Valentin Gaft

Valentin Gaft
Valentin Gaft in 2005
Born Valentin Yosifovich Gaft
(1935-09-02) September 2, 1935
Moscow, Soviet Union
Occupation actor
Years active 1956-present
Awards Order of Friendship
(1995)

Valentin Yosifovich Gaft (Russian: Валенти́н Ио́сифович Гафт; born 2 September 1935 in Moscow) is a Russian and Soviet actor, People's Artist of Russia (1984).[1][2]

Biography

Early life and education

Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow to a family of a lawyer Iosif Romanovich Gaft (1907–1969) and Gita Davydovna Gaft (1908–1993). The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine.[3] During World War II Iosif Gaft served in the Red Army finishing with the rank of Major.[4]

Valentin Gaft took a great interest in theater while in school and took part in the school theater amateur performance.[1]

Valentin Gaft graduated from the School-Studio at the Moscow Art Theatre (1953–1957). Among the students of the same course were future popular actors Oleg Tabakov and Maya Menglet.

Theatre

After graduating Gaft worked for a number of theaters including the Mossovet Theater, Leninski Komsomol Theatre (under famous director Anatoly Efros), Theater of Satire. In 1969 he started to work for the Sovremennik Theatre and works there to the present time.[5]

Film

Gaft started his work for the cinema in 1956 in the Mikhail Romm's film Murder on Dante Street.[6]

Later he starred in the movies The First Courier (1968), Mad Gold (1977), Centaurs (1979), Black Hen, or Underground Villagers (1981), Fuete (1986), prominent roles were played by Gaft in the musical comedy The Sorceress (1982), the tragicomedy Through Main Street with an Orchestra (1986), the action film Thieves in Law (1988), The Visit of the Lady (1989), Night Fun (1991), Encore, Once More Encore! (1992).[1]

In 1994, Valentin Gaft played Woland in Yuri Kara's film The Master and Margarita, which was only released in 2011.[1]

However, the real popularity came to Gaft only after cooperation with Eldar Ryazanov. In 1979, he played the chairman of the garage cooperative Sidorkin in the comedy The Garage, in 1980, starred in the tragicomedy Eldar Ryazanov Say a Word for the Poor Hussar, in 1987, starred in the movie Forgotten Melody for a Flute, and in 1991 in the film Promised Heaven.[1]

In addition to theater and cinema, Valentin Gaft has played many roles on television - the main character in the television series based on Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbrooks, Lopatin in Lopatin's Notes, Jasper in the four-part film Edin Druid's Secret, Kramin in the television movie For the Rest of His Life, Prince Borescu in the television show The Archipelago Lenoir, The Kid in Kings and Cabbage, Butler in the television film Hello, I'm Your Aunt! and others. Teleplays with Valentin Gaft's participation include Just a few words in honor of M. de Moliere, Widow's Home, Players, Aesop, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?[1]

Personal life

Gaft has been married to the well-known actress Olga Ostroumova since 1996.[7]

He also the author of pointed but extremely popular epigrams against many theatrical and movie figures.[8] In the 2013 film Yolki 3, he read some of his own poetry.[9]

For "statements contradicted the interests of our national security" Gaft is banned from entering Ukraine.[10]

Selected filmography

Honours and awards

  • Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
    • 2nd class (2 September 2010) - for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity
    • 3rd class (2 September 2005) - for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, and many years of creative activity
  • Order of Friendship (11 August 1995) - for services to the state and achievements in work and significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations
  • People's Artist of the RSFSR (1984)

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Валентин Иосифович Гафт. Биографическая справка" [Valentin Iosifovich Gaft. Biographical reference]. RIA Novosti.
  2. "Биография Валентин Гафт" [Article Valentin Gaft]. peoples.ru.
  3. "Валентин Гафт: " Я обязательно приеду в русский Севастополь!"". sevastopol.su.
  4. "Валентин Гафт". VokrugTV.
  5. Lena Chugui. "Валентин Гафт: «Театр «Современник» — это мой дом»". Argumenty i Fakty.
  6. "Валентин Гафт. Биография" [Valentin Gaft. Biography]. Vesti.ru.
  7. "Ольга Остроумова о браке с Валентином Гафтом: «Мне хотелось досадить прежнему мужу»". StarHit.
  8. Viktor Grakov. "Самые колкие эпиграммы Валентина Гафта". Komsomolskaya Pravda.
  9. Yulia Khozhateleva. "«Елки-3» предсказали Сергею Светлакову судьбу". Komsomolskaya Pravda.
  10. SBU issues entry ban against 140 Russian artists, UNIAN (5 November 2016)
    Ukraine’s State Security Service bans 140 Russian cultural figures from entering country, TASS news agency (5 November 2016)
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