Biography
In her profession, Ekaterina Melnik is concerned about two problems. She worries that she became an actress late, “kicked out for a long time,” did not perceive obvious signs signaling her true calling, and, due to her age, will not play the roles she would like. In addition, Melnik came to the cinema in a certain image, and the producers do not see or do not want to see anyone else except the platinum blonde, whose appearance overshadows other qualities.
Actress Ekaterina Melnik
Nevertheless, Catherine’s career is on the rise, but even in this case, the artist says that even holding the fourth Oscar in her hands, she will doubt her own talent.
Childhood and youth
Ekaterina Melnik is a native Muscovite. She was born on February 18, 1982 in a family where no one is connected with the world of theater and cinema. At first, Katya planned to become a lawyer and received her diploma with honors. She successfully worked as a model in Italy; the walls of all significant agencies were hung with photographs of the Russian woman.
By the age of 18, the girl had an expensive car, a lot of money, and was on vacation in the Maldives. One thing was missing - internal satisfaction from all this. And then, as Ekaterina said in an interview, “fate by the scruff of the neck” brought her to art. She entered VGIK the first time.
Ekaterina Melnik in her youth
The course was led by the talented actor and director, People's Artist of the RSFSR Vsevolod Shilovsky. Melnik graduated from university in 2007 with a degree in theater and film actress.
The creative biography of Ekaterina Melnik began at the institute. In 2004, the girl, together with the famous artist Alexander Abdulov, hosted an extreme television show called “Natural Selection.”
Theater
In 2007, Ekaterina Melnik was accepted into the Pokrovka Theater, which was directed by actor and director, People's Artist of Russia Sergei Artsibashev. Here the young actress played Lydia in the play “Mad Money”. This was her debut role. Later, the artist had to get used to the complex image of the heroine of the play “The Meek” based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
Ekaterina Melnik in the play “Mad Money”
Convincing and professional critics call Melnik’s performance in the enterprise “8 Loving Women”, in which she reincarnated as Suzon. The actress appeared on stage in an ensemble with Natalya Bespalova, Svetlana Sushko, Maria Pankova.
Serving in the theater and acting in films, Ekaterina increasingly understands that she must continue to improve her acting skills. The young artist enters the International Theater School and in 2012 completes Igor Lysov’s course. Her subsequent performances in the plays “A Feast in the Time of Plague” and “The Seagull” demonstrate a significantly higher level of professionalism than at the beginning.
Ekaterina Melnik on stage
Now Melnik collaborates with Sergei Bezrukov and performs at the Moscow Provincial Theater as a guest star.
Melnik Ekaterina
Born February 18, 1982 in Moscow. In 2007 Graduated from VGIK (workshop of V. Shilovsky). Since 2007 - actress of the Theater "On Pokrovka". In 2002 - co-host of the TV show “Natural Selection” (together with Alexander Abdulov).
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5.5
Melody of Love (2018, multi-episode, directed by Natalya Uglitskikh) supporting role / Victoria
4.8/4
Youth. Adult life (2017, TV series, directed by Andrey Golovkov) / Regina Knyazeva /
The wife of a major businessman, a charming woman who is fond of painting. Through Kira she meets Kostrov, with whom she develops an obsession.
5.1/7
Crime (2016, TV series, directed by Maxim Vasilenko) supporting role / Nina / new assistant to Oleg Samoilov
5.7/13
The Far Side of the Moon 2 (2015, TV series, directed by Alexander Kott) supporting role / Galina Belous
5.8/14
The Other Life of Margarita (2015/2017, multi-episode, dir. Anastasia Popova) supporting role / Alina
6.0/2
Warrior (2015, dir. Andrey Andrianov) supporting role / Alice
5.7/17
Version (2015, TV series, directed by Roman Ivanov, Konstantin Frolov) / Gribova
5.3/3
Gym teacher. Third season (2015, TV series, directed by Dmitry Gubarev) / Elena
4.2/12
The Road Home (2014, TV series, directed by Vitaly Babenko) supporting role / Nina
5.7/15
Gym teacher. Second season (2014, TV series, directed by Fyodor Stukov) supporting role / Elena
5.3/26
Someone else's life (2014, multi-episode, dir. Andres Puustusmaa) supporting role
6.1/7
Yasmin (2013, TV series, directed by Ksenia Zarutskaya, Vyacheslav Kaminsky) supporting role / Maria
5.0/5
Spy (2012, dir. Alexey Andrianov) / Love / actress
6.2/62 10
Spy (2012, multi-part, directed by Alexey Andrianov) / Love / actress
5.4/13
Hokkaido Police. Russian department (2011, TV series, directed by Vsevolod Shilovsky) / Olga
Moskva.ru (2010, almanac, dir. Andrey Komarov) main role / “Angel”
Love and other nonsense (2010, TV series, directed by Roman Ivanov) / Alice
5.6/11
Capital of Sin (2009, TV series, directed by Olga Subbotina) / Lara / top model
5.9/45
Village comedy (2009, TV series, directed by Alexey Kiryushchenko, Sergey Aldonin, etc.) / wife of Yuri Mironovich
5.9/22
Fata Morgana (2008, short film, directed by Alexey Andrianov) main role
5.5/2
Trace (2007-2013, TV series, directed by Vsevolod Aravin) / Varvara / episode “Children of the Dungeon”, 2009.
6.9/178
- Performances
- Website
- Wolves and sheep (A. Ostrovky) / Glafira (thesis)
- Lolita (V. Nabokov) / Lolita (diploma)
- Hamlet (W. Shakespeare) / Ophelia (thesis)
- The Taming of the Shrew (W. Shakespeare) / Katarina (thesis)
- The Drowned Woman (N. Gogol) / Panochka (graduation)
- Mad Money (A. Ostrovsky) / Lydia (dir. - S. Poselsky / Theater on Pokrovka)
- Meek (F. Dostoevsky) / She (dir. - R. Smirnov / Theater on Pokrovka)
- 8 women (R. Toma) / Suzon (dir. - V. Shilovsky / enterprise)
- www.melnikkatya.com - official website
Movies
Ekaterina Melnik's film debut took place in 2007. The actress is invited to a cameo role in the popular detective series “Trace.” Another not very noticeable work is in the short thriller film “Fata Morgana”. There the artist played a girl without a name. The meaning of the picture is philosophical, making you think about the global issues of human existence in this world oversaturated with “smart” electronics.
Ekaterina Melnik
Katya played a more noticeable, but not yet central role in the series called “Village Comedy”. The film consists of 10 episodes, each of which tells a new story of residents and guests of the small village of Pyshkino.
But the melodrama “Moskva.Ru” becomes for Ekaterina that happy key that opens the door to fame and demand. The young actress is cast in the title role and copes with it brilliantly.
Ekaterina Melnik on the set of the film “Moskva.ru”
Next, the girl starred in two popular TV series at once. In "Interns" she flashed in an episode. “Capital of Sin,” where the actress played top model Lara, introduced Melnik to Dmitry Nagiyev.
Two years later, she received a role in the film “Spy,” an adventure detective story by Alexei Andrianov based on the novel by Boris Akunin. This is a film about the war, or more precisely, the struggle between two intelligence services on the eve of the Great Patriotic War. In the film, Ekaterina performed a hot dance with Fyodor Bondarchuk and later spoke enthusiastically about her partner’s professionalism: Bondarchuk, who had injured his leg, played on painkillers and with a temperature of over 40.
Ekaterina Melnik in the film "Spy"
In 2013, Ekaterina Melnik was involved in the popular series “Yasmin,” an adventure melodrama about the fate of three Russian beauties in Istanbul.
The artist was able to wake up truly famous after the release of the 2nd season of the popular TV series “Fizruk”. Here Katya again met with Dmitry Nagiyev. She played a tough, self-confident and cynical business woman. Melnik got into the sitcom on the recommendation of Vitaly Gogunsky. The performer of the role of Kuzy in the comedy “Univer” is friends with the producer of “Fizruk” Anton Shchukin and found out that the filmmakers are looking for a candidate for the role of Lena (Belka), a woman to whom a former criminal is working off a debt.
Ekaterina Melnik starred in the series “Fizruk”
In 2015, various projects appeared in Catherine’s filmography: the sports drama “Warrior”, the historical film “Gentlemen and Comrades” about post-revolutionary Russia, the fantasy “The Far Side of the Moon - 2”, the detective story “Version”.
Melnik received a supporting role in the TV series “Crime” about the investigation into the murder of a girl, in which friends, relatives and, at first glance, completely strangers find themselves directly or indirectly involved.
Ekaterina Melnik in the film “Crime”
Then Ekaterina played the mother of a little patient in the popular film “Doctor Richter” with Alexei Serebryakov and Vitaly Khaev.
The creators of the multi-part film “Molodezhka” could not do without the actress: she is involved in the 5th season in the role of businesswoman Regina Knyazeva, trying to capture the attention of Alexander Kostrov (Ivan Zhvakin).
Ekaterina Melnik in a swimsuit
Melnik’s partners in the melodrama “Melody of Love” were Roman Polyansky and Alexey Chadov. The film is about a secretary who falls in love with her boss.
Ekaterina Melnik. I get an absolute blast while playing
Ekaterina Melnik is a Russian theater and film actress, known for her roles in the TV series “Yasmin”, “Fizruk”, season 2, and others. In the interview, she talked about her acquaintance with the theater and her first roles, the most memorable images, as well as her passion for yoga, nutrition and much more.
— Ekaterina, did you dream of becoming an actress as a child? Why did you choose this type of activity? — It took me a long time to realize that I wanted to be an actress. And it was, I tell you, a painful path. Now, looking back over my life since childhood, I understand that this was my dream, hidden deep inside under a mountain of fears and doubts. And to be honest, fate itself led me to this profession. My first degree is in law, and suffering from the fact that it was absolutely not my thing, I went to VGIK to study directing, since I have been writing since childhood and I had plenty of materials for admission. And only thanks to a coincidence of circumstances and the faith in me of my Master, V.N. Shilovsky, I graduated from his acting course with wonderful roles in graduation performances. Although even during the course I managed to stage something of my own and I am still surprised by my fellow students who agreed to participate in my productions. And even after graduating from VGIK as an actress, I still continued to think that I was a director. I even assembled a team to film my feature film. But, Thank God, I was unexpectedly offered two main roles in the premiere performances of the “Theater on Pokrovka” by S.N. Artsibasheva. And, of course, the question of my directing disappeared by itself. And only after several years in the theater and film roles, I began to realize that I get an absolute thrill while acting. And this, which is incorrect, is not good, because it always seems to be not enough. I don’t understand artists who whine and complain about the cold, heat, duration, difficulties, if all this justifies that magical feeling that you are creating a parallel universe, something that does not exist. This is magic. If the producers knew how I felt about my work, it wouldn’t be that they didn’t pay me, but that they would force me to pay extra. I tell you this in confidence, don’t tell anyone.
— Do you remember the moment when you first became closely acquainted with the theater? When it was? What emotions did it evoke in you? “It surprises me how I didn’t notice this before—since childhood, I had a lot to do with the stage. At school I constantly participated in cultural activities, hosted concerts, and played in school productions. At the age of 13-15 years old, I went to the “Orlyonok” summer camp for three years for a special shift at the “ShDK” (school of dramatic culture), where each year was dedicated to its own separate historical period. For example: Ancient Grace or the French Revolution. And every day we played various scenes and performances on this topic. I still remember the words of Marie Antoinette before the scaffold. But strangely, I didn’t take it seriously and didn’t even think about connecting my life with the stage.
