The START video service will soon release the latest episodes of Karamora, Danila Kozlovsky's sci-fi thriller in which vampires rule pre-revolutionary Russia. In an interview, actor Yevgeny Schwartz, who plays Felix Yusupov, shared his impressions of filming in the project, spoke about the similarities and differences with Joaquin Phoenix, and also explained why Oblomov Goncharova is close to him. — In one of the interviews, you said that actors in movies often play themselves. Is it possible to say that you had the same thing with Felix Yusupov, the character of the TV series Karamora?

The answer to the question itself is already yes. Felix Yusupov is a hypertrophied part of me. They tried to “extinguish” it in me during my studies at VGIK, since I was too illustrative. In Karamor, behavioral illustrativeness and hyperbolization played into my hands, and I brought them to the required degree for Danila [Kozlovsky]. Thanks to him, as a senior friend, he helped not to overdo it.

- "Karamora" became the first series of Danila Kozlovsky, in which he acted as a director and performer of the main role. What was it like working with him?

- As a director, Danila does not know the word "will do." He will achieve what he needs, and not only from young actors, but also from eminent artists. As for me, "Karamora" came out great in terms of directing and presentation.

The series has elements of horror. They say horror films are the most fun to film. Did you have fun playing a vampire?

— I was dressed as a woman, which, of course, is fun, but not quite horror (smiles). Alas, Felix had no scenes of violence, except for one: at the end we show what he did. He didn't bite, he didn't beat anyone. Even sorry! I would love to try.

There is another funny scene in the series where I bring down everyone with a machine gun. It was hard to do, because the machine gun jammed and I had to shoot everything in one or two takes.

- What is your most memorable scene from Karamora?

“On the last day of shooting, we were doing a scene where Felix loses his temper and starts throwing things around. I remember Danya telling me: “Fuck *** (Start -)”. I take the lamp and hear how he screams again, they say, but not the lamp. Turns out she's worth more than me in this whole project. And then I was asked to do the same from a different angle, but without the lamp.

- Your yellow suit in the series has caused many associations with Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. Did you draw parallels with this hero yourself?

- Initially, I didn’t draw any parallels with Joaquin Phoenix, but then they began to send me screenshots-comparisons from Karamora and Joker in a personal. Phoenix and I are somewhat psychophysically similar: both are hysterical, this makes it easier for us to reach the degree of such characters. Only Phoenix is ​​much more experienced and thinner than me as an actor. I am still a beginner.

- How did you decide to play Felix Yusupov?

- Before the tests, I began to recall everything I had read about Yusupov during my time. There was a time when I was fascinated by this person - in general, decadence, his aesthetics and the theater of that time. Therefore, during the preparation, he emphasized the subtlety and a little femininity of his nature, and not shocking. True, it turned out that Felix Yusupov in Karamor and his real prototype are two completely different people. In the series, we took everything on top: the fact that he dressed as a woman, most likely, he used something and was a big fan of palace intrigues.

Is there serious competition for film roles now?

- We are almost always forced people and do not choose a role. I will never be offended and will not swear about a person if he was taken to the same place where I tried, because I understand the intricacies of the industry. Of course, there is a competitive moment, as elsewhere. For example, do fewer takes per scene. But it's all kind and always within the bounds of decency.

- A year ago, another vampire-themed series came out - "Vampires of the Middle Band", now also "Karamora". Why are stories about vampires so in demand in Russian cinema? Previously, they didn’t shoot much ...

- Previously, they did not shoot, because there was no money. First, our cinematography had a beacon in the person of Alexei Balabanov. Many started it, the king of "darkness", "redraw" in the good sense of the word. Everyone realized the commercial benefits of such films. Therefore, most of the content was about how bad everything is in Russia - corrupt officials and cops. But I want to watch something good, interesting and positive, distracting from the real situation.

It is no coincidence that the heyday of cinema in the United States fell on the Great Depression, when filmmakers began to distract people from reality with light films. At the same time, private investments went to them, people began to go to the cinema en masse, and tapes began to generate income. I hope that with the advent of video services, our cinema will have more private investment and independent films. Now it is difficult to drag the audience into cinemas without a long and expensive promotional campaign. Online people don't have to go anywhere.In Karamore, you care about vampires, even though they are bloodsuckers, devilish spawn, but they want to do something good. The revolutionaries bring something new, but their actions in the series are mostly romantic impulses.

- What character is missing in Russian cinema?

“We miss the Terminator. We've got some cool kids from the area and a great cast to fill the role. But no Terminator.

You said that you like to play video games. What are you playing now?

— I am a wild fan of video games, I played all the titles. This is some kind of the next stage of cinema, when you can not only watch, but also participate. I played several times with my wife The Witcher, one of my favorite games, as well as God of War and Hellblade based on Norse mythology.

