The well-known Russian actress, starring in the television film "Winter Cherry" Elena Safonova is an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation, as well as the owner of many other prestigious awards. Work in the cinema in no way affected the personal life of the star. She has been married three times and has two beautiful sons.
Childhood
Elena Safonova was born in the northern capital of Russia - St. Petersburg, in a family of actors. Father - Vsevolod Dmitrievich, played in the theater and cinema. Mother - Valeria Rubleva, director of Mosfilm. Little Lena had to visit film sets very often. She watched with great interest the process of making films. In the 1960s, the family of the future famous actress moved to Moscow. Lena is sent to study at a school with in-depth study of French.
Youth
VGIK - this is where the young Elena Safonova wants to go. The biography of the actress, as you can see later, is quite difficult. She manages to become a student at the Institute of Cinematography only the third time. Before entering the university, Elena worked as a librarian for two years. After studying two courses in actingfaculty, the young artist moves back to Leningrad. There she improves her skills at the Institute of Theatre, Film and Painting.
First filming
In 1974, Elena Safonova made her debut in the film "Looking for my destiny" in the role of Lyuba (director Manasarov). In the same year, the actress's creative biography was replenished with a small episodic role in the TV movie "3 Days in Moscow" (A. Korneev). As a student at VGIK, she starred in a film called The Zatsepin Family. After graduating from a higher educational institution, the young actress goes to work at the Komissarova Theater. However, there were no main roles for Elena Safonova. She was involved only in episodes of the second plan and extras. For a year of work in the theater, the actress played in the performances "Running", "The Importance of Being Serious", "An Ordinary Story", etc. At the same time, she acts in films. In 1981, Elena played in the film Thank You All, and in 1982 she played the role of Solomiya in the biographical film The Return of the Butterfly. It was this work that brought Safonova fame and recognition from art critics.
Young years
It can be assumed that since that time a new talented actress, whose name is Elena Safonova, has become known to the general public. The films in which she starred throughout her creative history are quite diverse in content and emotional load. In 1985, a film called "Winter Cherry" was released. The main role was played by Elena Safonova. This film immediately declared itself, having received incredible popularity among the audience and collectinga huge amount of positive feedback. Thanks to "Winter Cherry", E. Safonova became a truly real star of Soviet television. Soon she was awarded the title of the best artist of the year, and also received an award for her performance as a female role at a film festival in Madrid and Alma-Ata. Her popularity was simply enviable.
Flourishing creativity
After such well-deserved awards, many eminent directors became interested in the talented actress, such as Pavel Lungin, Sergey Bodrov (senior), Sergey Mikaelyan and others. In 1986, Nikita Mikhalkov's film Black Eyes was released. In it, Elena Safonova played the main role (Anna). Her partner in the film was the popular actor Marcello Mastroianni. It was thanks to this picture that the name of the talented Russian actress became known in Europe. This period in her life was marked by another significant event - the acquaintance with her third husband. After another great success (the picture "Black Eyes"), the directors had certain views on the actress's repertoire. Basically, she is offered roles in melodramatic films. The filmography of Elena Safonova consists of such films as “Where is the Nofelet?”, “Filer”, “Katala”, “Extension of the Kind”, “Taxi Blues”, “Lucky”, “Butterflies”, etc.
Foreign period
After marrying a French actor, Elena moves to Paris. She continues to act in films and play in the theater. In 1992, she was invited to the main role in the film directed by the French director K. Miller"Accompanist" Abroad with her participation, the films "Wind from the East", "On the Trail of the Telegraph", "Woman in the Wind", "Mademoiselle O" are released. In parallel with this, she visits Russia, where she starred in the second and third parts of Winter Cherry. Elena does not forget about theatrical art. Perhaps the most significant play with her participation can be called “What we are waiting for and what is happening” by Jean-Marie Bese. The production, in which the actress played the role of Sophia, is dedicated to the problems of gay culture. Her husband played in the same performance. Brilliantly conveying the image of the main character, Elena earned accolades in the media. After that, leading French directors began to invite her to the main roles. However, her personal life in France did not work out, and in 1997 the actress moved to her homeland.