— What about your first performance? Were you very nervous before going on stage? — You know, when I was rehearsing graduation performances at VGIK, I remember my thoughts: “So, I’m like this, actually, I’ll go on stage in front of a bunch of people, and I’ll really play a big role?” That is, I just did it, but I couldn’t fully believe it. Before going on stage, I was scared – terrified. As now, as always, in general. But as soon as you leave, everything changes immediately. It's magic, of course.
— Which theater role was closest to you? Which character or character do you particularly remember? — For me, theater is always an experience of deep transformation. Of course, any experience for a person is another stage on the path to enlightenment, I think, to liberation. But this is a separate philosophical conversation. Although, if we are talking about theater, then for me this is precisely a philosophical, spiritual path. For example, while working on Dostoevsky’s “A Gentle Woman,” I became an Orthodox person. I can say that I was “cleansed” at every rehearsal, to the point of bleeding. Someone will think I’m crazy, but I am grateful to that period for being able to move to another level of consciousness and my life changed radically. Although Ostrovsky, with his leading role in “Mad Money,” left his indelible imprint. At the same time, I constantly try to learn and I was lucky enough to experience different theater. After serving for 8 years at the Theater on Pokrov, I studied at the STD International Theater School, where I worked for two years with the incredibly deep and brilliant director Igor Lysov. This is Vasilievskaya school. Stanislavsky is resting. Game structures, vertical conversation with the viewer. The joint performances “A Feast in the Time of Plague” and “The Seagull”, of course, changed my mind.
Last year, fate brought me together with such a director and playwright as Klim. The experience of working in his workshop is hardly possible to describe in words. I began to prepare “Judith” - a text from the Holy Scriptures. The processes that began to happen to me, I can say, have now made me a different person. Although, I never got to the second chapter. I went deaf and ended up in the hospital. Now I understand that at that moment I reached the point of zeroing, an absolute emptiness, which was soon filled with another me.
And recently I received a gift from fate and took part in an inclusive performance together with children with disabilities. And this is an indescribable experience. Rehearsing, playing on the same stage with people who are recognized by our society as inferior in some way, but, in fact, are so honest and real that it is impossible to play poorly next to them. You are stripped to your core. You tear off all your masks that you are used to putting on, so as not to be afraid to show yourself as who you are. Because we are afraid that we will not be accepted for who we are. And people with “special features” do not hide behind anything. They are so spontaneous and real that it is incredibly inspiring and gives meaning to life.
I talked about the theater as a place of my spiritual transformation, but this is probably because I, in fact, did not have such deep, dramatic roles in cinema. Even if in terms of their number there were, perhaps, more than in the theater. Although, I in no way beg their value in my life and professional growth.
— In 2007, you made your film debut. You played a cameo role in the popular TV series “Trace.” Was this role easy for you? Tell us a little about your impressions of the filming process. — To be precise, my debut film role was not this. And the main one in the feature film “Moskva.ru”. There I play an angel in human form who helps people whose destinies intersect in the city of Moscow. And I can say that this role taught me a lot. Firstly, this is a huge experience of working with different partners. Secondly, the ability to master and retain a large volume of text. Well, and thirdly, Thank God that film didn’t make me famous. This hit me in the head in time, and built a correct understanding of what popularity is and what real professionalism is. It's funny sometimes to watch some actors who catch star fever without having any reason for it.
— Tell me, after what role did you feel famous? They began to recognize you on the street? — Yes, of course, “Fizruk” has become a landmark project for me. I am very grateful to fate, the producers, partners and the entire team for the invaluable experience and, obviously, a new stage in my career.
— What do you think are the negative character traits you have? Which ones would you like to get rid of? - You know, I may say something strange, but I have no shortcomings. And each of us does not have them. Our nature is perfect. We are like an empty vessel that can be filled with everything. I am nothing. I can be completely different. And very tender, affectionate, generous, sympathetic, and cruel, greedy, envious. And all sorts of different ones that I can’t even imagine. And all this will be me and not me at the same time. And this is not a game. Here we need to distinguish concepts. Many people think that since she is an actress, that means she acts all the time. But that’s just not the case. It is all the time I am real, in the present moment. At another moment I will be different - real. Of course, in everyday life, we, as a rule, choose some kind of stereotype of behavior and most often manifest ourselves somehow in our own way. But it is foolish to think that these are the limits of a human being.
