Stoyanov on the role of a vampire: "The main requirements were not to shave and to comb my hair"

On March 18, the series "Vampires of the Midland" directed by Anton Maslov is released on the Web. It tells about the fate of a vampire family living in Smolensk. The head of the family, grandfather Slava, is played by the popular actor Yuri Stoyanov. During the filming of this series, many different events happened. Initially, Stoyanov was supposed to play in it, and even starred in the first series, but then refused, preferring another project. His role passed to Mikhail Efremov, who, in turn, could not continue working on the series for obvious reasons. And then Stoyanov agreed to return, but all the episodes had to be re-filmed. In all likelihood, the second season of this series will also be filmed. Meduza spoke with the actor, including about this work.

About filming history

I was planning to do the entire series. We took off the pilot, at the festival in Ivanovo I even got another piece of iron for the best male role - and put this piece of iron on the shelf. Then months passed, and there were some difficulties. Which ones - I don't remember. Something related not to production, but to the transition (of the series) from channel to platform. I didn't go into it. It took a long time. I started acting in another very big job, in the TV series "Marlene" on NTV - there the title role, very cool and serious, they do not refuse such roles. I was already in the process of filming, somewhere in the middle. And suddenly "Vampires" surfaced: "Yuri Nikolayevich, hurray! We start shooting. - Hurray, of course. But how?"

This is the last thing, when an artist starts lying, cheating, ostensibly starts to get sick in order to catch up with another job. I did not engage in this, explained that it was unrealistic, especially since I was not sealed by any agreement. They asked me very much, waited very much, very nice guys, but I could not let the people with whom I had already worked (on another series). Then, since I feel the role from the inside, I was asked to advise who could play it. I advised two actors - Roma Madyanov and Misha Efremov, two of my friends.

Misha starred in about 30% of the role, that's a lot. All nature. There were huge extras. And so (during the reshooting) of these scenes, I had to see the gait, how and where he was going. During his filming, it was probably not a very cold winter, and Misha went everywhere in an unbuttoned coat. Because of this, every time they ran up to me and asked: “Yuri Nikolaevich, unbutton your coat, please. Misha was unbuttoned. " This is the only time when I remembered Mishka with an unkind word, I was cold.

They had the first series with me - it is the most difficult and very expensive. When Misha was filming, this episode was not involved. Having decided to return to the role, I helped, first of all, a huge long-suffering film crew, who ended up with serious money. Our relationship with Misha was, and still is...

Why did I agree to be a vampire? I am a person who pathologically does not like to read the script. ..In this case, he did not disappoint me, because there is no endless joking, reprisal, there is no desire to make jokes. There are deeds, there are deeds, there is destiny, there is history. There is trouble there, in the end - my character lived for a thousand years, but there was a different story in this country, to put it mildly. But from such chaos, with which he meets in the face of officials now, this vampire gives up.

It was a role written by a screenwriter for a specific actor, in this case for me. He drinks not human blood, but from a blood transfusion station - from those sealed plastic bags in which it is delivered. These vampires do not drink blood from humans - this is already collected donated blood. This is an important point.

And I also forgot to say that what I liked the most was that I filmed without any makeup at all. Only a few times - a couple of times they glue the beard. This is a tragic moment. Me and a beard are two incompatible things. I hate glue so much. This is what I hate the most about my profession. But in "Vampires" the main requirements for me were - not to shave or to comb my hair. A wonderful role. True, this stubble finished me off, I said: "Let's start the next season with this author's phrase: Grandfather Slava is given a razor and he shaves in the frame".

About artist Kalyuzhny, who played the grandson of the main vampire

Gleb Kalyuzhny is a wonderful guy. He has a very good future. My hero does not joke about him, he brings him up. We have a relationship with Kalyuzhny. I say to him: “Just don't be offended. I'll yell at you all the time. I will yell at you both offscreen and onscreen. So that there is no oil. " He put up with me, but it was necessary not to play, so that it would be like a family, in truth. In the word "family of vampires" for me the defining word is "family", not "vampires." "Vampires" are paint, and family is the essence. A family of doctors, a family of lawyers, a family of woodcutters, and here is a family of vampires. Hence the genre. Maybe a family of officials. It's like a vampire family. Same. Just kidding.