Return Home
Having moved to Moscow, Elena Safonova gets a job in the troupe of the popular Film Actor Theater. A little later, in 1986, she became a full-time actress at Mosfilm. In the second half of the eighties, she played the main roles in many films: "Sofya Kovalevskaya", "When they become adults", "Someone else's call", "Confrontation", "Two under one umbrella", "President and his woman", "Princess on beans, etc. All the work that is necessary according to the scenario, Elena does herself. That is why her characters on the screen look so believable. In the film "Women's Property" she, quite unexpectedly for the viewer, appears in a completely new role for herself. With each film, the actress more and more reveals her multifaceted abilities, never tired of surprising directors.
Theatricalactivities
Upon arrival in Russia, E. Safonova again decides to return to the stage. She plays in antiprizny projects. Among the performances with her participation, “I Cry Forward”, “The Laughing Flower”, “Bachelorette Party”, “How to Steal a Million, or the Adventurous Family” and others stand out. The most fruitful cooperation between Elena Safonova and La Theater by Vadim Dubovitsky has been most fruitful. There, the actress played in the productions of Glass Dust, Dangerous Liaisons, Rumors and Free Love.
Today
A popular actress continues to work in films to this day. Together with Ekaterina Vasilyeva, Elena and Kirill Safonov starred in the television series My Autumn Blues. Among the most famous films with her participation, I would like to note "The Princess and the Pauper", "Empire Under Attack", "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "Atlantis", "Enigma", "The Man in the House", "Jillis". "The Diary of Dr. Zaitseva", "Zhurov", "Matchmakers-5", "News", Next-2, "Pan or Lost" - these are the latest films in which Elena Safonova played.
Private life
While still a student at Moscow VGIK, the young actress got married. Vitaly Yushkov, a man of the same profession, became her chosen one. Elena Safonova met her husband on the set of her debut film called The Zatsepin Family. It was Vitaly who convinced Elena to leave the Institute of Cinematography and transfer to St. Petersburg. However, their marriage did not last long. After six years, the couple decided to leave. In the late eighties, talentedthe actress again decides to tie the knot. The new union that she created with her second husband (also an actor) was again unsuccessful. In marriage, the couple lived very little. However, from her second husband, Elena gave birth to a son, Ivan. After the tremendous success of the film Black Eyes, Safronova married a Frenchman. The next chosen one of the star was the actor Samuel Labarthe. He was a longtime admirer and admirer of Elena's talent. For his sake, Safronova leaves Russia and moves to Paris, leaving overnight everything that she had - her home, her career, her loved ones. In a new marriage, Elena has a son, Alexander. But this union was not destined to last long. In 1997, taking her eldest son Ivan with her, she returned back to her homeland. The younger, Alexander, stayed with his father in Paris. The fact is that he is a child born in France, and according to local law, he is obliged to live in this country until the age of majority. Nevertheless, the children of Elena Safonova see each other from time to time. The actress and her son often fly to Paris to meet her youngest child, Alexander. For herself, the actress decided that their divorce should in no way affect the relationship between her husband and children.
Awards
For the best role in the film "Dark Eyes" Elena received the "David di Donatello" award. Another award is NIKA for the film The President and His Woman (1996). For shooting in the TV movie "Princess on the Beans" - a diploma from the film festival "Window to Europe" in Vyborg. In 1997, thanks to the same picture, Safonova received another award at the Constellation forum. For a role inin the play "I'm Crying Forward" Elena was awarded the "Seagull" award. At the Listapad International Film Festival in Minsk, the actress received a film press prize. For her role in the series "Willis" she was awarded at the festival of television films "Flashes" (Arkhangelsk).
