Alexander Kuznetsov: “I grew up in Sevastopol, a city of romantic gopniks”

BIOGRAPHY

Alexander Kuznetsov was born in the village of Petrovka, Primorsky Territory. The father of the future actor was an engineer, and his mother was a literature teacher. After graduating from physics and mathematics school, the young man enters the Moscow Aviation Institute at the Faculty of Radioelectronics of Aircraft. However, realizing that he is not doing what he would like, Alexander leaves the institute.

The young man makes his choice in favor of the acting profession. While still a student, he attended a theater studio, and the classes brought him great pleasure. Alexander Kuznetsov submits his documents to all theater universities in the capital and ends up getting accepted everywhere. But he chooses the Shchukin School. As a student, Alexander begins to play at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya, into the troupe of which he was accepted after graduating from the institute in 1985.

Opinions about the actor

Magazine "VOGUE Russia":

Alexander is so confident in himself and his capabilities that you begin to think: here he is, the new Cillian Murphy, the hope of Russian cinema. Give him four years and you'll see him on the cover of Vanity Fair, no doubt.
- “Heroes of our time.” October, 2020[24]

Newspaper "Izvestia":

One of the most sought-after and brightest young actors in Russia, Kuznetsov literally burst into our cinema, starring in the historical fantasy “Skif”. And since then, films with his participation have not left the screens: “Summer”, “Spitak”, “Acid”, “Bad Weather”, “Red Bracelets”... Moreover, even in minor roles he immediately attracts attention. He knows how to be furious, smart, sarcastic, dangerous, but at the same time surprisingly naive and defenseless.
- “You won’t strangle, you won’t kill: the heroes of “Dad, Die” fight to the death.” April 3, 2020[25]

Egor Moskvitin, film critic, program director of the Pilot festival:

Like many actors who find themselves in great demand, Sasha Kuznetsov tries to be different everywhere. So, looking at the gigolo in “Kept Women”, the Soviet soldier in “Brotherhood”, the berserker warrior in “Skif” and the ghost in “Summer”, the viewer is quickly freed from the buzzing thought that this is one and the same person..
— Project “New Russians” for the 25th anniversary of Cosmopolitan. June, 2019[26]

THEATER

In 1984, in his third year at the Shchukin School, Alexander Kuznetsov played the role of Lopotukhin in Lev Durov’s production of “And Still She Turns” on Malaya Bronnaya. In the same year he plays the role of Ushasty in the play “Two Arrows” based on Volodin.

In 1986, the premiere of the play “Kolya Who Loves You,” based on the play by Vitaly Moskalenko, took place on the stage of the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. According to the plot, Moscow manufacturer Nikolai Pavlovich Shmit dreams of changing the situation of workers at his enterprise and throughout Russia. But it is impossible to resist the system, and in the revolutionary days of 1905 the hero is arrested and killed in Butyrka prison. Alexander Kuznetsov played the role of the Adjutant, his stage partners were Sergei Taramaev, Anatoly Grachev and Yuri Katin-Yartsev. The performance was enthusiastically received by the audience and critics.

The actor worked at the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya until 1989.

It's not about the gods, but... about the music? Interview with Alexander Kuznetsov

Alexander Kuznetsov has already acquired the role of a hooligan in the world of cinema: the actor plays hitmen and drug addicts, appears on screen with a mohawk and tattoos, and films with his participation cause controversy. About the extreme filming of “Skif”, difficult scenes and work on staging a rock play at the Gogol Center - in an interview with CINEMOTION

CINEMOTION : In one of your interviews, I read that you are generally not a theatrical person, more of a film person, how did it happen that you actively play in the theater?

A.K: It’s impossible to say that now I’m actively playing in the theater, now I’m only staging a play at the Gogol Center. That doesn't make me a theatrical person because it's a punk rock show. This is not a theatrical form, this is a rock concert, etc. I only do in the theater what I cannot do in the cinema. Cinema is the ideal art form for me. But there is something that cannot be embodied in this form. "Odyssey. A Boy's Epic, punk rock Odyssey, is an epic blockbuster in the theater, inspired by the performances of Queen, Muse, Royal Blood, the Gallagher brothers, as well as the lives and views of such adventurers as, for example, Elon Musk. The performance is composed almost entirely to my music.

And the rest of the musicians, is this your group “Portsmouth”?

No, these are amazingly musical theater actors and some session musicians. In the end, I plan to build a scheme so that musicians can replace each other and we have several lineups. So that, when there is time, guitarist Bi-2 can play the guitar, and drummer Zveri can play the drums. To create a super-mini-distant atmosphere of a Leningrad rock club within one performance.

Initially, in your youth, did you see yourself as a rock musician?

Yes, initially I tried to do only rock music. But the fact is that I play Britpop and punk rock in English - this is not a situation for a quick rise in the Russian music industry. I am afraid of the word “underground”, and I have little interest in meaningless, harsh chamber concerts without money and light. Music is an expensive pleasure if you want to do it well. The right instruments and equipment for recording and performing are very expensive. Therefore, to make music, you need to earn money. For example, in the cinema. That is, in a sense, cinema brings me closer to music.

What can you tell us about the film “Dad, Die,” which has already acquired scandalous fame?

Well, the film gained scandalous fame not because of its content, and not even because of the title, but because someone thought it strange that the son of Ulyukaev Sr., Dmitry Ulyukaev, is the film’s cameraman. For a healthy person, I don’t see a connection between a father who is accused of something and a cameraman son who made a stunningly beautiful feature film, but, as always in our country, people printed in the headlines that the son used money stolen from the state Vora is making a film called “Dad, Die.” Our journalists are always happy to overlook real creativity and work, but will cling to any meaningless little thing. This film was made by very smart and talented people for very little money. It has an open budget, you can watch it on Kinopoisk, and the film has nothing to do with Dmitry Ulyukaev’s father, or with politics, no one wishes the death of any Pope, etc. This is just a stylish black comedy in the tradition of McDonagh and Tarantino, bloody, very high quality, fighting, with complex stunts, and with a very strong cast. There is nothing scandalous there; everything you could read somewhere about the “scandalousness” of this film is stupid nonsense.

What can you tell us about the film of your colleague at the Gogol Center, Alexander Gorchilin, “Acid,” in which you are also involved? Why is there so little information about him?

Unlike the distributor of Skif, who had zero advertising, which I would honestly call anti-advertising, the Elephant studio and Sabina Eremeeva (general producer of the film Acid) know exactly how and when to present their film. The movie is currently in production and you will hear about it as soon as possible. By the way, my partner in the film was Philip Avdeev, who is currently filming our “Odyssey” together with Sasha Gorchilin.

Tell us about the filming of “Skif”. How close is your character to you?

Absolutely close in everything, with the only difference being that I don’t believe in any gods. Apart from this detail, I probably have no disagreements with Kunitz. But even Marten says at the end of the film: “It’s not about the gods, it’s about people.” So at this moment our differences are completely erased. The film is about how a Christian and a pagan unite for the sake of simple universal human concepts: to kill for the woman you love, to die for the truth.

Did you work without a stunt double?

Lyosha (actor Alexey Faddeev) did not have an understudy at all; I only had an understudy, a horseman, who performed horse tricks during the chase. Otherwise, we simply didn’t need understudies, since there was an excellent stunt coordinator, Fedya Starykh, who also became our coach. We spent two months preparing for the fight scenes with him and his stunt team. So there were no problems with stunts and fights, another thing is that on “Skif” there were constant force majeure, and, for example, instead of the planned three days, we had three hours to shoot a complex long one-shot battle at the beginning of the film. Usually such scenes take 30 takes. We had time for 5 or 6. By the way, after “Skif” I invited Fedya to work on “Papa Die”, where he built an equally interesting fight choreography. So yes, we did everything ourselves, except for the most specialized tricks, because, after all, a professional had to fall off a horse at speed.

What other difficult scenes were there in the film?