I even had ideas to write a script for a horror game in which the main character would have my face, voice and movements. But I lose motivation when I am not paid, I quickly give up. This is my big minus.

- You are 26 years old. No plans to start conquering Hollywood?

- No, I'm out of there. Netflix is ​​much more interesting and cosmopolitan now than Hollywood. He buys Russian TV shows, invites local artists, and our directors create projects for this streaming — and HBO there too. The future is theirs. The competition between these services forced them to make beautiful and interesting content. And we, as viewers and actors, only benefit from this, because there are more projects and jobs.

- On what basis do you choose projects?

- I have not yet grown to the level where I can choose from a variety of offers. But I would not want to get involved with TV, because the young viewer does not watch it anymore. From experience, I can say that in projects from TV, production can be up to 15 minutes a day. And it's just crazy. Streaming platforms, on the other hand, invest in quality. I hope I will shoot only for them, but time will tell.

— You became a crash on buzzers on TikTok. You are even compared to the American actor Timothée Chalamet. How do you feel about it?

- Seriously? This is temporary. It seems to me that Anar Khalilov or Mark Eidelstein are more like Chalamet. Although the comparison with other actors even helps. There is such a thing as a dreamcast - when casting directors begin to select actors according to their type. If now there is crazy hype around Timothée Chalamet, then the guys will have more work to do.

What character do you associate yourself with?

- With Oblomov from the novel of the same name by Goncharov. I won’t lie, I’m a rather lazy and even somewhat passive person. These are my minuses, with which I have reconciled and sigh.

- Yourself an introvert, but your roles are quite expressive, bright. Is it difficult for an introvert to be an actor?

“It's part of acting, to switch, to be playful or vulnerable. It's easy for me to combine. On the contrary, I accumulate energy being alone at home. My wife has already come to terms with the fact that I'm not a party animal.

How do you deal with criticism?

“I’ve been taking it very easy lately. I accepted one fact for myself: how many people, so many opinions. Everyone judges according to their own mind. It’s stupid to be offended by haters and comments in the spirit of “Schwartz - schmuck”. There is also justified criticism, there are no questions here.

When did you first think about becoming an actor? How did family, friends and classmates react when they saw you on screen?

“I had no other choice. I had this task since childhood, as a result, I went to four universities. As for the reaction of classmates, I even wrote to the kid with whom we constantly fought and hated each other. Many teachers and friends have written. It was nice!

- How much do theater universities prepare for the profession now? After all, many actors without education actively act in films and play in the theater.

— It all depends on the workshop and teachers. Moreover, the teacher does not have to be a famous actor or director, but must be a teacher, a philosopher and a person. I am absolutely sure that acting skills cannot be taught.

In my first year, I considered myself insanely talented, and then I realized that somehow I wasn’t really, I began to worry about it and skip couples. I wonder why I didn't get expelled. Soon I began to take this more seriously and read literature - Konstantin Stanislavsky, Mikhail Chekhov, Maria Knebel and others. There are many tools that you can use. And if Stanislavsky didn't suit you, it's not bad. So someone else will.

- Many actors admit that playing in the theater is important for them, as it allows them to communicate with the audience live. Is it important for you to see such feedback?

- To me, on the contrary, it is a minus. I do not perceive theatrical language, cinematic is closer to me. Whatever mise-en-scene you build in the theater and no matter how you convey your idea, in the cinema, a close-up will block all your efforts. Here you will not lie.

- Now a lot of musical films are being created, where there is just the same opportunity to act in close-up. Would you like to take part in such a project?I would gladly agree, but I can't sing. It's important nonetheless. I have a dream to play the role of either Jesus or Judas in the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar", but it is unlikely to come true. I would also like to play in the musical “Ripo! Genetic Opera”, and the vocal part is not so complicated there. Also in the production of "Todd" by the group "Korol i Shut", which Mikhail Gorshenev called a punk-zong opera. It's pretty interesting.

Which director would you like to work with?

— I have a blue dream to work with Paolo Sorrentino. I adore him, I am ready to review his work hundreds of thousands of times. This is not an action movie, but for the mood. This is such a utopia that the director plunges you into: you breathe characters until the end credits. Julia Snigir has already starred with him. I have a chance too.

Are there any roles you are most proud of, and vice versa?

“Dead Swallows is my first role, which pops up every time, which I don’t want. This is my first attempt, in which there is insufficient understanding of working with the camera and my body. I cannot say that I am proud of any of my roles: there are those for which I am not ashamed. The most interesting thing was to play just Felix Yusupov in Karamore. When working on it, I tried a lot of things that I hadn’t done before - shot, yelled at people, scoffed. There is even a scene where the deceived Dashkov comes and ... I can’t tell, you will see for yourself.

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