Maria Leonova is an actress who cannot yet boast of a large number of bright roles. By the age of 43, she managed to appear in about ten films and TV series. Viewers remembered this woman thanks to the highly rated television project “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” in which she embodied the image of Diana Belyaeva. The interest that the public shows in Maria is primarily due to the fact that she has been married to the famous actor Daniil Strakhov for many years. What can you tell about her?
Actress Maria Leonova: the beginning of the journey
The performer of the role of Diana Belyaeva was born in Moscow in August 1974. Actress Maria Leonova comes from a family far from the world of dramatic art. She has a younger brother Andrei, with whom she is very friendly.
Masha showed interest in the acting profession as a child. She was the permanent star of school plays and enjoyed participating in matinees and concerts. Leonova studied at an average level, giving preference to the humanities.
Maria Leonova now
In September 2020, the crime drama “Sunday” was released, about an official who wrongly ignored a prediction of imminent death. According to Alexander Sokurov, the result was “a sincere, surprisingly Russian film about modern Russian life.” True, viewers saw a “cultured” version, devoid of a number of phrases in which obscene language was used.
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Maria Leonova and Daniil Strakhov
This is another joint project between Maria Leonova and director Svetlana Proskurina. The actress appeared in the image of the hysterical ex-wife of the main character. Like the previous film of the creative tandem, “Sunday” participated in the competition program of the Moscow International Film Festival and “East&West. Classics and Avant-garde”, as well as in the film screening “Woven Parallels”. Vera Alentova, the leading actress, was awarded the Crystal Source festival award.
Education
By the time she graduated from school, the future actress Maria Leonova had already decided on her choice of profession. She applied to several theater universities. The girl managed to enter the Shchukin School; Evgeniy Simonov took her to his workshop. Maria is still grateful to fate for this, since the talented teacher made a significant contribution to her development as an actress. The diploma of the Shchukin School was awarded to Leonova in 1997. A few years later, the actress realized that she needed a second higher education. Maria trained as a designer.
Childhood and youth
Maria was born in Moscow in 1974 and became the first child of her parents, Larisa and Alexander. Five years later, Masha had a younger brother, Andrei. The girl’s interest in the stage began to manifest itself during her school years, when she enjoyed performing in all sorts of extracurricular activities, concerts and productions.
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Having received a matriculation certificate, Masha applied to all theater universities in the capital, but only the third time she entered Ruben Simonov’s Shchukin School. She studied with Alexander Semchev and Ekaterina Guseva. In 1997, the young actress joined the troupe of the Gogol Theater. Then in her career there were performances at the Kazantsev and Roshchin Center for Drama and Directing, and at the Theater Center.
In addition to acting education, Maria Leonova also received a second higher education. She trained as an interior designer and was engaged in decorating private apartments on Old Arbat. But the actress views this activity solely as a profitable hobby, and continues to consider theater as her main job.
Theater
In 1997, aspiring actress Maria Leonova joined the creative team of the Nikolai Gogol Theater. She made her debut in the production “My Crime”, where she embodied the image of Odili. At first, Maria was assigned mainly episodic roles, then they began to entrust more serious tasks. “The History of a Soldier”, “Ivanov”, “Trigorin’s Notebook”, “A Woman with a Past”, “Someone else’s Child” are famous performances with her participation.
A few years later, Leonova left the Nikolai Gogol Theater, the reasons for which remained behind the scenes. Soon after this, Maria’s collaboration with the Center for Drama and Direction began. For example, she played a striking role in the production of “Ice Pictures.”
Actress Leonova Maria
The now famous actress Maria Alexandrovna Leonova was born on August 6, 1974. In 1997, Maria graduated from the VTU named after Shchukin. It was at the school that she met her future husband. It was in 1994, when a handsome student, Daniil Strakhov, transferred to the course where Maria was studying. He fell madly in love with her, but could not impress the girl. Only after some time, he still managed to win her heart.
After college, Maria Leonova worked at the Gogol Theater, where she took part in six productions. The actress’s debut role was the role of Odile in the play “My Crime” by J. Berra and L. Verneuil. Further, she played the Princess in “The Story of a Soldier” by C. Remus, Sasha Lebedeva in the production of “Ivanov” based on the novel by Anton Pavlovich Chekhov. She also played the role of Masha in Trigorin's Notebook based on the novel by Thomas Williams, Manya in the play Someone Else's Child and the Snow Maiden in The Woman in the Past.
