Actor Donatas Banionis: biography, filmography and interesting facts

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

Donatas Banionis is one of the few actors who is known to almost all viewers, regardless of their age. Each role played by him throughout his long career has forever remained in people's memory. Each time on the screen, the actor was able to change beyond recognition, creating characters completely different in character and emotionality.

Childhood and youth

The future actor Donatas Banionis was born in the city of Kaunas at the end of April 1924. His father, Juozas, earned a living by sewing for many years, and then went to serve in the Cadet Corps of the Russian Imperial Army. He took part in the First World War, which subsequently influenced his political views: the elder Banionis became a communist revolutionary.

In 1919, Juozas was arrested for organizing a strike. He was sent into exile. Later, after returning to Lithuania, he worked as a tailor and carried out underground activities. After the establishment of Soviet power, he held party and administrative positions.

With OnaBless, who became his wife, he met in Vilkavishkis. Two children were born in the family - daughter Danuta and son Donatas. Over time, the family broke up: the mother and daughter left Kaunas, and the son stayed with his father.

From childhood, the boy grew up in an atmosphere of creativity and music. Parents also had a craving for art, they even sang. Donatas was going to become a ceramist, he studied at the Kaunas school. He combined his studies with classes in a drama club.

Parents understood and accepted this hobby of their son, but asked him to take a closer look at another profession with which they could earn a living. And yet, the boy played in the theater at the first opportunity, he so wanted to become part of this magic and be closer to cinema. Donatas Banionis in his youth always dreamed of professional acting education and the stage, but the family did not have enough money to pay for training. So far, for the young man, it was only a dream…

In 1940, an amateur group (then directed by Juozas Multinis) became a professional theater, which began to work in Panevezys. Donatas joined the troupe in 1941. He had to study at the city theater, try on many roles. He appeared on stage in performances based on the works of Anton Chekhov, Pierre Beaumarchais, Nikolai Ostrovsky…

His screen personas

The first time the audience saw the actor in the role of Daus (the film "Adam wants to be a man") in 1959. For the cinema at that time - in the sixties - the news that the actors from the Panevezys Theateracting in films was big news.

Then Donatas Banionis was able to create a number of images that are still considered classics of Soviet cinema. He was an intellectual actor. The one who feels very deeply and sculpts the image “inside”. He knew how to build the interior of the soul and create labyrinths of knowledge.

But later, Banionis admitted that it was harder for him to play screen roles than theatrical ones. He really felt like an actor only while working on his fourth image. And yet, the names of many of his heroes remained at the hearing only thanks to the acting talent of Donatas.

Six years after its debut, a two-part black-and-white detective story "Dead Season" appeared on the screens. It became the first of its kind for the Soviet Lenfilm.

The plot was based on real events. It tells about Soviet intelligence officers in wartime. The prototype of the main character, Konstantin Ladeynikov, was the scout Konon the Young. The director offered this role to Donatas because of the resemblance. Everything was played superbly, however, Alexander Demyanenko had to voice the character. According to the director's idea, the film should not have any accent - only pure Russian.

In another masterpiece of Soviet cinematography - Andrey Tarkovsky's drama "Solaris" - Banionis appeared in the role of Chris Kelvin. His character goes to the planet Solaris to study the intelligent life of a foreign land. Producersaid that his film is based on morality, and the picture itself is able to provide food for thought. At the festival in Cannes, Solaris was awarded the Grand Prix.

From actor to director

Donatas Banionis, whose films are still recognized film masterpieces, has played in more than fifty films. He gladly changed genres, corresponding to strict classics, depicting tragedy or playing comedy. He was Mr. McKinley in The Flight of Mr. McKinley, Beethoven in Beethoven - Days of Life, Antanas Petrušonis in Unsown Rye Blossom…

1979 was marked for the actor by the release of the film "The Suicide Club, or the Adventures of a Titled Person", in which he played the Chairman. And ten years later, he embodied Mazardi on the screen in the detective story "Entrance to the Labyrinth." In the 91st, the audience saw Banionis in an unusual role for him - Semyon Semenovich Telyaev in the film "Blood Drinkers". 2001-2002 - at this time, the actor starred in the TV series The New Adventures of Nero Wolfe and Archie Goodwin. Of course, he was that smart and sensitive Wolf, able to solve the most complicated case.

Banionis even managed to work as the chief director of the theater in Panevezys for eight whole years (since 1980), putting all the worries about the theater on his shoulders.

Alien voices

Donatas Banionis, whose filmography contains several dozen real masterpieces, had a Lithuanian accent. Because of this, the heroes he played were voiced by other actors - from Leningrad andMoscow. Quite often Alexander Demyanenko, Igor Efimov, Georgy Zhzhenov, Zinovy Gerdt, Pyotr Shelokhonov, Vladimir Zamansky were invited for dubbing.

His own, inimitable voice sounded in only a few films - "Snake", "Operation Trust", "Beware of the car" (here he played a pastor counting money in Lithuanian).

In 1999, the actor was awarded the Russian Order of Friendship, and ten years later - the Order of Honor. He received these awards for his enormous contribution to the development of cinematographic and theatrical art and the strengthening of international cultural ties.

Personal…

They met their wife, Ona Banenene (Konkulevichute), back in 1947. It was hard times for the girl because of the arrest of her dad and brothers. She was then a student at Vilnius University. She was warned that she, too, could be arrested. She changes her surname and leaves for Panevezys. Entered the theater as an actress. But she faced the threat of arrest again. Donatas Banionis, who sincerely took pity on the girl, offered her to marry him. He promised that he could save and protect her due to the fact that his father was a party organizer. Thus was formed the alliance of the Banionis. The couple lived together for six decades, until Ona's death.

The wife of Donatas Banionis bore him two sons. Son Ogidiyus did not follow in the footsteps of his father: he was engaged in history and the humanities. He received the award in the field of science posthumously: he passed away very early.

The second son - Raimundas - was a student at VGIK. Hecreated the company UAB LINTEK. Currently working on commercials and documentaries. The younger Banionis is a director, he managed to make some good films.

Actor's swan song

Three years after Ona's death, his last love appeared in Banionis's life - Olga Ryabikova. She watched his films from her youth and was captivated by Donatas' acting talent. Once, during a bike ride, Olga met a man who not only knew the address of Banionis, but also knew him himself. In Vilnius, he brought her to the actor's house. Phones were exchanged, Olga came to visit.

When she retired, she moved to Banionis, becoming his nanny, cook, companion. The actor's relatives perceived her tolerantly until the moment when Donatas decided to sign her. Daughter-in-law Violetta even told reporters that Olga wants to receive an inheritance. As a result, Ryabikova had to go home.

The last hour of the great actor

Donatas Banionis, whose biography is still of interest to many fans of his talent, was hospitalized in September 2014. He had a heart attack. The media reported that before that, back in the summer, he already had a clinical death, but then they managed to save the actor.

He passed away on the fourth day of September. Banionis was 90 years old. His family received sincere condolences from the President of Lithuania and numerous fans. It was thanks to Donatas that Lithuania became famous in the cinematic world.

The actor lived a good long life. He made a strongmarriage. He had a favorite job. There were no crises in his life. And such a strong and talented personality "grew up" thanks to diligence and constant craving for knowledge.