Scene with a fight on a cliff. Rustam ran in the guise of the “lead singer of the Kiss group” between the stage and the playback, rattling his armor like a tin can, yelling in a broken voice, we didn’t have time to do anything. At the time of filming this scene, it was already so cold that the armor actually froze to the skin. Our costume designers desperately tried to warm us up, but nothing was helping. My suit was leather and tight-fitting - it was impossible to wear anything under it, so they simply smeared me with badger fat. I warmed myself by the fire, and the badger fat retained the heat for some time. But Rustam and Lyosha Faddeev were in the greatest danger during filming. We filmed their big, complex fight right next to a cliff about 300 meters away; it was either snowing or raining, and the stones were covered with a thin layer of ice. And on the same day we learned that nearby, due to bad weather, a helicopter carrying part of another film crew crashed. We go to the site, making our way through the forest, branches cling to the wig, tear off pieces of the suit, and are blown away by the wind. We climb out of the forest onto this cliff, and they say to us: “Hey guys, a film crew just died nearby, okay, let’s film!” Dima Karnachik, our cameraman, took a big risk, he was very enthusiastic with his steering wheel (fig rig for the camera), he moved actively, in the film you can see how the camera films at all 360 degrees during the battle - he was running, jumping, spinning and falling , and he constantly found himself on the very edge of the cliff with his back. Holding Karnachik by the belt, instantly thinking and insuring him, our stuntman Kolya rushed around, who had to constantly be behind Dima’s back. And suddenly, it was not the cameraman who fell down, but Lyosha Faddeev. During the next battle, he slipped, crashed onto the rocks and began to quickly slide into a cliff, and it was already completely serious, I remember how everyone screamed, people who were far from Lyosha instinctively lay down on the ground and it would have ended with who knows how, if our camera mechanic hadn’t reacted and simply quickly jumped on him. Lyosha almost fell in this way twice, the second time he was caught by our prosthetic makeup artist.

Not only this, but on this day there was also a monstrous problem with the props - the handles of our swords became loose, there were no more takes, and every time during the battle the swords hit each other, they shook and this was visible in the frame. Therefore, despite the extreme shooting conditions, many takes went to waste even because of such stupid little things.

Weren't the fight scenes one-shot?

The first scene, where Marten cuts out the tavern, is completely one-shot, the scene of the kidnapping of Lutobor's family was filmed entirely in one shot, despite the fact that it had to be cut in the final edit. Although we almost died to film it in one shot. Most of the rest were pseudo-single-frame, that is, from 2 to 7 frames, which was not much easier, given their considerable length. So yes, there were a lot of difficult moments.

How do you feel about the negative reviews of the film?

The main thing is to separate adequate negative reviews and detailed reviews of the film by, attention, trailer, from people who have not watched the film. And, accordingly, negative reviews from people who did not watch the film, but who watched a review from people who did not watch the film. Well, you understand. Although if you close your eyes to this domestic criticism and hysteria, then I completely understand the audience who are or were biased towards “Skif”. After 2 recent, notorious premieres on a relatively similar topic, it is impossible to position and advertise the film in the way it was presented. I myself would not go to Skif after watching its helpless trailer. But all this pales next to the fact that our viewer simply has monstrous skepticism and snobbery towards the genre of fantasy and science fiction in their blood.

Therefore, I assure you, there will never be franchises like Star Wars in Russia, no matter how many George Lucas turns gray to create them.

But there are films that failed at the box office and then later became cult films.

Yes, they failed at the box office, and then “Fight Club” and “Blade Runner” became cult, but you shouldn’t rely on such a development of events. To be honest, no one from the film crew really cares about the rental.

We made our own movie, honestly, without propaganda, without snot and without beating ourselves in the chest with our fists.

We live on, I have 8 more projects coming out this year, these are “Summer” by Serebrennikov, “Dad, Die” by Kirill Sokolov, “Acid” by Sasha Gorchilin, “Better than People” by Andrei Dzhunkovsky, “Spitak” by Sasha Kott, “Brotherhood” "Lungin, "The Cauldron" by Eva Bass and, perhaps also this year, "Bad Weather" by Sergei Ursulyak.

And I think the entire film crew of “Skif” also has something to do.

