Childhood and youth
The summer of 1969 turned out to be hot, but happy for the family of Soviet celebrities Lyubov Zemlyanikina, an actress at the Moscow Art Theater, and the future People's Artist of the USSR Oleg Strizhenov. This summer, their first child appeared in their family - son Alexander Olegovich Strizhenov.
Actor, director and screenwriter Alexander Strizhenov
It was destined for him to choose the acting path. A creative atmosphere always reigned in my parents' house. The guests were exclusively people of art, famous theater and film artists. All conversations revolved around events in the theater world and cinema.
The marriage of Lyubov and Oleg Strizhenov broke up 6 years after the wedding. The two stars could not get along under the same roof due to mutual claims. After the divorce, Alexander’s mother raised her son and daughter from her first marriage alone. In 2008, the actress decided to leave the world and retired to a monastery.
Alexander Strizhenov with his father and his wife Lionella
The creative biography of Alexander Strizhenov began early. As a child, at the age of 7, he played his first role in the television play “As you leave, look back...”. And at the age of 12 he appeared on screen again, this time in the television play “A Few Drops.”
Alexander Strizhenov's film debut took place in 1984. Viewers saw the actor in the family melodrama “Leader” directed by Boris Durov. His partner in the film turned out to be 14-year-old Ekaterina Tokman, who a few years later turned into his wife Ekaterina Strizhenova. Alexander played schoolboy Oleg Khokhlov.
Alexander and Ekaterina Strizhenov in their youth and now
Nothing unexpected happened after Alexander Strizhenov graduated from school: the guy entered the Moscow Art Theater School, where he took the course of the famous Alexander Kalyagin.
Even during his student years, Strizhenov Jr. tried his hand at the stage of the Moscow theater “School of Modern Play”. And after graduating from a theater university, he became an artist of the Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov.
Family and children of Alexander Strizhenov
Our hero’s family appeared very early. But even in our time, many are amazed at the happiness and love of the Strizhenov family for a long period. The press called this family a real long-liver. And the children of Alexander Strizhenov and his wife Ekaterina are glad that they were raised in such a loving marital union.
Alexander and Ekaterina met in their youth. At first sight they fell in love with each other. Immediately the young lovers made joint plans and dreamed about the future. After a 4-year period, they legalized their relationship. For a long time, the spouses were not separated from each other for a minute. They were together both at work and at home. The couple raised two charming daughters.
Theater and films
The most striking works of Alexander Strizhenov on the theatrical stage were the performances “Hamlet”, in which the artist got the role of Laertes, “Cyrano de Bergerac” (played Christian) and “Honoring”. The latest production, in which the actor played the charismatic Jude, is one of Strizhenov’s favorites.
Among the actor's early film works are the role of Timoteo in the action film Sniper, a sailor in the melodrama A Child by November, and Ivan in the film Gentlemen the Artists. Then the artist’s television career began.
Alexander Strizhenov in the film “Ka-ka-doo”
In his youth, Strizhenov first appeared on screen as a TV presenter. This happened in 1994. Alexander Strizhenov became the TV presenter of the “Cinematograph” project. The program was regularly broadcast on the ORT channel. And from 1997 to 2005, Alexander Strizhenov appeared on Channel One, where he and his wife Katya hosted the “Good Morning” program.
In 2002, Strizhenov first tried himself as a director. His debut film “Falling Up” was released, which he shot in tandem with Sergei Ginzburg. The film stars Evgenia Kryukova, Alexander Feklistov and Evgeniy Sidikhin. It was warmly received by the audience and received rave reviews from film critics.
Alexander Strizhenov’s debut film “Fall Up”
Three years later, in 2005, Alexander Strizhenov’s comedy “From 180 and Above” was released. This was his independent work. The story is based on Irwin Shaw's short story "Unfortunate Saturday". One of the producers of the film was Renat Davletyarov, and the key roles were played by Ivan Urgant and Evgeny Stychkin.
The audience enjoyed watching the director’s comedy project “Carrot Love” in 2007. This is a comedy-fantasy film about the reincarnation of spouses and the “exchange” of bodies. The main roles went to Gosha Kutsenko, Kristina Orbakaite, Evgeny Stychkin and Andrey Krasko.