— We know that you are fond of yoga. How did you come to this? Why yoga? — Well, first of all, we need to decide what Yoga is. In the most important scripture on Yoga, the Yoga Sutra of Potanjali, one of the first sutras says that yoga is peace of mind. And the set of exercises, the so-called asanas, is given one percent of the entire teaching about Yoga. Basically, this is the art of inner harmony and happiness, and not physical exercise. You can twist into difficult poses, puff, but it will not be Yoga if your brain is not calm and at that moment you are thinking about what awaits you in the future or worrying about the past. And vice versa, a person may have never tried to stand in the bamboo or cobra pose, but while doing something, he is one hundred percent immersed in it and is here and now, in the moment. Then he does yoga, and it doesn’t matter whether he’s cutting salad at that moment or digging beds. Personally, I spend about an hour practicing every morning. These are yoga, breathing practices and meditation. My day doesn't start without this.
— Do you adhere to proper nutrition? Are you on a diet? — Yes, I don’t eat meat, fish, eggs, seafood. I don't drink alcohol, coffee and don't smoke. But for some reason it confuses me when people call me a vegetarian. It's like I'm being labeled as a cliché. You know, many people think, for example, that if she is an actress, that means she is always in character, acting in real life, and not real. It's a cliché. It's the same with vegetarianism. Many people react to this in a very stereotypical way. If we talk about how I came to this, then this is simply one of the stages of a life-long spiritual path, woven from transformations, lessons, realizations and misconceptions. At first, I came to giving up all these products intuitively. I never thought of it as a diet. I am generally against diets. You just need to be able to listen to yourself and your body. And somehow, of course, I realized that I didn’t need it. Later, delving deeper into the study of spiritual practices and knowledge, I realized that it is simply impossible to rise to high levels of vital energy without giving up on it. Moreover, the universe rewards you with happiness, love, and money too. And vice versa, when a person feeds on rot and dead flesh, the basest signs of ignorance live in him: fears, anger, envy, greed, lust, pride. And fate rewards you with difficult trials. Along with the change in diet, yoga, breathing practices and meditation became part of my daily routine. This is an integral part of my morning before a light breakfast.
— What can lift your mood in a matter of minutes? What could spoil it? - Interest Ask. Ideally, nothing from external circumstances can, in fact, influence our mood if our energy is at a high level. What do we know raises our energy? Where do we get it from? Of course, everything that brings us joy raises our energy. These are your favorite people, your favorite pastime. Let's call these positive tendencies of the mind. But there is something we simply could not live without. This is eating, drinking, sleeping and breathing. Do you agree with me? Only all this must be of high quality and correct, and then it will bring you energy. Proper sleep, healthy food and quality breathing. Have you ever wondered how you breathe? What percentage are you using this tool? Have you noticed that when you are nervous, you breathe in a certain way. And when you feel good and happy, your breathing is different. So it works the other way around: that is, you can put yourself in the desired state with the help of your breathing. And you don't need anything for this. This gift was given to you by nature. We have known breathing techniques for more than 10 thousand years. Therefore, to answer your question, I maintain a high level of energy with the help of quality food, sleep, breathing and of course, enjoying what brings me joy, which means a good mood. When everything is like this, it is very difficult for me to spoil it.
— What do you think is the most difficult thing about being an actress? — For me, the most difficult thing is thirst. The same thirst that a drug addict has, for whom there is never enough. I don’t have enough roles, I don’t have enough depth of characters. I want more, deeper, more complex. I feel the limitlessness of this territory, the territory of the game.