Which of the upcoming films are you closest to?

The film that was closest to me was “The Cauldron.” This is truly a Russian “Trainspotting”. Although now every director begins acquaintance with the words “this will be the Russian Trainspotting,” perhaps “The Cauldron” is it, as far as possible. The movie is about a 25-year-old guy Savely, a drug addict and a pure catharper, who is stuck in his neighborhood and can’t get out, run away to a new life. Eva gave me quite a lot of freedom, and we composed our own “Ranton”. And in order not to think for a long time about the difference between plagiarism and movie quotes, we simply dressed Savely in a T-shirt with a picture of Ewan McGregor (the actor who played Renton) and forced him to sometimes talk to her.

How did you end up in Moscow? You told me that you came to Moscow after your beloved girl...

This sounds terribly romantic, but yes, it’s true, I was following a girl. Even at GITIS I entered GITIS at that moment only to be with her. They entered, but after half a year they separated, and she got married. Usual things. But, seriously, of course, what brought me to Moscow was the frantic melancholy that had been with me since I was five years old. I was bored with everything I did. I didn't like where I lived, how I lived, or what my prospects were. Sevastopol is not the worst city, but for me it became like Aberdeen for Kurt Cobain. In my perception, it was a prison that I would never want to return to now. But the truth is that wherever I live, I quickly get bored and need to go somewhere else. I am one of those people who cannot find peace anywhere. If I try to stop, do nothing and rest, I just panic. If I work, I'm fine. As Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders said: “I realized something, Francis. There is no peace for me in this life. Maybe in the next one.” So, maybe when I finally go to England or Ireland, I’ll stop panicking.

Does this inconstancy extend to your personal life?

For now, yes. Unfortunately, I am a complete sociopath. I'm not a misanthrope, but it's very difficult for me to communicate with people for more than a few hours at a time. I need to be alone often, think about something, plan, compose, work. Alone, I feel both sad and natural. I think even when I get married, I will have a separate office with a bottle of whiskey and an oak table, my own stable, a small shipyard and a music studio, where I will let my wife in only to show her a new song, and then quickly politely kick her out... Yes, you need to make a music studio in some factory, so when you walk in, it’s not clear where the walls are and where the ceiling is, industrial spartan minimalism. Nothing superfluous: iron, wood, expensive musical instruments, a microphone, coffee, cigarettes with delicious tobacco, large open windows, the smell of wood, forest, mint, dim light and yellow garlands - that’s what I need.

Photo - Roman Kovacs, Alexandra Avdonina.

Material prepared by: Yana Entsova

MOVIE

Alexander Kuznetsov’s first appearance in cinema took place in 1981, when the actor starred in a short episode of the film “Heavenly Paths”. But the real debut should be considered the film “Neverbelievable” (1983) directed by Sergei Ovcharov, in which Kuznetsov played the role of the village simpleton Neznam. The film had its fair share of challenges. The film was recognized as anti-Soviet, and Goskino tried to destroy the negative. As a result, the film was saved, and all thanks to the efforts of the famous director Gleb Panfilov.

From this moment on, Kuznetsov began actively acting in films. His real fame comes from Yevgeny Tatarsky’s film “Jack Vosmerkin – “American”,” where the artist played the main role. This picture became in many ways fateful for the actor, because a few years later Alexander himself ended up in America. “In my opinion, it is very important that this was the first film in the history of Soviet cinema about private entrepreneurship and an entrepreneur who plows his farm. Not within the framework of a collective farm, factory or other enterprise, but by himself. And this was just a sign of the times; perestroika was just around the corner. Moreover, this was the first picture of the Lenfilm film studio, which was shot not as a studio film, but as a cooperative film. And in this time of perestroika, Jack Vosmerkin introduces Western technologies into our Soviet reality. Moreover, he does everything strictly according to the planned and correct business plan: he received land, attracted family members as partners, explored the soil, received funding from a local rich man, conducted an advertising campaign, and so on. But at the same time he does not take into account the local mentality. That is, his business plan was good, but his marketing was bad. As a result, his first attempt to set up his own business is unsuccessful,” says Alexander Kuznetsov about the film.