Director Alexander Strizhenov
And in 2009, Alexander Strizhenov surprised fans of his work. This time, viewers accustomed to the director’s comedic projects saw the thriller “Yulenka” on the screen. The main characters were played by Marat Basharov, Daria Balabanova and Diana Shpak. The music for the film was written by Arkady Ukupnik. The tape received high ratings.
And in 2014, Alexander Strizhenov returned to the usual comedy genre. He gave the audience a hilarious grotesque family story, “Grandfather of My Dreams,” in which the main characters were played by the director’s wife, Nikolai Dobrynin and Leonid Yakubovich.
Alexander Strizhenov and Leonid Yakubovich in the “Good Morning” program
If the number of films in which Alexander Strizhenov acted as a director includes only a few projects, then the filmography of actor Strizhenov includes dozens of roles.
One of Alexander Strizhenov’s first “adult” films was Vasily Panin’s melodrama “If I Want, I Love,” in which he starred in a duet with Vera Sotnikova. In 2005, he shone in the TV series “State Councilor”, playing Grand Duke Simeon Alexandrovich. Four years later, viewers saw Alexander Strizhenov in the psychedelic comedy film “Kitty,” in which he transformed into Viktor Komarovsky (short story “Marriage of Convenience”).
Alexander Strizhenov in the film “Kitty”
Alexander Strizhenov gained his greatest success as an actor after the release of the comedy melodrama “Female” by Gregory of Constantinople. Here, for the first time, the artist got the main role - Vanya the Bigfoot. His “snowy” wife Zhanna was played by Kristina Babushkina. Filming of the project took place in Kandalaksha, a city in the southwest of the Murmansk region of Russia.
Soon, viewers were able to see their favorite artist in the project “My Crazy Family.” The film was about how a young man decided to introduce his girlfriend not to his real relatives, but to hired actors. But the beautiful plan collapsed due to unforeseen circumstances.
Alexander Strizhenov with his family at the premiere of the film “My Crazy Family”
Among the leading actors, in addition to Alexander Strizhenov, were Ivan Stebunov, Aglaya Shilovskaya, Leonid Yarmolnik, Maria Shukshina. Renat Davletyarov's film grossed $2.7 million.
Alexander also appeared in another comedy, “Suicides,” about people who unsuccessfully try to commit suicide. The artist played police sergeant Krylov. Strizhenov appeared in the frame along with Evgeny Stychkin, Alexey Vorobyov, Oksana Akinshina, Ville Haapasalo.
Alexander Strizhenov on the set
In 2012, the artist delighted viewers with 2 new projects. He starred in the black comedy “The Nightingale the Robber” by Ivan Okhlobystin and the comedy fantasy “The Secret of the Princesses” by Oleg Shtrom.
In 2016, Alexander Strizhenov appeared in the comedy “Drunken Firm” by Gregory of Constantinople. The director gathered in this project a constellation of Russian cinema - Mikhail Efremov, Elizaveta Boyarskaya, Marat Basharov, Evgeny Tsyganov, Victoria Isakova and many others, whose names are known throughout the country. Strizhenov played a hero named Vasily Apelsinov.
Cinematographic works
To date, Ekaterina Vladimirovna’s filmography includes more than forty different roles. The actress’s chic appearance, huge glazed eyes, magnificent black hair, sensual lips and beautiful figure predispose her to certain roles. The directors saw in her a fatal beauty, a languid young lady, or simply a gorgeous woman and therefore offered her the appropriate roles:
Madeleine is the beloved woman of the “grown-up” D, Artagnan in the film “The Musketeers 20 Years Later.”
- The beautiful Madame de Brisac - in the series "Countess de Monsoreau".
- Business lady Inna - in "Turns of Fate".
- Gorgeous TV presenter - in “Another Life”.
When it became known in artistic circles about the addition to the Strizhenov family, many were sure that the woman’s career was over and she would only take care of the house and children. But Ekaterina Alexandrovna began acting in films again three years later.
The actress plays her new roles even more excitingly and talentedly. Many viewers liked and fell in love with her Nastya from the comedy film “Love-Carrots”, Vera in the film “From 180 and Above”, Marina from the dramatic film “One of Our Own”.
By the way, the director of the film “From 180 and Above” was Alexander Strizhenov, this is Ekaterina’s first work under the direction of her husband. It was very difficult to film with him , since Alexander did not make any concessions for his wife. On the contrary, he believed that Catherine should be an example for the other members of the film crew and therefore there is more demand from her. The actress coped well with her role, and later they had several more common works.