At the Gogol Theater, Maria met Strakhov again, and a stormy but short-lived student romance flared up with renewed vigor. Four years later they got married. In parallel with her work in the theater, Maria trained as an interior designer. Later, she worked part-time as a decorator and decorated apartments in Moscow on Old Arbat.
In 2003, the actress left the Gogol Theater and for the next three years worked at the M. Roshchin and A. Kazantsev Center for Drama and Direction, where she participated in the play “Ice Pictures” in the role of Beloved. Maria played at GITIS the role of General Anna Petrovna Voitseva in “Fatherlessness” (according to Chekhov).
In addition to her work in the theater, actress Maria Leonova became famous for her work in cinema. The first film in which Maria starred was the film “Ordinary Days” directed by Sergei Borchukov. She was followed in 2003 by the role of Vera in the film “Remember, my name is Rogozin!” A year later, she played a cameo role in the film “Children of the Arbat”, and was also involved in Sergei Borchukov’s film “One of Many” and in the series “Always Say Always” - 2.
In 2005, she was invited to play the role of Diana Belyaeva in the popular TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” and in 2007 she starred in two films at once. She also starred in a cameo role in Tatiana Voronetskaya’s film “The Model.” One of the first major roles in Maria’s acting career was the role of the blonde Ekaterina in Larisa Sadilova’s film “Nothing Personal.”
Maria Leonova’s latest role today is in the film “From Thursday to Friday” by director and screenwriter Alla Kofman. During her acting career, Maria repeatedly had to work with her husband, which, according to the actress, was not easy, but this did not stop her. Despite all the stardom of her husband, Daniil Strakhov, Maria tries to keep up with him.
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First roles
From the biography of Maria Leonova it follows that during her student years she did not act in films or TV series. The actress first came to the set after graduating from the Shchukin School. In 2001, the comedy drama “Ordinary Days” was presented to the audience, in which Maria was assigned one of the central roles. The film tells about the everyday life of ordinary young people. They walk, meet with friends, talk about philosophical topics. This continues until the heroes accidentally find themselves involved in a detective story. This is where all the fun begins.
Unfortunately, the comedy drama “Ordinary Days” was not particularly successful with viewers, and critics also reacted coolly to it. The graduate of the Shchukin School did not become a star, but she gained valuable experience.
Leonova got a supporting role in the action film “Remember, my name is Rogozin!”, which was released in 2003. Then the actress appeared in the series “Always Say Always 2.” This was followed by one of the key roles in the detective story “One of Many.” The audience focuses on the story of Major Doronin, who is investigating economic crimes.
Childhood
Maria is an acting child, so the world of the backstage was familiar to her from early childhood. She inherited beauty from her mother, and a love of literature and excellent acting skills from her father, which she began to show while still a student in elementary school.
When the girl grew up, she became a real star and an indispensable participant in all school events. Everything came easy to her - transformation, dancing, she perfectly recited the elements and easily got used to new images. Therefore, by the time I received the certificate, the question of where to apply was no longer a question.
Masha took the documents to the famous Shchuka, and she managed to get in on the first try. She took a course with the talented teacher Evgeny Simonov, where she not only mastered the art of acting, but also met her future husband. However, during her student years she didn’t even suspect about it.
Film and television projects
In 2005, Maria Leonova managed to attract the attention of viewers for the first time. Her filmography was replenished with the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” The television project tells the story of a very smart girl who finds it difficult to find a decent job because of her unattractive appearance. When she finally manages to get a job, she falls in love with the handsome boss. The boss notices this and begins to use her feelings for his own purposes.
In 2007, Leonova played a small role in the drama “The Model.” Then the actress embodied the image of one of the main characters in the film “Nothing Personal.” Her character is an attractive blonde, whom an employee of a private detective agency is forced to follow on duty.
Further, actress Maria Leonova, whose personal life and biography are discussed in the article, played one of the key roles in the detective series “Petrovka, 38. Semenov’s Team.” The television project tells about the everyday life of a department that investigates socially significant crimes. Leonova’s latest achievement is one of the central roles in the drama “Goodbye, Mom.” The film tells the story of young spouses who are growing apart. They dream of a divorce, but cannot decide to do so due to the presence of a common child.
Filmography
- 2001 – “Ordinary Days”
- 2003 - “Remember, my name is Rogozin!”