After the tremendous success of the film “Jack Vosmerkin - “American””, the actor played leading roles in the films “Primorsky Boulevard” and “Aelita, Don’t Molest Men.” His film career is developing rapidly, the artist becomes famous throughout the Soviet Union. But at some point he decides to give up everything and go to conquer America.

Movies

The cinematic biography of Alexander Kuznetsov began in the first year of “Pike”: he starred in an episode of the film “Heavenly Paths”. But they noticed and fell in love with the artist after the release of director Sergei Ovcharov’s film “The Never-Never” in 1983. This sensational project should be considered Kuznetsov’s real debut in cinema.

Alexander Kuznetsov (still from the film “Mister Veliky Novgorod”)

Alexander played the village simpleton Neznam, but the fate of the film turned out to be difficult: the film was called anti-Soviet, and Goskino officials decided to destroy the negative. The film was saved thanks to the efforts of the famous director Gleb Panfilov.

In 1986, Alexander Kuznetsov learned what real, deafening fame was: Yevgeny Tatarsky’s cult film “Jack Vosmerkin - “American”” was released on the screens, in which the young actor played a starring role. As it turned out later, the film was prophetic for Kuznetsov, because a few years after its release, Alexander actually ended up in the USA.

Alexander Kuznetsov as Jack Vosmerkin (still from the film “Jack Vosmerkin - “American”)

The film was innovative in many ways, because it was released during perestroika and told Soviet people about private business and an entrepreneur who works for himself. Critics called the picture a sign of its time.

After the tremendous success of Jack Vosmerkin, the actor played leading roles in the films “Primorsky Boulevard” and “Aelita, Don’t Molest Men.” Both films were warmly received by audiences and film critics, and the artist’s career rapidly developed upward.

At this moment, right at takeoff, Alexander Kuznetsov unexpectedly left the Soviet Union and went to work in the USA. He was invited to star in the 13-episode American project “Alaska Kid” based on the work of Jack London and the full-length film “The Ice Runner.”

Alexander Kuznetsov (still from the film “Primorsky Boulevard”)

Alexander Kuznetsov, while filming the latest film, again visited Moscow briefly: the film director decided to film one of the scenes on Red Square. This was the period when the State Emergency Committee broke out in Moscow. The actor at that time was renting an apartment on Smolenskaya Square and found himself in the very epicenter of events - he visited the barricades several times.

After filming ended, Alexander Kuznetsov returned to America, which he was very happy about, because in the 90s, domestic cinema plunged into a deep crisis. In Los Angeles, the actor starred in several more projects, among which the most striking were the TV series Beverly Hills 90210, NYPD Blue, Demolition Man, Peacemaker and Space Cowboys. His partners on the set were real Hollywood stars such as Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman and George Clooney.

Alexander Kuznetsov (still from the film “Alaska Kid”)

In the USA, Kuznetsov attended classes at the famous acting schools of Darel Hickman and Lee Strasberg. In 1995, Alexander Kuznetsov founded his international acting school, International Actors School, and was repeatedly invited to conduct acting and directing training at other schools in Los Angeles.

After 18 years of living in America, the actor decided to return to Russia. Kuznetsov taught at the Moscow Art Theater School and founded his own acting school, “Forge of Cinema and Television.”

LIFE IN USA

In the early 90s, Alexander Kuznetsov was invited to star in two large American projects: a 13-episode television film based on Jack London “Alaska Kid” and the film “Ice Runner”. The actor recalls: “My then wife, the popular Russian actress Yulia Rutberg, and I were visiting friends in Munich. There I was found by the famous German producer Arthur Brauner, who invited me to this (“Alaska Kid” - editor’s note) project. And there was also the American film “The Ice Runner,” one of the shooting days of which was in Moscow - they were filming on Red Square at the moment when the State Emergency Committee broke out. Then the whole group flew to America, but I still stayed and visited the barricades more than once. At that time I lived on Smolenskaya Square - right in the very center of events. And then, on October 25, 1991, he flew to Los Angeles for additional filming and dubbing of two films. At that time, Soviet cinema was falling apart before our eyes, it was a terrible sight: thousands of people were left without work, studios were closing. I knew a little English, and while working on these projects I became more proficient. But when I arrived in Los Angeles and watched TV, I didn’t understand a single word! I left alone, then Yulia arrived, but after looking at everything, she said that she was a Russian-speaking actress and wanted to live and work in Russia. In general, I stayed in America - in the very heart of the entertainment industry."