None of the women whose lives Strizhenova embodied on the screen allows the audience to remain indifferent to her. The actress knows how to very subtly convey the character traits of her heroines, making you empathize with them or hate them. Her Rohena Futroz from “Road to Nowhere” is weak and defenseless, but at the same time strong and bright, and the sniper Irina in the dramatic war film “Angels of Death” forces one to admire her heroism and courage.
In 2003, another side of Ekaterina Strizhenova’s talent was revealed. After the premiere of Elena Raiskaya’s series “Another Life,” viewers saw the actress in a new guise. In this series, the actress played the role of Marina Morozova , the wife of a “cool” businessman, and showed that she was capable of strong psychological and dramatic roles.
Personal life
On the set of one of his first films, “Leader,” Alexander Strizhenov met his future “soul mate.” As soon as he saw 14-year-old Katya, he promised himself that she would soon become his legal wife.
And so it happened. As soon as the couple reached adulthood, they immediately went to the registry office. It is noteworthy that the wedding took place on the birthday of Catherine’s mother. The young people decided this in order to return the holiday to the woman. Katya's early widowed mother has not celebrated her birthday since her husband died.
Alexander and Ekaterina Strizhenov
Before the wedding, the lovers visited Crimea. Having rested and received a beautiful, even tan, they returned to the capital. A week before going to the registry office, they secretly got married in one of the churches in Moscow. At the same time, Katya’s mother, who worked in the Central Committee, had no idea about this.
A year later, the newlyweds had a daughter, Nastya. Today she already has her own family. Her husband Peter graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Anastasia herself studied at one of the best design schools in the USA. After the wedding, which took place in 2013, the couple remained to live and work in America.
Alexander Strizhenov with his wife and daughters
The youngest daughter, Alexandra Aleksandrovna Strizhenova, was born with a large gap from her sister - in 2000. The Strizhenovs consciously took their time in having children, so the birth of their second daughter also turned out to be welcome. Now the girl is studying at the Faculty of Economics of Moscow State University.
Alexander Strizhenov now
The personal life of Alexander Strizhenov was happy. The strong marriage of two popular artists and TV presenters is one of the rare examples in the changing world of show business. Their union was not cloudless, but the couple managed to overcome all obstacles and early realized that marriage is the work of two people, constant and serious.
In 2014, the press actively discussed the fact that Alexander Strizhenov had sharply lost weight and became similar to himself in his early youth. The reason for being slim was, fortunately, not illness, but the desire to get my figure and health in order. True, Alexander Strizhenov decided to take on his diet after the doctors scared him. Doctors warned about diabetes at an early stage and heart failure, which could develop if he does not “come to his senses.”
Alexander Strizhenov before and after weight loss
Alexander Strizhenov lost almost 50 kg of weight. When asked how he managed this, he gives a simple and effective answer: “You need to eat less!” In his free time from work, of which there is not much in the artist’s life, he plays tennis, rollerblades or rides horses in one of the capital’s equestrian clubs.
Alexander Strizhenov now
Today, Alexander Strizhenov, alternately with Leonid Yakubovich, hosts the television project “Star on “Star”” and regularly appears among the jury members of the “Voting KiViN” festival.
Alexander Strizhenov - host of the program “Zvezda on Zvezda”
In 2020, an important event took place in the family of Alexander Strizhenov. Daughter Anastasia became a mother for the first time, giving her parents a grandson, Peter. The news that her daughter would have a child was first announced by Ekaterina Strizhenova on her 50th birthday. Photos of the baby became publicly available 2 months after his birth. They were posted on Instagram by Nastya. The boy had already been baptized, and the Strizhenovs’ youngest daughter, Alexandra, became Peter’s godmother.
Now, in addition to family joys, Alexander continues to realize his creative potential. In 2020, the premiere of the drama “Russian Demon” by Gregory of Constantinople took place at Kinotavr, in which Alexander Strizhenov played the role of Father Gregory.
Alexander Strizhenov with his wife and daughter in 2020
The film is about a young man Svyatoslav (Ivan Makarevich), who decided to open his own restaurant. While realizing his dream, the young businessman faces a number of difficulties. The acting ensemble was represented by Russian cinema stars - Yulia Aug, Timofey Tribuntsev, Ksenia Rappoport. The film was awarded the award for best director at the film festival.
