Biography of Nelly Uvarova
Nelly Uvarova is a talented Russian theater and film actress who captivated millions of viewers with her transformation into an ugly girl from the TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.”
Along with that star role came nationwide love for her, and therefore each new work of the actress was greeted by the public with double interest. But first of all, Nelly Uvarova is a theater actress. Since 2001, she has remained faithful to the capital's RAMT.
Russian theater and film actress Nelly Uvarova
Childhood and family
Nelly Vladimirovna Uvarova was born in the small Lithuanian town of Mazeikiai, in a family with Russian and Armenian roots. Her father, Vladimir Georgievich, is a civil engineer; and my mother, Galina Grigorievna, is a gymnastics teacher. When Nelly was born, her older (by 4 and a half years) sister Lena was already growing up in the family, who today is a successful clothing designer under the YBAPOBA label.
Nelly Uvarova with her parents
Most of the girl's childhood was spent in Georgia. When civil war began in the country, the Uvarovs moved from Tbilisi to Moscow. After the move, the family’s financial situation rapidly deteriorated, but, as the actress recalled, her youth was still happy.
Nelly Uvarova in childhood
Nellie felt a craving for theatrical art as a child. During her school years, she took part in many amateur productions and was one of the main stars at all performances and matinees, and later in the school KVN team. Parents did not interfere with their daughter’s professional development. Moreover, the girl’s mother several times even wrote scripts for school productions in which Nelly participated, and helped her learn words.
Nelly and Lena Uvarov
Thanks to her parental support, Nellie achieved good success, and therefore, during the exams at Moscow VGIK, the girl had something to show the competent jury. As a result, she successfully passed the exams and became a student at one of the most prestigious theater universities in the entire CIS. Her mentor was the actor Georgy Taratorkin, a sensitive teacher and a brilliant actor, who in 1969 embodied the image of Rodion Raskolnikov on the screen.
Nelly Uvarova (to the left of G. Taratorkin) with classmates
During student performances, Nellie always showed herself brightly. Spectators loved her, teachers praised her, and once even Nikita Mikhalkov himself awarded her a special student grant.
In 1999, Nelly Uvarova made her film debut. The first film with her participation was the short film “Flew” - the educational work of Anna Melikyan, a student of the directing department of VGIK.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EKZdAayPsVM
After that, there was the “Saint Anna” prize, which the actress received for her role in the short film “Poste restante”, as well as an award for academic success from the Rolan Bykov Foundation and a grant from the Fyodor Bondarchuk Foundation. Thus, by the time she graduated from VGIK, the girl already had many prestigious awards to her credit.
Childhood and adolescence
Nelly was born in Lithuania, in the small town of Mazeikiai, in mid-March 1980. Her dad worked as a production engineer, and her mother trained young gymnasts. Elder sister Nellie was fond of clothing design and achieved great success in this field. In Lithuania in the 80s, the social and political situation worsened, and the Uvarov family decided to move to Moscow. By this time, the eldest daughter Elena was already successfully working in the capital and helped her relatives settle in a new place.
Due to the difficult financial situation in the family, Nelly, who was still in school, also worked part-time. She delivered newspapers and posted advertisements, but the girl was interested in the acting profession, so she began to attend the theater studio on Shabolovka, and her family supported her in this.
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Theater career
Along with her diploma from VGIK, the girl also received many interesting offers from a variety of Moscow theaters. Choosing among many options, she settled on the Russian Academy of Youth Theater, with which almost her entire professional career was subsequently connected.
Since 2001, Nellie’s fate has been connected with the Russian Academic Youth Theater (RAMT). On this stage, the girl performed many bright roles, the first being the role of a lame boy in the production of “Little Lord Fauntleroy”.
Nelly Uvarova as Frau Berholt (“Nuremberg”)
Among the works with her participation there were performances designed both for young audiences (Tom Sawyer, The Wizard of Oz, Dunno) and serious productions (The Idiot, Erast Fandorin, And the Dawns Here Are Quiet ...").
The most striking work of the actress, according to many critics, is the one-woman show “Rules of Conduct in Modern Society” (2003). The production was structured in the form of a lecture, given by the heroine Uvarova. “She gives a lecture about behavior in society, but in fact she complains about loneliness,” read the annotation for the play. For this role, the girl received a prize from the Rainbow International Theater Festival and was also nominated for the Golden Mask.
Actor's benefit performance by Nelly Uvarova
Nelly Uvarova also received several prestigious awards from the theatrical trilogy “The Coast of Utopia” (2007) and her role as Natalie Herzen.
Photo from the play “The Shore of Utopia”
Among the latest theatrical works with the participation of the actress, one can note the play based on the play “Cat of Shame” directed by Maria Brusnikina - three family tragedies presented in the form of short stories independent from each other.
In addition, Nelly Uvarova has rich entrepreneurial experience. She actively collaborated with the theater workshop of Georgy Taratorkin, the Art-Partner XXI agency, the TKZ Moscow Sovremennik Theater and many other theaters.
Nelly Uvarova in "Don't Be Born Beautiful"
Having entered the service at RAMT, Nelly Uvarova began her journey to the heights of cinema. She started with tiny roles in the TV series “Main Roles”, the action films “Boomer” and “Angel on the Sidelines”.
Usually, by chance, an actor ends up in an audition that is destined to become fateful in his life. But in the case of Nellie it turned out differently. As soon as the director of the project “Don’t Be Born Beautiful” and part-time teacher at VGIK Alexander Nazarov read the script, he immediately realized that the role of the ugly Katya Pushkareva should go to Nelly Uvarova.