Since 1993, Alexander Kuznetsov has lived and worked in the USA. He appears in the TV series Beverly Hills 90210, NYPD Blue, JAG, and VIP. Starred in the films “Destroyer”, “Peacemaker”, “Space Cowboys”. The actor is in demand; his co-stars include such world cinema stars as Sylvester Stallone, Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman, and George Clooney.

Living in America, Alexander attends classes at acting schools of Darel Hickman, Melissa Skoff, Lisa Dalton and Lee Strazberg. Training there is conducted by students and followers of Mikhail Chekhov. Soon Kuznetsov began teaching himself. In 1995, he founded the International Actors School, and at the same time conducted directing and acting training in other schools in Los Angeles. “After working in Hollywood and studying at various acting courses myself, I believe that Russian acting education has several serious gaps. For example, not a single actor receives training on how to work with a camera, does not know what camera movement is, what long-shot or close-up cues are. But these are highly specialized issues. During my master classes, I tell young people about the main thing - the secrets of successful casting, how to position yourself in the market. Don’t take my words as cynicism - I teach actors how to sell themselves correctly and as profitably as possible. It seems to me that the problem with many of our talented guys is precisely their inability to present and sell themselves,” says the actor.

The stars are nearby

For Kuznetsov it was thorny. I had to improve my English to the level where I was no longer ashamed to go on stage. And still he did not grab the stars from the sky. He remained a Russian emigrant. Whose destiny is mainly the roles of former compatriots.

Fortunately, Alexander managed to get into decent Hollywood projects. In the USSR, he starred with Evstigneev, Gundareva, Dzhigarkhanyan, Gaft . In America, he worked on the same set with Sylvester Stallone, George Clooney, Clint Eastwood, Nicole Kidman, Drew Barrymore, Robert Duvall, Sandra Bullock ... And meeting Meryl Streep simply changed his life. A private conversation resulted in an acting lesson. Which he then generously shared with his students.

In the film “The Ice Runner” (USA), 1992. Still from the film

“I have never felt disdain for myself because I am Russian,” said Alexander. Sometimes the entire film crew applauded him. It happened that his episode was filmed in the first take. And when he uttered one phrase “Yes, ah no” in front of the camera (they didn’t offer anything else!), director Clint Eastwood decided to change the script and extended the contract for a whole month. At Warner Bros. studio!

In short, for a person not born in America, everything was going well. Alexander attended acting schools. Then he started teaching himself. He went to the registry office again, choosing as his wife the Russian emigrant Anna Aitova , whom he met on the set. The third son was born - Ivan ...

However, this marriage was not destined to last long - Anna found a replacement for Alexander. He believed “it is natural that partners outgrow each other. We grow up, we get wiser, we change.” One thing was upsetting: at first Anna forbade him to see his son. But then everything got better, Alexander enjoyed spending time with the baby. In addition, from the age of 14, the elder Daniil lived with him in Los Angeles...

In the film “The Alaska Kid” (USA), 1993. Still from the film

RETURN TO RUSSIA

Having lived in America for 18 years, in 2009 Alexander Kuznetsov returned to Russia. He begins teaching at the Moscow Art Theater School and founded the acting school “Forge of Cinema and Television.” Kuznetsov is actively invited to appear in films and TV series. The following films were released with his participation: “Capercaillie. Continuation", "Karpov", "Mushroom Tsar", "Freud's Method", "Time of Daughters", "I Remember Everything", "Almond Flavor of Love".

