Table of Contents
- 1 Moscow region gang
- 2 Suvorov School
- 3 Scene and love
- 4 Betrayal of the first wife
- 5 Played scoundrels
- 6 Grisha “Six by Nine”
- 7 Girl at the post office
- 8 Happiness 17 years long
- 9 How did Lev Perfilov’s personal experiences, such as his failed marriages, shape his approach to acting and character development?
Viewers remembered Lev Perfilov for his minor roles. However, he turned out to be no less bright than those of other actors – the main ones. For example, it is impossible to imagine “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed” without the colorful policeman Grisha, nicknamed “Six by Nine.” Quite often Perfilov played negative characters – that was his type. Maybe that’s why he had to endure several bitter betrayals – the women whom the actor loved kept giving him unpleasant surprises.
Moscow region gang
Lev Perfilov as a child with his mother, stepfather and younger brother./Photo: social networks
He was a seven-year-old tomboy when the Great Patriotic War began. The father soon died at the front, the mother had to work almost for days to feed her son. Meanwhile, Lyova enjoyed freedom and did what he wanted. A thin, nimble boy became a member of a gang of thieves that operated in Kolomenskoye near Moscow. The older guys sent Lev “to work” – he needed to pity passers-by with tears and a story about his lost mother. The rest, waiting until the attention of sympathizers was focused on the “unfortunate orphan,” emptied the bags and pockets of gullible citizens.
Suvorov School
It is possible that such “entertainment” would have led Leo to prison bunks. Everything was decided by my mother’s marriage: after remaining a widow and grieving for several years, she became the wife of a military officer. The stepfather had a short conversation with the aspiring bandit: the guy, at his request, was enrolled in the Suvorov Military School. There Leo involuntarily became accustomed to strict discipline. And he began to dream… no, not about a military career – it was still not for him. But I really wanted to become an artist.
Scene and love
Lev Perfilov in his youth./Photo: social networks
After graduating from Suvorov, Lev entered the Shchepkinsky Theater School. He was accepted immediately – a bright, artistic guy who knew how to “hold an audience.” He quickly became everyone’s favorite – he was looked after as the youngest in the year, and girls were drawn to the handsome, cheerful Lev. He fell in love with his classmate Lenochka. Their romance turned out to be serious, they played a modest wedding. And after receiving their diplomas, the young spouses were assigned far from Moscow – to one of the Siberian theaters.
Betrayal of the first wife
Lev’s career there did not work out. He was constantly “pushed” into the background, but the young wife shone, instantly becoming a “prima.” Even the birth of children – twin daughters – did not prevent her stunning success on stage. For a long time, the gullible Leo did not realize the true reason for such success. But one day he also became aware of what all the residents of the town had been whispering about for a long time: Elena was “promoted” by a local high-ranking official with whom she had a relationship.
His wife’s behavior was a severe blow for Perfilov. Unable to forgive the betrayal, he left as soon as he found out about everything. He returned to Moscow, and then he was offered a job at the Ukrainian film studio named after Dovzhenko.
Played scoundrels
Lev Perfilov in the film “Kin-dza-dza!”./Photo: still from the film
I had to play the most unattractive characters – spies, alcoholics, thieves, pirates, fascists… Perfilov did this very reliably. Gullible viewers were sure that this unpleasant guy was the same in life as on the screen. Often, angry citizens approached the artist right on the street and shamed him, throwing reproaches and insults in his face. Lev Alekseevich suffered from such an attitude, but he could not do anything about the people’s indignation – at that time, many people identified on-screen characters with the actors who played them.
Second wife and another betrayal
In Kyiv, Perfilov met an attractive girl, Valentina. They began an affair and decided to get married. It seemed that the family turned out to be happy – three sons were born one after another, the artist did everything to ensure that his wife and children were happy and did not need anything. But then the fourth boy was born, and Valentina immediately admitted: his father was another man with whom she cheated on her husband. Heartbroken, Perfilov did not raise a scandal. He just left.
