Andrey Merzlikin: biography and filmography of the actor

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

Actor Andrei Merzlikin has become known to the Russian audience since the late nineties. It was a turning point for the entire country. The characters played by the young actor were very typical for this time. A lot of new people came to the cinema. Merzlikin's debut was one of the brightest in the new Russian cinematography.

How it all began

The biography of Andrey Merzlikin is rather ordinary. But he owes his professional success only to his diligence and talent. No influential persons and branched acting dynasties supported his aspirations to become an artist. The future actor was born in 1973 in the town of Korolev near Moscow. Andrei's family, like many residents of this city, was connected with the space sphere. Andrei has a younger sister Elena.

After graduating from high school, the young man entered a technical school and received the profession of radio engineering that is relevant in the city. But the country was on the verge of great changes, and against this background, Andrei reconsidered his choice of profession. At the acting department of VGIK, in the workshop of Yevgeny Kindinov, Andrei Merzlikin entered in parallel with his studies at an economic university. The years spent at the famous Institute of Cinematography were not cloudless, they excluded Andrei from theretwice. But he recovered and continued on his way to the intended goal. The student of VGIK began to try his hand in cinema during his studies. He played supporting roles in the television series "Truckers" and Eldar Ryazanov's film "Old Horses". But the real success was yet to come.

Boomer

Andrey Merzlikin's formal filmography does not begin with this film. But it was the role of Dimon "Scalded" in "Boomer" that the actor declared himself in full voice. To say that Merzlikin's acting work turned out to be bright is to express it very modestly. In terms of expression and sharpness, only the works of his film partners can compete with this character. They have little to do with him. The sharp brutal nature of the character is indicated by his nickname. He is really "Scalded", criminal nicknames often very figuratively and characteristically convey the essence of the one who was awarded them. The plot of the film tells how a gang of four close friends escapes persecution and travels through the provincial towns of central Russia. Bandit friends constantly get into difficult situations and almost always break out of them with a victory. But in the final part of the film, Dimon, played by Andrey Merzlikin, is left alone. His hero went through the most difficult moral choice - two of his friends died from police bullets, and the third was taken alive. Dimon had a choice - to reverse the car and try to recapture the captured friend or rush forward. "Scalded" chose the latter. He is heavily tormented by the perfectbetrayal.

Russian realities at the end of the last century

The time in which the events of the movie "Boomer" take place will later be called the "dashing nineties". This biting definition is hardly capable of fully conveying the depth and inconsistency of events in a critical period for Russia. But the nerve of the era is certainly captured in it. Survived at this time, everyone, as best they could. Criminal life flourished. Many young people have chosen the path of bandits for themselves. All this could not but find its reflection in art. A very bright and colorful representative of his generation was portrayed in the national cinema by the artist Merzlikin. Andrei created a very controversial image, both attractive and repulsive. But as one of the characters in the film put it: "It's not us, it's life."

After Boomer

This story is quite typical. After a successfully played role, the actor receives many offers to play similar types. Further filmography of Andrei Merzlikin could consist entirely of variations on the theme of Dimon "Scalded". Going on about such circumstances for any creative person is unacceptable. When an artist goes into circulation, that's where it ends. Andrei Merzlikin happily escaped such a fate. Having established himself in the world of cinema, the actor is removed a lot, and his roles are very diverse. The only thing that unites them is temperament andsharp characteristic texture of Andrey Merzlikin's acting style. Whoever he happens to perform, it is always done with the same drive and brilliance. But this is exactly what his audience expects from his favorite artist. For sixteen years of work in Russian cinema, the actor has taken part in more than a hundred different projects. Often these were the main roles and supporting roles, even episodes. But it was always interesting and extraordinary. The filmography of Andrei Merzlikin is constantly updated with new items, at present it is so extensive that it is rather difficult to analyze the actor's work in full. But some of his work should take a closer look.

"Boomer-2" and "Zhmurki"

Three years later, Andrey Merzlikin returned to his starring role, which made him famous. In the second part of the film, Dimon "Scalded" who remained at large, atones for his guilt before his dead friends and "Cat" Kostya, who is imprisoned. In four years, he managed to become the owner of a prestigious car dealership on Rublevsky Highway from a tough bandit. Dimon helps his friend to be released, and this is where his role ends. "Scalded" dies, his death is quite accidental. But for a typical hero of the "dashing nineties" it is quite natural. In addition, Andrey Merzlikin had the opportunity to show off his talent in the infamous film by Alexei Balabanov "Blind Man's Buff". Merzlikin's enchanting temperament, his characteristic motor skills and texture came ascould not be more appropriate in this "black" comedy.

People in uniform

Paying tribute to the characters from the criminal world, actor Andrey Merzlikin left the temptation to long exploit what made him famous. He did not become an actor of one, endlessly replicated role. But a significant place in the gallery of images created by him is occupied by people in uniform, military and police. One of the brightest events in Russian cinema was Nikolai Dostal's film "Penal Battalion". In this series, filmed according to the script of Eduard Volodarsky, Andrey Merzlikin plays the role of Captain Bredunov. In the same row, such roles of Andrei as the scout Sedykh from the film "Four Days in May" and tanker Nikolai from "Burnt by the Sun-2" by Nikita Mikhalkov. All these heroes are constantly in critical circumstances of the war. Hardly anyone else would have been able to embody them on the screen with the same persuasiveness as Andrey Merzlikin could do. In the movie "Brest Fortress" he plays a real person - Lieutenant Kizhevatov, Hero of the Soviet Union.

Action Movies

With no less brilliance than people in the war, Andrey Merzlikin portrays all sorts of adventurers, adventurers and other "gentlemen of fortune". This is a special type of people who constantly lack adrenaline in their blood to feel the fullness of life. They need extreme circumstances to be happy. A typical example of such films is "Piranha Hunting" and"Countdown", as well as "Inhabited Island" based on the book by the Strugatsky brothers. Of course, Merzlikin in them is at the height of his talent. Action is his forte.

On the theater stage

Not all fans of this artist know the fact that Andrei Viktorovich Merzlikin is also a brilliant theater actor. For more than ten years he was in the troupe of the repertory drama theater directed by Armen Dzhigarkhanyan. Merzlikin's theatrical roles are very diverse. But for the most part, these are the tops of the world dramatic repertoire - Figaro in the classic comedy by Beaumarchais, Vershinin in Chekhov's "Three Sisters" or Judge Lyapkin-Tyapkin in Gogol's comedy "The Government Inspector", well-known to everyone from the school program.

Actor's personal life

Andrey Merzlikin is married. He has three children - two daughters and one son. Andrei's wife, Anna, is a psychologist by education. She is currently working as an assistant director.