In 2020, the Russia 1 TV channel premiered the series “Sun as a Gift,” in which Alexander Kuznetsov played one of the main roles. The plot centers on the life of a girl, Masha, whose fate has faced many trials. After the tragic death of her mother, caused by businessman Vyazemsky, Masha gets married. The chosen one of the main character is her patient Kostya, who by an absurd chance turns out to be the nephew of the killer. In the series, Alexander Kuznetsov plays Khrulev, Vyazemsky’s business partner.

The actor returns to the theater stage. In 2011, the premiere of the play “The Seagull” directed by Robert Manukyan took place on the stage of the Cinema Actor Theater. Alexander Kuznetsov played the role of Trigorin. And in 2012, two new performances with the participation of the artist appeared in the theater’s repertoire - “A Wonderful Life” and “Truffaldino from Bergamo”.

Hollywood

Alexander Kuznetsov in the film “Peacemaker”

After filming ended, Alexander Kuznetsov returned to America, which he was very happy about, because in the 90s, domestic cinema plunged into a deep crisis.

In Los Angeles, the actor starred in several more projects, among which the most striking were the TV series Beverly Hills 90210, NYPD Blue, Demolition Man, Peacemaker and Space Cowboys. His partners on the set were real Hollywood stars such as Clint Eastwood, Sylvester Stallone, Nicole Kidman and George Clooney.

Alexander Kuznetsov in the film “Ice Runner”

In the USA, Kuznetsov attended classes at the famous acting schools of Darel Hickman and Lee Strazberg. In 1995, Alexander Kuznetsov founded his international acting school, International Actors School, and was repeatedly invited to conduct acting and directing training at other schools in Los Angeles.

PERSONAL LIFE

The actor was married several times. His first marriage was a student marriage, from which Alexander has an adult son, Danila, who lives and works in Los Angeles. Kuznetsov’s second wife was actress Yulia Rutberg, with whom he had a son, Grigory. The actor’s third wife was a Russian emigrant, whom Alexander met while filming in America. The third son of the actor, Ivan, was born into the family. Soon the couple broke up.

In an interview with Sobesednik in 2012, Alexander Kuznetsov spoke about his upcoming wedding with his girlfriend Christina, who lives in Moscow and works in the advertising business.

Career, family

Alexander played his first episodic role in a movie when he was a freshman. And two years later, in 1983, the film “Neverbelievable” was released, where the actor was entrusted with the main role. At the same time, the actor was accepted into the troupe of the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya. “Jack Vosmerkin” was filmed during perestroika and very clearly showed: while we were “slurping cabbage soup,” the Americans were engaged in private enterprise, and in general, they know how to work.

Kuznetsov worked a lot - both in the theater and in cinema.
Because of this, despite the birth of a son, the first student marriage broke up. The second wife, Yulia Rutberg, was herself a sought-after actress, but this family was destroyed by distance. Kuznetsov participated in two international projects, additional filming and dubbing took place in Hollywood, and... He stayed there, deciding that there was no more cinema in the USSR - it was the end of 1991. Julia and her son did not want to leave their homeland. The first time in Los Angeles was difficult, I even had to work as a waiter. But Alexander “fit” into the American lifestyle, received a financial education, did business in parallel with filming, then organized an International actor school, where he trained actors according to the Stanislavsky system, and taught at other acting schools.

Kuznetsov returned to Russia in 2009, leaving his third wife and son Ivan in the United States. In Moscow, I met Kristina Tatarenkova, with whom they lived without formalizing a relationship. There was a lot of work, mainly in TV series, in addition, Alexander undertook to instill his American experience on Russian soil. Conducted business trainings: “Acting technologies in public speaking, presentation and negotiations” and “What can I learn from Hollywood stars to become a star in my business?”

INTERVIEW

ABOUT THE FILM PROCESS IN RUSSIA AND THE USA

“When I first got on a Hollywood set, I saw how accurately and professionally people worked. Efficiency, productivity, quality. Everything depends on the professional organization of the process—that’s what we Russians definitely lack.”

ABOUT LIFE IN AMERICA

“This is a great country. There, the relationship between the state and the individual is completely different from ours - they are simpler, cheaper and more pleasant. You understand that you are respected by this state, no one is oppressing you.”

