The best roles in the biography of Lika Nifontova were in the films that her husband, the famous Russian director Sergei Ursulyak, shot. Which, however, does not detract from the undoubted merits of the actress, the roles did not go simply "by pull". In addition, she has a very impressive theater portfolio, where she played more than a dozen impressive roles.
early years
Lika was born on March 5, 1963 in Kazan in an acting family, where her parents worked at that time. Father, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Aleksey Efimovich Simkovich, played in many theaters of the young spectator of the Soviet Union. Mom usually worked in the same troupes, only in the pedagogical departments, since she had a teacher education. Her father called her Liana, but from birth, everyone, including himself, began to call Lika. Alexei Efimovich even advised changing the name in the passport, but she did not do it. As the actress herself says, she tries to avoid change whenever possible. Since in the biography of Lika Nifontova in childhood there were plenty of them.
Father was in constant creative search, often changing jobs along with his place of residence. The family wandered after him throughout his great Soviet homeland. After Kuibyshev, they moved to Volgograd, then to Tbilisi, where Lika studied a little at the choreographic school. Lika graduated from high school already in Rostov-on-Don.
Acquaintance with the profession
The first role in the biography of Lika Nifontova happened when she was only three years old, she no longer remembers whom she portrayed. Parents worked at the Samara Youth Theater at that time, dad worked as an actor and director, and mom worked as an employee of the pedagogical department. Therefore, little Lika was given one of the roles at the New Year's holiday, it was then that she first got acquainted with the scene. The girl was in high school when she informed her parents that she decided to become an actress. My father was not particularly happy about this, but he did not begin to obstruct. As Lika Nifontova later recalled in her biography, she lived behind the scenes from her childhood, and never thought of another profession. With such a life, all roads led to the theater.
After graduation, Lika entered the theater school. B.V. Schukin, where she studied in the workshop of A. Burov. In 1984, she successfully graduated from the university, playing in the graduation performances of "Man from the Star", "School of Slander," "Eternally Alive" and "Barbara".
One theater forever
The first and only theater in the biography of Lika Nifontova is “Satyricon”, where she came immediately after the theater university and still works. Probably, she was lucky here too, she met her director - Konstantin Raikin. He believed in a novice actress, giving first supporting roles, and then the main ones. It was a difficult period in the biography of Lika Nifontova, a time of improvement in acting. She came during the formation of a new repertoire, when the troupe "Satyricon" for 4 years gave performances on different stages. Since the theater building was under reconstruction.
The audience warmly received the release of actress Lika Nifontova in the productions of "Hercules and the Augean Stables" (in the role of Defnir), "London Show" (Miss Higgins) and "The Imaginary Sick" (Tuanetta). She contributed a bit of her talent to the success of these performances. Critics noted the amazing naturalness and subtle understanding of the psychology of the created images. The unforgettable characters of Mirandolina from the play "The Mistress of the Hotel", Mrs. Baker from "Such Free Butterflies" and Kukushkina from "Profitable Place" were warmly received by the public.
Several performances in theatrical biography of Lika Nifontova were played together with Konstantin Raikin. It was “What is our life?”, Where she played the Actress and “Signor Todero - the host”, in the role of Fortunata. Especially in excellent tones, critics wrote about the latest performance. Goldoni’s vivid comedy was remembered by the public not only for Raikin in the role of Todero, but also for the impressive Nifontova’s play.
Family tandem
The best movie roles in the biography of Lika Nifontova were in the paintings of her husband Sergei Ursulyak. In his diploma work "Russian Ragtime," she received a small role as a Stranger. For both of them, it was the first work in the cinema. Then there were supporting roles in his next films "Summer People" based on Gorky's play "Summer Residents" and "Composition for Victory Day."
She became famous in 2007 after filming a detective series about post-war Odessa. Lika Nifontova in "Liquidation" received the role of Nora, the girlfriend of the protagonist, brilliantly played by Vladimir Mashkov. The film became a real bestseller, colorful dialogues and statements quickly became "popular" quotes.
Actress Lika Nifontova invariably got a job in the subsequent films of Ursulyak - from small roles, like in the TV series Silent Don and Isaev, to the wife of the main character in the film Life and Fate.
With other directors
In a relatively small filmography of Lika Nifontova, there are two pictures where she starred with other directors. In the picture of Dmitry Iosifov "The Departing Nature" of 2014, she received one of the main roles - Natalia. The film about the classic love triangle was well received by the audience, who noted its unusual soulfulness and warmth.
In Tatyana Yankevich’s film “Akme,” she plays Galina, the coiled, often annoyed wife of the protagonist. With a small budget, the film was able to reliably show complex human relationships. I especially liked the game of Lika Nifontova, her heroine, despite life's difficulties, retained a young soul and a thirst for happiness.
Present
Theatrical biography of Lika Nifontova is at its peak, in 2017 the premiere of the play "Vanya and Sonya, and Masha and Nail" staged by Konstantin Raikin based on the play by Christopher Durang. In the production, she played the role of Masha, one of the main ones. Last year, she received one of the roles in the Modern Theater, where the premiere of the production of "Matryoshka on the Earth's Roundness" by Yuri Grymov also took place.
In the near future, in the movie, the actress Nifontova Lika Alekseevna will work in the second season of “Liquidation”. The script is now being added, and the shooting location is being determined.
Personal life of Lika Nifontova
The first time she got married when she was still at the theater institute. Then she became Nifontova, taking the name of her husband - actor Yuri Nifontov. With Sergey Ursulyak they worked together in the Satyricon Theater (then he was still an actor). He was married to an actress of the same theater - Galina Nadirli, and Alexander's little daughter grew up in the family. Yuri, Sergey and Galina studied at the same course at the Shchukin school. The flared office romance destroyed two families.
Since 1986, Lika Nifontova is the wife of Ursulyak, at first they lived in a civil marriage. Then, without too much hype, they signed in one of the Moscow registry offices. After leaving comfortable housing, they wandered around for a long time in rented apartments. For some time they even lived with Mikhail Shirvindt, with whom they maintained friendly relations. Then, thanks to the efforts of theater director Konstantin Raikin, they got a dorm room.
Despite the difficult work schedule, due to the fact that she is busy in many performances and filming of films, Lika seeks to do household chores herself. Lika cooks well, often manages to do cleaning in the house. When she puts on rehearsals in the theater and filming in films, Lika, she said, is very nervous. Because she thinks that due to her high employment, she does not pay enough time to her family.
Family dynasty
In 1989, Nifontova Lika Alekseevna had a daughter, Daria, who is now friends with her half-sister Alexandra Ursulyak. The family does not distinguish between the girls, according to Lika, they are both full members of a close-knit family, and the father supports both daughters. Alexandra immediately decided on the choice of profession, now she is a famous theater and film actress.
Daria, whose parents tried not to influence the choice of profession, after leaving school she entered the historical and philological faculty of the RSUH. After studying for four years, the girl told her parents that she also wants to try to become an actress. She submitted documents to all theatrical institutes in Moscow, and everywhere she went through the competition. Daria chose the Shchukin school, where her parents studied. While still a student, she began to play in the theater. Vakhtangov and in the "Satyricon", where he currently works. Like her mother, she managed to star in several films of Ursulyak.