- 2004 – “Children of Arbat”
- 2004 – “Always say “always”-2”
- 2004 – “Opera-1. Chronicles of the homicide department"
- 2005-2006 – “Don’t be born beautiful”
- 2007 – “Model”
- 2007 – “Nothing personal”
- 2008 – “One of Many”
- 2009 – “Petrovka, 38. Semenov’s team”
- 2009 – “From Thursday to Friday”
- 2014 – “Goodbye Mom”
- 2018 – “Broken Souls”
- 2019 – “Sunday”
Love, family
Daniil Strakhov and Maria Leonova met within the walls of the Shchukin School. The young man transferred to this educational institution from the Moscow Art Theater School. Many of Maria’s classmates liked the charming guy, but she herself did not pay attention to him. Strakhov immediately liked Leonova, but he failed to interest her.
A romantic relationship between Daniil and Maria began while they were working together at the Nikolai Gogol Theater. For some time, the lovers simply met, then decided to live together. In 2000, Strakhov proposed to Leonova, which she accepted. The actors decided not to have a lavish wedding; they simply signed at the registry office. Maria didn’t have a white wedding dress, but that’s what she wore for her crystal anniversary.
Daniil Strakhov and Maria Leonova have been married for many years. From time to time, information appears about the actor’s infidelities. For example, while working on the TV series “Poor Nastya,” Daniil began dating his colleague Elena Korikova. This did not last long, soon Strakhov returned to the family.
Personal life
Maria Leonova met her husband Daniil Strakhov, as already emphasized, at the Shchukin School. This was in 1994. Before that, he worked at the Moscow Art Theater School-Studio. The future actresses immediately drew attention to the handsome young man, but for some reason Maria Leonova’s heart did not flinch when Strakhov appeared. At the same time, Daniel did not hide his feelings towards Masha: for him it was love at first sight. After “Pike” in 1997, they ended up together at the Gogol Theater. It was here that a “spark of love” broke out between the actors, and four years later they submitted an application to the registry office. At the same time, the lovers abandoned the lavish celebrations; they did not even bother choosing wedding dresses: they came to the wedding in T-shirts and jeans. The thing is that financial resources did not allow us to celebrate the ceremony, and besides, there was no particular desire to do so.
This is who she is, Maria Leonova, an actress. Children, according to her chosen one Daniil Strakhov, would further strengthen their feelings for each other. In the meantime, the loving husband only dreams of Masha giving birth to a child.
Interesting Facts
Maria and Daniel have been married for about 20 years, but there are no children in the family. The actors refuse to answer questions from journalists and fans about why this happened. This moment has been haunting the public for many years now. In 2020, Mohsen Norouzi, the winner of the “Battle of Psychics,” predicted Strakhov and Leonova’s adoption of a child.
Maria and Daniil almost never act together. The married couple can only be seen in the drama “The Model”. Leonova does not hide the fact that this was primarily her decision. It is difficult for her to get used to the character when her other half is nearby. Also, the actors do not have joint performances.
Maria is actively involved in charity work. For example, in 2017, the actress supported a charity art project. Together with her husband, Leonova took part in the photo exhibition “People and Birds,” which was held to raise funds in support of the Galchonok Foundation. By the way, Maria is one of the trustees of this fund; she is regularly involved in promotions.
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Literally after four years of marriage, namely in 2000, changes occurred in the personal life of Maria Leonova - Daniil proposed marriage to his chosen one. Thus, Daniil Strakhov became the official husband of Maria Leonova.
It should be noted that the couple did not have a magnificent wedding celebration. The actors went together to the registry office. It is noteworthy that both the bride and groom were dressed in regular jeans and T-shirts. As it turned out, the lovers simply did not have the funds to celebrate such a significant event. According to Maria, she and her husband did not even have the desire to invite friends and a crowd of relatives to the holiday. They didn’t even invite their parents to the registry office, but after the painting they modestly sat with their closest relatives in one of the local cafes.
According to the couple, a wedding celebration is a rather intimate moment. Of course, now the artist admits that she wouldn’t mind trying on a wedding dress. However, she intends to do this for a silver or gold wedding. It should also be added that the family, which has been together for more than 20 years, has no children. This question constantly excites loyal admirers of actors. At the same time, the artists themselves categorically refuse to give any comments on this matter.