— Tell us about your upcoming plans and goals. What roles would you like to play? What projects should I participate in? — My dream role is a role that will reveal me in many ways. I want to play a character that will contain many images. The ability to transform in a split second, to force the viewer to watch the change in character with bated breath. Expand the usual framework of consciousness, giving the viewer the opportunity to experience deep emotional states. A role that will turn me and the viewer inside out. Recently I was struck by Eva Green's performance in Penny Dreadful, namely the seance scene, when in a long close-up she plays many characters, from a little girl to a real monster, possessing her. A very subtle and deep work that makes you, as a viewer, experience a kaleidoscope of emotions. When I watched this, I said to myself: “Here! This is what I want to play." I’m not talking about the genre, but about the jewelry professionalism that can be revealed in such work. And about the plans. My main plan is to not plan anything. Only when you expect nothing does life give you the most incredible gifts. And when you try to force fate on your own carefully constructed plans, you cannot be happy. You are always worried about their implementation and cannot enjoy what happens outside of your preparations. And this is life. It is alive, it cannot be built and planned.
— What is the main advice you would give to an aspiring actor? - Study. I beg you, study. Explore different schools. The whole world is already playing according to Meisner. Stanislavsky, Vasiliev, play structures, European theater. And most importantly: study yourself, your nature. And don't stop there.
Ekaterina, thank you for the interview. We wish you creative success, warmth, harmony and positive emotions.
Personal life
Catherine’s personal life is a secret behind seven locks. Nothing is known about her husband or lover. Talking about filming the film “Capital of Sin,” the artist mentioned her daughter Alice. Melnik does not say who the girl’s father is.
Ekaterina Melnik with and without makeup
The celebrity often posed for magazines and booklets before. She is extremely photogenic. So, in 2000, Katya’s photo graced the cover of OM magazine. The miller appears in the image of the Madonna and Child. This photo was subsequently awarded the “Best Cover of the Year” nomination.
Ekaterina Melnik in magazines
Melnik treats social networks as a game where a person does not show himself as he really is. She doesn’t like her own Instagram page, where the actress boldly poses in a swimsuit or without makeup.
Fans note Ekaterina’s similarity with Tatyana Larina, a participant in the “Battle of Psychics” show, sometimes suspecting that this is the same person: both are fair-haired, with a low-pitched voice. But if women are similar in one thing, it is in their passion for esotericism.
Ekaterina Melnik and Tatyana Larina look alike
During rehearsals for a play on biblical themes, Melnik fell ill and was hospitalized. Having recovered, she left for India, where she became an adept of yoga, meditation and Ayurvedic practices. The artist does not eat meat, does not drink alcohol or coffee, and organizes yoga tours and trainings.
In addition, Ekaterina was initiated into Brahminism, received an international certificate and developed her own Point zero course, which helps to gain confidence and peace of mind.
Ekaterina Melnik with her daughter
The actress is a member of the board of trustees of the Happy World charity foundation, which helps children with serious illnesses. The Foundation is the founder of the “I Give” project, within the framework of which fundraising and socio-cultural events are held with the participation of media persons.
Ekaterina Melnik now
In 2019, Ekaterina is busy in several Ukrainian projects. The series “Crime Journalist” tells the story of a columnist for a major publication who returns to his hometown. The heroine writes about criminal investigations, and at this time she herself is being monitored. The main role in the film is played by Maria Valeshnaya.
Ekaterina Melnik in 2020
“City of Lovers” is a comedy melodrama about 3 girls who were deceived by the men they loved. Melnik is filming with Marina Konyashkina and Yulia Takshina.
Ekaterina Melnik - actress: personal life
Our heroine is a slender and attractive lady. With a height of 170 cm, she weighs 55 kg. Katya has a charming smile and expressive eyes. It is impossible not to fall in love with such a beauty. From her youth, the actress was surrounded by male attention. However, fleeting novels never interested her.
Currently, she carefully hides her personal life from outside interference. Therefore, we cannot say with 100% certainty whether the artist is married or not. It is only known that she has a daughter (b. 2010). The baby's name and information about her father have not been disclosed.
