Leonid Grigorievich Okunev is a Russian theater and film actor. He was born in 1949 in Tyumen. In school years, Leonid showed interest in acting. After school, he firmly decided to devote his life to acting and entered the theater institute located in Tyumen.
With graduation, Leonid Okunev was offered to work in the Chelyabinsk Regional Drama Theater. There he performed in various productions for several years. After a while, the actor returned to his hometown and began working in the Tyumen Drama Theater.
Biography and theatrical career
A talented artist was invited to work in different groups. During his acting career, Leonid G. Okunev performed on the stage of the Arkhangelsk and North Kazakhstan Drama Theater. Also, Okunev was the head of the student theater in his native city, created at the Institute of Industry.
In 1993, the actor, along with Viktor Zagoruyko, founded the Russian Engagement Theater, which after a while began to bear a different name - The Youth Engagement Theater. On the stage of the theater, Russian actor Leonid Okunev played many roles in various productions. Among his works is participation in the performances of “A Very Simple Story”, “Primadonna”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Flint” and many others.
The first appearance of Okunev on the movie screens took place in 1968 in the film "Passenger from the Equator". After that, there were also several minor roles. Until 2000, the artist performed exclusively on the stage.
Debut in the world of cinema
In 2003, the film “The Truth About Clicks” was released, where the actor played the main role. For his work in the film, actor Leonid Grigoryevich Okunev was awarded the prize at the Kinotavr Film Festival - For the Best Actor.
The next work of Okunev was the main role in the film "Golden Calf". Despite the brilliant play of the artist, the picture was not accepted by critics and spectators.
Leonid Okunev took part in such films as: “Pelagia and the White Bulldog”, “Equator”, “Night Sisters”, “Heirs”, “Apostle”. Directors love to invite the artist to shoot their films for his originality, versatility and unconditional talent.
The personal life of the actor
Details of the actor’s personal life are unknown. Despite active employment in the cinema, Okunev lives in Tyumen. Constant flights to the capital do not interfere with the artist, but only help to develop acting.
Work in the cinema
“The Truth About Scraps” is a domestic film directed by Alexei Muradov, released in 2003. The story tells of three friends gathered at the funeral of an old neighbor. In the course of the plot, it turns out that everyone was gathered by a fourth mutual friend who is considered a traitor.
In the film, Leonid G. Okunev played one of the main roles. He embodied on the screens one of his friends - Zemu. Participation in the film brought the actor popularity and love of viewers.
Golden Calf is a Russian television series released in 2005. Based on the eponymous story of Ilf and Petrov. Leonid Grigorievich Okunev played the role of Mikhail Panikovsky in the film. This is the second successful role of the actor in the cinema. Oleg Menshikov, Dmitry Nazarov and Nikita Tatarenkov became Okunev’s colleagues in the film .
“Pelagia and the White Bulldog” is a domestic multi-part film based on the novel “The Adventures of Pelagia” by Boris Akunin. The film work was released in 2009. The director of the tape is Yuri Moroz. The plot of the detective series tells about the nun Pelagia, who has a unique intuition that helps her investigate crimes.
In the movie series, Leonid G. Okunev played the character of Donat Abramovich Sytnikov, a merchant. Together with the artist, such famous movie stars as Polina Kutepova, Alexander Feklistov and Nina Usatova took part in the series.