Vitsin Georgy, whose biography is an example of an inimitable actor, left behind a lot of vivid and memorable images. His jokes and winged expressions have long gone into the people and have become an integral part of the Russian language.
Childhood
Due to the anarchy of the revolutionary year, exact information about the date and place where Vitsin Georgy was born was not preserved. The biography of the actor, or rather, her first period, is full of white spots. According to the official version, Georgy Vitsin was born on April 18, 1917 in the suburb of Petrograd, which is now Zelenogorsk as part of St. Petersburg. It is believed that the mother of the child asked to amend the documents related to his birth in order to send him to a recreation camp, where he could not get due to age disparity.
Despite his Petersburg origin, Vitsin spent most of his life in Moscow, where his parents transported him at the age of eight months. Since childhood, he wanted to become an actor. Therefore, immediately after the young man graduated from secondary school, he enrolled in a school belonging to the Maly Theater. Vitsin did not stay there for a long time. He was expelled for inappropriate behavior. What exactly became the reason for such measures is unknown.
The beginning of an acting career
Despite the misunderstanding, the next year George submitted documents to three more studios. All educational institutions have accepted it. Persistence and resilience from childhood were inherent in Vitsin. This is not surprising, because he grew up amid the ruin of the civil war and its consequences. From a very early age, the child is accustomed to endure hardship, but to move confidently towards his goal.
Vitsin graduated from his education at the Moscow Art Theater. In 1936, he finally received a well-deserved diploma. His permanent job was the Khmelev Theater Studio (later reorganized into the Yermolova Theater). Vitsin Georgy devoted 33 years of his life to this place. The biography of the actor is firmly connected with the local scene.
First serious roles
For the first time, Vitsin appeared on the big screen in 1945, playing the cameo role of a railwayman in the film “Hello, Moscow!”. However, this debut did not show the general public the potential possessed by Vitsin Georgy. Biography, creativity and the role of the actor will become known a little later.
At that time, the historical cinema genre was gaining popularity in the Soviet Union, which had just survived the war. Of particular demand (both the state and the audience) were tapes shot based on the works of the classics of Russian literature. Could not get into such films and Vitsin Georgy Mikhailovich. The biography of the actor in the 50s was replenished with participation in the filming of the films "Belinsky" (played by Gogol) and "Composer Glinka".
The image of a coward
Of course, Vitsin is best known as a Coward, a comic antagonist and petty offender. This character is best known for the comedies of Leonid Gaidai. Coward, Dunce and Experienced (Vitsin, Nikulin and Morgunov) are some of the most recognizable faces of Soviet cinema.
It all started in 1961, when Gaidai decided to shoot two short films - “Dog Watchdog and Unusual Cross” and “Moonshiners”. In both tapes, the famous trinity in every way violates the law. A coward with friends is poaching or trying to brew moonshine. Due to the clumsiness of the characters, all their ideas turn into a comedic farce.
The success of the image made Gaidai and the entire film crew think about creating a continuation of the trinity adventures. In 1965, another collection of movie novels appeared - Operation Y and other Shurik adventures. In 1966, the feature film "The Caucasian Captive, or Shurik's New Adventures" was released. He became one of the most “popular” and popular films of his time.
Comedy Star
Many actors who have achieved great success thanks to a successful role in the cinema have become hostages of their image. Some of these Vitsin colleagues could not get rid of the stigma associated with their previous achievements. Georgy Mikhailovich avoided such a fate. His role as a Coward was a landmark for the entire Soviet cinema. But the actor was not going to stop there.
In 1971, he starred in Gentlemen of Fortune. This tape caused the effect of an exploding bomb in all cinemas of the country of victorious socialism. At the same time, Vitsin did not play anyone, but a seasoned felon, which was not yet in his repertoire. Soviet spectators forever remembered his barking eerie voice and sentimental speeches. The criminal, tearing into a noose, became one of the most recognizable “masks” worn by Vitsin Georgy Mikhailovich. The biography, personal life and success of the actor at that time were in the center of attention of all viewers of the country.
Vitsin has always been primarily an actor in the comedy genre. In each tape, he opened up new boundaries of his skill, transforming into another eccentric and hilarious character. So, in the movie “It can't be!” in 1975, the actor played a dad with an explosive character. This character still causes the friendly laughter of the audience of any generation.
The ability to transform on the screen was that trademark of a company that Vitsin Georgy possessed. The biography of the actor is full of roles that completely did not correspond to his real age. So, at 48, Vitsin reincarnated as 20-year-old Balzaminov, and in the “Reserve Player” he rejuvenated twice as Vasya Vesnushkin. At the same time, Vitsin, at a still not old age, played gray-haired characters with a huge life experience behind him. Such, for example, was his character from Maxim Perepelitsy.
Lifestyle
George Vitsin was married to Tamara Fedorovna, who was the niece of the famous breeder and biologist Ivan Michurin. The wife worked as a dresser. She was always with her husband and supported him until the very last day. The couple had a only daughter, Natalya.
Despite the fact that the actor had many roles in the image of hopeless drunkards, he never drank. In his habit, great self-control and a strong character can be traced, which undoubtedly distinguished George Vitsin. His biography, photo and lifestyle showed him a healthy person, who was attentive to his own well-being.
Vitsin loved doing yoga. In the Soviet Union, almost no one knew about this Indian art of meditation. In a sense, the actor was even fixated on his own health. But this helped him to live in harmony with himself and each time to give 100% on the theater stage and in the cinema.
other hobbies
It would be wrong to say that cinema and theater were the only hobbies that Vitsin Georgy devoted his time to. Biography, awards and public image are unlikely to tell about this, but all the actor’s friends often noted that he was very fond of fine art. Creative nature did not allow Vitsin to sit idle even when he was free from the stage and filming. He owns several caricatures well replicated in Soviet times.
Vitsin also painted puppet characters. They became cartoon characters. Georgy Mikhailovich loved animation. He himself voiced many Soviet cartoons. He took this work not childishly seriously. Vitsin used the Stanislavsky system, which was always difficult for actors because of the many requirements for "getting used to the role."
With the onset of old age, he almost stopped acting. In the 90s, actor George Vitsin, whose biography was known to almost every Russian audience, began to go on tour across the country. He performed soliloquies and sketches from Gaidai's films that brought him fame .
Death
The famous actor died on October 22, 2001. The cause of his death was a chronic heart disease. Georgy Mikhailovich died in one of the Moscow clinics, where he was brought for emergency treatment. He was buried at the Vagankovsky cemetery.
In subsequent years, monuments dedicated to Vitsin and his most famous images began to appear throughout Russia. They did not forget the famous countryman in Zelenogorsk. They installed a sculpture depicting an actor in the role of Mikhail Balsaminov from the film "Balsaminov's Wedding", based on the plot of the play by Alexander Ostrovsky.