It was said about this short man that he is a person with a high-flying soul. He was also awarded epithets such as âChaplin of domestic cinemaâ, âprecious relicâ and âmighty talentâ. And all these definitions fit him one hundred percent. Here he is, actor Nikolai Trofimov. His passion for great art was genuine, he fell in love with the temple of Melpomene from his youth. People's Artist of the USSR Trofimov believed that he owed his success in film and theater to the greatest director of the last century G. Tovstonogov and no less eminent - S.F. Bondarchuk. What was his path to glory?
Facts from the biography
Actor Nikolai Trofimov - a native of the city of Sevastopol, he was born on January 21, 1920. His father was a simple worker, and his mother was engaged in housekeeping. While still a schoolboy, young Nikolai could read with a special expression the literary works of Russian classics.
Between classes, he gladly directed mini-productions, showing them to classmates. Well, the popularity among his peers was brought to him by the brilliant performance of the Chekhov joke "On the dangers of tobacco," with which he spoke at a school evening.
Already then the actor Nikolai Trofimov began to emerge , whose biography is noteworthy in that he played his first role on the stage of the TYuZovsky theater, when he was only 14 years old.
Debut role
As already emphasized, the acting talent of Nikolai Trofimov began to manifest itself in his school years. Itâs a joke to take part in the theatrical production of âUncle Tomâs Cabinâ at the age of 14, but not somewhere, but on the stage of the Sevastopol Youth Theater. However, then the critics did not like the work of the young man: they said that Trofimov not only has no inclinations for acting, but he does not know the material well. However, the boy did not take the negative review to heart, especially since the audience liked the way he coped with the acting task. The justice of this point of view was proved by another memorable role of Trofimov in the production of The Snow Queen.
Over time, the desire to become an actor only increased. Young Nikolai, together with his colleagues on the stage, was supposed to portray birds, for which sticks with birds at the ends were distributed. However, the small growth of the boy did not allow him to make his bird more noticeable than all the others. And he wanted just that. Then young Kolya was quick-witted: he asked his comrade to perch on his shoulders and then their bird would fly above all. So, the boys began to fulfill their plans in practice. And suddenly the partner of Nikolai was thinking about something, and the young lyceum fell into an orchestra pit, damaging the drum. However, this case was not a big obstacle for the boy to experiment in creativity. The next time he was entrusted with playing the role of a hare, which was without words. The young lyceum got used to the image of the animal in such detail that he did not notice how he again fell into the orchestra pit. The director, in an attempt to cool the ardor of the boy, redirected him the role of the Old Hare, but even he could not stop the creative expression of Kolya Trofimov.
Years of study at a theater university
In fairness, it should be noted that Nikolai Trofimov is an actor whose family did not oppose the choice of his profession.
The parents of the young man, on the contrary, were sympathetic to the fact that their son wants to engage in professional acting. Future actor Nikolai Trofimov decided to submit documents to the theater universities of the capital and St. Petersburg. But in the end, he settled on the Institute named after A.N. Ostrovsky. At the entrance exams, the young man enthusiastically performed an excerpt from Pushkin's âGolden Cockerelâ, which surprised the future mentor, Boris Zon, who enrolled a mischievous guy as a student. Years of study passed very quickly. He brilliantly played in the diploma performance according to Chekhov and was already considering what theatrical productions awaited him ahead. And there was a war ahead, which made tough adjustments to the plans of a theater graduate.
"Dashing Godina"
The newly-minted actor Nikolai Trofimov wanted to go to war in the fleet, but he suddenly found out that the famous composer Isaac Dunaevsky was gaining the Five Seas ensemble, and without hesitation agreed to become a member of the collective.
In the difficult years of the war, he worked without sleep and rest, making the maximum possible for victory. Actor Nikolai Trofimov deservedly received medals âFor the victory over Germanyâ and âFor the defense of Leningradâ, the Order of the Red Star and World War II degree.
And again the theater stage ...
After the war, Trofimov fell into the troupe of the Leningrad Comedy Theater. On his stage, he played dozens of roles, which later became a textbook: Khlestakov (The Examiner), Epikhodov (The Cherry Orchard), Lev Gurych Sinichkin. After that, the audience went to the Leningrad Comedy Theater solely in order to enjoy the enchanting work of the maestro.
Subsequently, he moved to the BDT to the great Tovstonogov. He motivated his decision by the fact that in his repertoire there are few dramatic roles and he wants to fill this gap. In the Great Drama, he will perfectly play the image of Mr. Pickwick in the production of Pickwick Club.
He will also be remembered by the audience for the roles of Rasplyuev (âThe Death of Tarelkinâ), Chebutykin (âThree Sistersâ), Lebedev (âIdiotâ).
Movie roles
Peopleâs artist of the USSR Nikolai Trofimov owes much of his popularity to cinema to eminent director Sergei Bondarchuk, who admired the way the actor plays in Chekhovâs âColorful Storiesâ.
Then he worked day and night on War and Peace, looking for talented actors on the role. And of course, without any trial, he entrusted Trofimov with playing the image of Tushin, who appears before the audience as a valiant warrior and a true defender of his Fatherland.
After this work, Nikolai Nikolaevich was expected to triumph. Many Soviet directors wanted to shoot an actor in their films, knowing in advance that the pictures would be popular with the viewer. Moreover, they saw the maestro primarily in comedic images. And the actor played with pleasure in this role. Nikolai Trofimov, films with the participation of which were regularly broadcast on blue screens, became a popular favorite. His characters are cheerful, kind and sympathetic. The audience will immediately recognize the actor from the films: âOn the Way to Berlinâ, âTobacco Captainâ, âFathers and Grandfathersâ, âD'Artagnan and the Three Musketeersâ, âPrincess of the Circusâ. And this is only a small fraction of what Trofimov Nikolai Nikolaevich played in the movie. Diverse images combining comedic simplicity and dramatic immediacy are subject to him.
Once an actor said: "My acting role is small people who can do great and great."
In 1974, the maestro was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR, and in 1989 he became People's Artist of the USSR.
Talented Reader
Nikolai Nikolaevich is not only a master actor, but also a wonderful reader. His performance with the story of Mikhail Zoshchenko âA small case from his personal lifeâ in the Writer's House was masterly. During the break, an intelligent man came up to the actor and said: âThank you very much! I did not suspect that the story I wrote would be so successful. " After this, Trofimov repeatedly spoke with this number in front of the audience.
Personal life
Nikolai Trofimov, whose personal life was the best, repeatedly said that he really loved only two women.
His first wife, actress Tatyana Grigoryevna, did not look for the soul in the actor: for the sake of him, she left the theater, taking care of arranging her life so that her husband felt at home coziness and comfort. It was she who instilled in him a love for the mosaic business. They loved to spend time cutting plastic toys and records from which real masterpieces were created. Unfortunately, Trofimovâs first wife passed away early.
The actor married for the second time to the admirer of his talent Marianna Iosifovna, who had the most tender feelings for Nikolai Nikolaevich. She gave birth to his daughter Natalia, who later chose the profession of a translator.
Nikolai Trofimov died in November 2005. He is buried on the Literary bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery.