Irina Victorovna Apeksimova (russian: Ири́на Ви́кторовна Апекси́мова, born January 13, 1966,
Volgograd
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
,
RSFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
,
USSR
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
) is a Russian stage and screen actress. She became director of the
Taganka Theatre
Taganka Theatre (russian: link=no, Театр на Таганке, Театр драмы и комедии на Таганке, "Таганка") is a theater located in the Art Nouveau building on Taganka Square in Moscow.
History
The Drama and ...
in March 2015.
Biography
Apeksimova was the child of classical musicians, Victor Nikolaevich Apeksimov and Svetlana Yakolevna. Irina was the second child in the family; her older brother
Valery
The French name Valery () is a male given name or surname of Germanic origin ''Walaric'' (see Walric of Leuconay), that has often been confused in modern times with the Latin name ''Valerius''—that explains the variant spelling Valéry (). The S ...
later became a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
composer and pianist in the United States.
Apeksimova's parents divorced when she was in the eighth grade, and she moved with her mother to
Odessa
Odesa (also spelled Odessa) is the third most populous city and municipality in Ukraine and a major seaport and transport hub located in the south-west of the country, on the northwestern shore of the Black Sea. The city is also the administrativ ...
, where she studied acting. After high school Apeksimova went to
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
to enter the
Moscow Art Theater School
Moscow Art Theatre School is the studio school of the Moscow Art Theatre. It is a state educational institution that has existed since 1943. The initiator of the studio school was Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko.Odessa accent. Back in Odessa, she joined the Odessa Opera Theater and danced for a year in the
corps de ballet
In ballet, the ''corps de ballet'' (; French for "body of the ballet") is the group of dancers who are not principal dancers or soloists. They are a permanent part of the ballet company and often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers.
...
. She then applied again to the Moscow Art Theater School but was again rejected. After this setback, Irina returned to Volgograd and joined the Theater of Musical Comedy, in the corps de ballet.
After living in Volgograd for a year, Apeksimova had shed much of her Odessa accent, and applied for a third time to the Moscow Art Theater School. She was accepted and admitted in 1986 into
Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (russian: Олег Павлович Табаков; 17 August 1935 – 12 March 2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Art Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR (1988).
Biography
Tabak ...
's class. Apeksimova graduated in 1990 and joined the studio at the
Moscow Art Theatre
The Moscow Art Theatre (or MAT; russian: Московский Художественный академический театр (МХАТ), ''Moskovskiy Hudojestvenny Akademicheskiy Teatr'' (МHАТ)) was a theatre company in Moscow. It was f ...
, where she stayed until 2000. In 1994, she won the Best Actress Award at the
Paris Film Festival
The Festival du Film de Paris, also known as Paris Film Festival, was a film festival held annually in Paris, France. It was launched in 1986 as a youth-oriented festival. In 2002, the municipal government withdrew funding and began Festival Paris ...
for her role in the film ''October'' (Октябрь).
Credits
Theatrical roles
*''Skylark (Жаворонок)''. Director:
Oleg Tabakov
Oleg Pavlovich Tabakov (russian: Олег Павлович Табаков; 17 August 1935 – 12 March 2018) was a Soviet and Russian actor and the Artistic Director of the Moscow Art Theatre. People's Artist of the USSR (1988).
Biography
Tabak ...
The Taming of the Shrew
''The Taming of the Shrew'' is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1592. The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken ...
Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
''. Director: Brian Cox. Role: Lady M.
*''
Uncle Vanya
''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1898, and was first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre under the direct ...
(Дядя Ваня)''. Director:
Oleg Efremov
Oleg Nikolayevich Yefremov (russian: Оле́г Никола́евич Ефре́мов, 1 October 1927, Moscow, Soviet Union – 24 May 2000, Moscow, Russia) was a Soviet and Russian actor and Moscow Art Theatre producer. He was a People's Artist ...
. Role: Helena.
*''
Boris Godunov
Borís Fyodorovich Godunóv (; russian: Борис Фёдорович Годунов; 1552 ) ruled the Tsardom of Russia as ''de facto'' regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. After the end of his ...
Woe from Wit
''Woe from Wit'' (, also translated as "The Woes of Wit", "Wit Works Woe", ''Wit's End'', and so forth) is Alexander Griboyedov's comedy in verse, satirizing the society of post-Napoleonic Moscow, or, as a high official in the play styled it, "a ...
(Горе от ума)''. Director: Oleg Efremov. Role: Sofia.
*''Hoffman (Гоффман)''. Director: Nikolai Skorik. Role: Julia.
*''
Masquerade
Masquerade or Masquerader may refer to:
Events
* Masquerade ball, a costumed dance event
* Masquerade ceremony, a rite or cultural event in many parts of the world, especially the Caribbean and Africa
* Masqueraders, the performers in the West ...