Grisha “Six by Nine”
Lev Perfilov in the film “The meeting place cannot be changed.”/Photo: still from the film
Alcohol helped me forget about the destroyed happiness. Of course, this could not lead to anything good. Filming distracted me from the bottle for a while. Perfilov was especially happy when he got the role of Grisha “Six by Nine” in the film “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed.” Finally, he didn’t have to make terrible grimaces and pretend to be a scoundrel; finally, he could play, essentially, himself – a cheerful, kind guy, a joker, at whose jokes those around him laughed. The role of Grisha turned out to be almost the only positive one from Perfilov, and the audience remembered him in this image.
Gradually, the artist reached the half-century mark. He had long ago given up on his personal happiness: after the betrayals of two women whom he sincerely loved, Perfilov no longer counted on luck. But happiness suddenly came to him in his declining years.
Girl at the post office
Arriving at the post office to send a telegram, he immediately drew attention to the pretty girl in the window. I tried to joke with her, but she, looking up and recognizing the popular artist, was confused, got up and left the hall. Leo didn’t know what to think. Then Vera—that was the girl’s name—still managed to cope with her excitement, returned and accepted the telegram. For some reason, both their hearts began to beat strongly – they seemed to feel that this was not just a casual acquaintance.
Lev Alekseevich, afraid of missing out on illusory happiness, invited the girl to visit. She came – dressed up, with a beautiful hairstyle and… with a baby holding her hand tightly. Vera’s little son instantly won the artist’s heart – they became friends, often played and talked. And Vera realized that she loved this man with sad eyes – despite the fact that he was twice her age.
Happiness 17 years long
Lev Perfilov in the film “The meeting place cannot be changed.”/Photo: still from the film
It was Perfilov’s age that caused the indignation of Vera’s relatives when she announced her decision to get married. The actor’s mother was also against it – it seemed to her that Vera had selfish intentions. Despite all the protests, Lev and Vera got married. And they lived happily together for 17 years. It was true love – selfless, heartfelt, tender.
In the 90s, many artists were left without work. To feed his family, Lev Perfilov starred in advertising. And he suffered greatly from this, considering all these videos to be far from real art. In 1999, he played his last film role – again negative: an evil sorcerer in the film “How a Blacksmith Searched for Happiness.” Sometimes he still appeared on stage: the play “Judgment Day” with the participation of Perfilov was invariably a success, because he played in it “to rupture the aorta,” truly suffering and suffocating.
The last role of Lev Perfilov./Photo: still from the film “How a Blacksmith Searched for Happiness”
Shortness of breath appeared due to a serious lung disease. He was getting worse. Vera was knocked off her feet, looking for scarce medicines and protecting her Leo in every possible way. Thanks to the care of his wife, Perfilov lived five additional years – this is the verdict the doctors made when he died. This happened in a hospital in early 2000. Vera was there until the last second, and Lev Alekseevich did not let go of her hand – weak and disobedient.
In memory of Lev Perfilov, we still have his roles. In Kolomna, on the house where he lived as a child, there is a sign depicting the famous Grisha “Six by Nine” – almost the only positive character of the talented actor. None of his children – two daughters and three sons – ever became an artist: each chose their own path in life.
Meanwhile, on the set of the cult film “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed” many stories took place – both funny and quite scandalous.
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How did Lev Perfilov’s personal experiences, such as his failed marriages, shape his approach to acting and character development?
1. How did Lev Perfilov’s personal life experiences, such as his failed marriages and betrayals, influence his acting career? Did he ever struggle to separate his personal life from his professional persona?
2. What were some of the challenges that Lev Perfilov faced throughout his career, both as an actor and as a person? How did he overcome these challenges?
3. How did Lev Perfilov’s reputation as a talented actor change over time, and did this affect his ability to secure roles? Were there any particular roles or projects that were especially significant in his career?
4. Can you discuss the cultural and political climate during the times when Lev Perfilov was active in the film industry? How did this influence the types of roles he was offered or the themes of the films he starred in?
5. What was it like working on the set of the cult film “The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed”? Were there any funny or scandalous incidents that happened during the filming process?
