palace of Pioneers. The studio was known for being under the tutelage of Rolan Bykov himself. At the same time, Veniamin Smekhov fell in love with jazz. He even created a musical group that worked in this genre, but the team did not last long.

Student years

When the actor is asked about why he chose his profession, he talks about his love of reincarnation. Only on the stage could the calm and reasonable boy Venya try on the images of adventurers, hooligans and freedom fighters that were attractive to him. However, he might not have become a student at Pike if Uncle Leo had not persuaded him to go there. Veniamin Smekhov got on a course led by Vladimir Etush.

Surprisingly, the future Athos was expelled during his second year. The young man was considered too shy, boring and inexpressive for the stage. However, Smekhov soon managed to recover at the school, by the end of his studies, the student even became one of Etush's favorites. The diploma was awarded to Benjamin in 1961.

First roles

Cinematography entered the life of yesterday's student only a few years after the end of "Pike". Kuibyshev is the first city where Veniamin Smekhov could make himself known. The actor's biography contains information that he spent a year and a half in this locality, performing on the stage of the local theater, and then returned to Moscow.

SomethingSmekhov remained unemployed for a while, which even forced him to start thinking about changing his profession. However, in 1962, the aspiring actor managed to get a job at the Taganka Theater. Benjamin remained faithful to the theater that sheltered him within its walls for over twenty years, managed to play several dozen roles. He decided to part with his usual place of work in 1985, it was a protest against the expulsion of director Yuri Lyubimov from the USSR.

Of course, fans are interested in the first films with Veniamin Smekhov. Cinema broke into the life of a young man only in 1968. The first character, whose image he embodied in the cinema, was Baron Krause. He received this role in the drama Two Comrades Were Serving, dedicated to the civil war that broke out in 1920. Then Smekhov took part in the filming of the film "Smok and the Kid", aimed at a children's audience.

Highest hour

"D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" is the most famous picture in which Veniamin Smekhov starred. The films in which he received roles after could not achieve the same resounding success. The hero of the actor Athos won the hearts of thousands of Soviet spectators with his romance and mystery. The tape was presented to the public in 1978, after which Smekhov forgot about a quiet life for many years. Fans waited for him at the house, filled up with letters containing declarations of love.

Veniamin Borisovich had a chance to play the famous Comte de La Fere again in 1982. The star composition of the picture remained unchanged, George became the director againYungvald-Khilkevich. The continuation of the famous story, the plot of which was borrowed from the works of Alexandre Dumas, was enthusiastically received by the audience.

Further film career

Of course, "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" is not the only successful picture in which the talented Veniamin Smekhov played. The films in which he starred after were also successful with the audience. “I ask you to blame Klava K for my death.” - a poignant drama dedicated to unrequited love. In this tape, the actor embodied the image of the artist Uncle Seva, who is friends with the family of the beautiful girl Klava.

It is impossible not to mention the adventure film "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves", in which the artist was offered the role of Mustafa. Smekhov not only played one of the key characters, but also acted as a songwriter and participated in the creation of the script. The audience also liked his priest Maximin, whose image he embodied in the detective drama "Trap for a Lonely Man". Finally, we should also mention Dr. Stravinsky, the character played by Smekhov in The Master and Margarita.

Relatively new films with Veniamin Smekhov are also worthy of attention. For example, fans of the star should definitely watch the serial drama The White Dove of Cordoba, in which he received an unusual role. The picture tells about the life of a brilliant fraudster artist, who cleverly copied the works of famous colleagues. Also worth watching is the saga "Captain's Children", in which he embodied the image of the husband of the main character.

Life forframe

What else can you tell about a talented person, who is certainly Veniamin Smekhov, a biography whose personal life is still of great interest to fans and the press? There were many women in the life of the actor, but only two of them played an important role in his fate. Smekhov's first wife was Alla, a student at the Food Institute, whom he married while still studying at Pike. Allah gave birth to two daughters. Alika and Elena also chose creative professions, the first became an actress and singer, the second preferred the role of a writer.

Veniamin decided on a second marriage in 1980, film critic Galina Aksenova became his chosen one. The couple have been together for over 30 years and have no plans to leave.

Interesting facts

Veniamin Smekhov likes to remember that he agreed to shoot in "D'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers" because of his daughter Elena. The girl adored the work of Dumas, re-read it over and over again, refusing to part with her favorite characters.

In everyday life, the actor is unpretentious, gladly takes on housework, likes to wash dishes. Smekhov's secret passion is cars. For example, a few years ago he bought a two-door Japanese Subaru in the States, on which he traveled all over America, even reaching Canada. In all his travels, he is always accompanied by his beloved wife.