Based on materials from the sites kino-teatr.ru, vokrug.tv, z-city.com.ua, pravda.ru, sobesednik.ru, zhar-ptica.com

The mystery of death

Actor Alexander Kuznetsov passed away on June 6, 2020. This was a huge blow for his last lover, Maria Stanko. She claimed that in search of a cure for oncology, Alexander agreed to take part in terrible experiments in a secret laboratory under moral and psychological pressure from influential people. She claimed that after just two weeks of unconventional wave treatment, her beloved began to look worse, but he did not believe in Maria’s arguments about the dangers of his own self-experiment. The woman does not believe in the natural death of her common-law husband; she even appealed to television, but remained unheard.

Alexander Kuznetsov is buried at the Khovanskoye cemetery. On June 11, at the House of Cinema, everyone said goodbye to the amazing actor. He was applauded for a long time as a memory and gratitude for all his life’s work.

Actor Alexander Kuznetsov died, but his biography shows that he will live forever in his work on several continents. The artist’s creative arsenal includes more than 70 works on the theater stage and film industry in Russia and the USA. Not everyone can leave such a legacy.

FILMOGRAPHY: ACTOR

Spitak (2018)
I Remember Everything (2016), TV series
The sun as a gift (2016), TV series
Almond Flavor of Love (2015), TV series
Chief (2015)
Cop in law-9 (2014-2015)
So Far, So Close (2014), TV series
Search-3 (2014), TV series
Moscow. Three stations (2014)
Forester (2011-2014), TV series
Queen of the Game (2014), TV series
Second Chance (2014), TV series
Search-2 (2013), TV series
Wanted (2013), TV series
Sea. Mountains. Expanded clay (2013), TV series
Time for Daughters (2013). series
Unequal marriage (2012-2013), TV series
Shores (2013), TV series
Spy (2012)
Shapovalov (2012), TV series
Nowhere Man (2012), TV series
The teacher-in-law. Return (2012), TV series
Freud's Method (2012), TV series
Karpov (2012), TV series
Wild-3 (2012), TV series
Zemsky doctor. Life again (2012), TV series
Porcelain Wedding (2011), TV series
Smile of Fate (2011), TV series
Legends of the Circle (2011), TV series
Code of Honor-5 (2011), TV series
Hostages of Love (2011), TV series
Mushroom King (2011), TV series
Sheriff (2010), TV series
Mine (2010), TV series
Nowhere Man (2010)
The teacher-in-law. Sequel (2010), TV series
Mother's Heart (2010), TV series
Passenger from San Francisco (2009-2014), TV series
Churchill (2009), TV series
Hour of Volkov-3 (2009), TV series
Trace (2007-2015), TV series
Capercaillie-2 (2009), TV series
Lawyer-6 (2009), TV series
Lucky you (2007)
Journey (2007)
Cool Games (2006)
24 Hours (2006)
Attention, Moscow speaking! (2005)
Into the West (2005)
You are my happiness... (2005), TV series
Shadowboxing (2005)
Mirror wars. The first reflection (2004)
Gemini (2004), TV series
Trapped (2000) /Captured/
The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood (2000)
Space cowboys (2000)
Peacemaker (1997) /Peacemaker, The/
Suspense. Sever-yug (1995)
Alaska Kid (1993), TV series
Ice Runner (1992) /Ice runner, The/
Crazy Flight (1992)
Key (1992)
Crazy Bus (1991)
My Neighbor (1991)
Dangerous Woman (1991)
Portrait of Mademoiselle Targi (1991)
Nightmare in a Madhouse (1990)
Mayhem (1989)
Two arrows. Stone Age Detective (1989)
Aelita, don't pester men (1988)
Primorsky Boulevard (1988)
Let's Remain Faithful (1988)
Jack Vosmerkin - "The American" (1986)
Sorry (1986)
Men's Anxieties (1985)
Dream in Hand, or Suitcase (1985)
Mister Veliky Novgorod (1984)
Comet (1983)
Nevernever (1983)