(Маскарад)''. Director: Roman Kozak. Role: Baroness Shtral.
*''Beautiful Life (Красивая жизнь)''. Director: Lanskoy.
*''Tragedians and Comedians (Трагики и комедианты)''. Director: Nikolai Skorik. Role: Lisa.
*''
The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
''The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore'' (1963 in literature, 1963) is a play in a prologue and six scenes, written by Tennessee Williams. He told John Gruen in 1965 that it was "the play that I worked on longest," and he premiered a version ...
Dmitri Brusnikin
Dmitri (russian: Дми́трий); Church Slavic form: Dimitry or Dimitri (); ancient Russian forms: D'mitriy or Dmitr ( or ) is a male given name common in Orthodoxy, Orthodox Christian culture, the Russian version of Greek language, Greek De ...
. Role: crazy lady.
*''
A Midsummer Night's Dream
''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...
''. Director: N. Sheiko. Role: Titania.
*''Ondine (Ундина)''. Director: Nikolai Skorik. Role: Countess Bertha
*''Archaeology (Археология)''. Director: Kochetkov.
*''Dancing to the Sound of Rain (Танцы под шум дождя)''. Director: Nikolai Skorik. Role: muse.
*''Unexpected Joy (Нечаянная радость)''. Director: Kolesnikov.
*''Pearl Zinaida (Перламутровая Зинаида)''. Director: Oleg Efremov. Role: a foreigner.
*''Blessed Island (Блаженный остров)''. Director: N. Sheiko.
*''The Most Important Thing (Самое главное)''. Director: Roman Kozak.
*''Seylemskie Witch'' (Сейлемские колдуньи). Director: Brian Cox.
Private Company roles
*''
Dangerous Liaisons
''Dangerous Liaisons'' is a 1988 American period romantic drama film directed by Stephen Frears from a screenplay by Christopher Hampton, based on his 1985 play ''Les liaisons dangereuses'', itself adapted from the 1782 French novel of the sam ...
''. Director: Sergei Vinogradov. Role: Marquise.
*''www.london.ru''. Director: Stein.
*''Dinner with a Fool (Ужин с дураком)''. Director: V. Trushkin. Role: Marlene.
*''
The Cherry Orchard
''The Cherry Orchard'' (russian: Вишнёвый сад, translit=Vishnyovyi sad) is the last play by Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. Written in 1903, it was first published by ''Znaniye'' (Book Two, 1904), and came out as a separate edition ...
(Вишнёвый сад)''. Director: E. Nekrosius. Role: Charlotte.
Film roles
In addition to her many roles in Russian films, Apeksimova played in the 1997 Hollywood
Val Kilmer
Val Edward Kilmer (born December 31, 1959) is an American actor. Originally a stage actor, Kilmer found fame after appearances in comedy films, starting with ''Top Secret!'' (1984) and ''Real Genius'' (1985), as well as the military action film ...
vehicle ''
The Saint
The Saint may refer to:
Fiction
* Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations:
** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
''. She starred in the 1999 film ''
The Book of Masters
''Книга Мастеров'' ( eng, italic=yes, The Book of Masters) is a Russian fantasy film produced by the CIS division of the Disney company and directed by Vadim Sokolovsky. It was released in Russia on October 29, 2009. The story is ba ...
'', the first Russian film by an arm of
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
(the CIS division).
*1992
Melochi zhizni
''Trifles of Life'' (russian: Мелочи жизни, Melochi zhizni) is the first Russian TV series. Broadcast on Channel One Ostankino in 1992-1995 (first year) and on the Channel One Russia in 1995.
Plot
The married Kuznetsovs are exp ...
(TV)
*1995
What a Mess!
''Shirli-myrli'' (russian: Ширли-мырли, also released as ''What a Mess!'') is a 1995 farce comedy film of the early post-soviet era directed by Vladimir Menshov. Centered around a pursued con man, who stole a huge diamond, the movie, amon ...
*1997
The Saint
The Saint may refer to:
Fiction
* Simon Templar, also known as "The Saint", the protagonist of a book series by Leslie Charteris and subsequent adaptations:
** ''The Saint'' (film series) (1938–43), starring Louis Hayward, George Sanders an ...
Against all Better Judgement
Against may refer to:
* ''Against'' (album), 1998 album by Brazilian metal band Sepultura
** "Against" (song) the title track song from the Sepultura album
*Against (American band), 2006 American thrash band
*Against (Australian band)
Again ...
''
*2009
The Book of Masters
''Книга Мастеров'' ( eng, italic=yes, The Book of Masters) is a Russian fantasy film produced by the CIS division of the Disney company and directed by Vadim Sokolovsky. It was released in Russia on October 29, 2009. The story is ba ...