Nelly Uvarova as Katya Pushkareva
However, she had to go through the casting on a fair basis, along with other applicants, of which there were hundreds. And yet, Uvarova’s fresh, uncluttered face, capable of transforming itself into either a runt or a queen, eventually became the “calling card” of the series.
The filming was difficult - the actress had to “be in character” all the time: wear uncomfortable glasses that protruded her ears, endure the taste of metal braces in her mouth. It got to the point of absurdity: when the ratings of the series reached sky-high heights, the producers asked Nellie to disguise her “real” appearance in everyday life.
Katya Pushkareva before and after transformation
Even though the project was an adaptation of the Western TV series “Ugly Betty,” viewers sincerely loved the story about an ugly but kind girl who got a job at a large design company. For two years on air, Katya Pushkareva endured a lot of injustice, but in the end good defeated evil. The main character also changed - half of Russia watched the final transformation of Katya Pushkareva, the main intrigue of the series.
After the end of the series, the directors vied with each other to invite Nellie to their place; she was a welcome guest on television. But the girl behaved unexpectedly: she refused interviews and talk shows, did not agree to star in high-profile projects, fearing that the image of Katya Pushkareva would be mercilessly exploited. But at this time she lived a rich creative life - she regularly appeared on the RAMT stage and starred only in films that were interesting to her.
Thus, the actress’s career included the films “I Stay,” “In the First Circle,” “Atlantis,” “Heavy Sand,” “Mermaid,” and “Keep Forever.”
Nelly Uvarova in the film “Closed Spaces”
In addition to acting, Nelly Uvarova is involved in a charity project - the online store “Naive? Very”, which sells designer gifts made by people with personality disorders. For this, the actress received a special grant from the National Fund for the Support of Copyright Holders.
In 2011, Nelly Uvarova also received a special award for her contribution to Russian cinema and theatrical art.
UVAROVANelliVladimirovna
Nelly Uvarova is known as a talented Russian theater and film actress. The girl captivated television viewers with her transformation from ugly to beautiful in the popular TV series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” Along with the role of Katya Pushkareva, the actress received well-deserved popular love. However, Nellie herself considers herself more of a theater actress. Since 2001, she has served in the capital's RAMT.
Nelly Uvarova
Uvarova Nelly Vladimirovna was born in 1980 on March 14 . The actress’s hometown is Mazeikiai, in Lithuania. Both Russian and Armenian blood flows in the girl’s veins. Nellie's father, Vladimir Georgievich, worked as a civil engineer, and his mother, Galina Georgievna, taught gymnastics. Nellie is not the only child in the family; she has an older sister, Elena (the difference between the girls is 4 years). Now Lena Uvarova is a successful clothing designer.
Nelli spent most of her childhood years in Tbilisi. However, due to the civil war, the family left Georgia and moved to Moscow. The actress recalls that at that time they lived poorly, but happily.
As a schoolgirl, Uvarova took an active part in all amateur productions, and also played in KVN. Parents supported Nellie in everything. The girl successfully passed the entrance exams to the capital's VGIK and became a student in the course of master Georgy Taratorkin.
While studying at the university, she proved herself to be a talented and bright actress. In 1999, Nelly made her debut in the short educational film . ” By the time she graduated from the institute, the artist was already the owner of prestigious student grants and awards.
After graduating from university, the girl received many job offers from various Moscow theaters. Uvarova chose the Russian Academy of Youth Theater. Having become a theater actress, Nelly successfully coped with productions designed for both young audiences and adult audiences.
The audience especially remembered Uvarova in the one-woman show “Rules of Conduct in Modern Society” in 2003 , as well as in the theatrical trilogy “The Coast of Utopia” in 2007 . For her roles in these performances, the artist was awarded several prestigious awards. It is also impossible not to note Uvarova’s brilliant theatrical work in the production of “Cat of Shame ,” presented in the form of three separate short stories.
In addition, the artist has extensive experience participating in private performances.
In parallel with her work at RAMT, the artist starred in films. The girl began her career in cinema with small roles in the films “Boomer”, “Angel on the Sidelines” and “Main Roles”.
“Don’t Be Born Beautiful” in 2005 became fateful in Uvarova’s life . The director of the project, Alexander Nazarov, who also taught at VGIK and knew Nellie from his student years, immediately understood who should be invited to the main role in the series. However, Uvarova passed the casting along with other actresses. It is worth noting that there were several hundred the role of Pushkareva As a result, Nellie was approved: the fresh face of a girl who was able to easily transform into both an ugly girl and a beauty became the “calling card” of the serial film.
Uvarova and Antipenko in the series “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”
According to the artist’s recollections, the filming process was not easy. Uvarova had to wear uncomfortable glasses and metal braces. In addition, the artist had to hide her real appearance in everyday life. Millions of television viewers watched with delight and interest the transformation of the main character. Having endured many insults and injustices, Katya Pushkareva was able to transform herself, put her offenders in their place and find her love.
After filming “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” the actress was most afraid that the image of Katya Pushkareva would continue to be exploited. Nellie also did not agree to give interviews and take part in various television shows. Uvarova chose only those projects that were interesting to her. So, she starred in “Atlantis”, “In the First Circle”, “Mermaid”, “Heavy Sand” . In addition, fans were glad to see the artist in the films “I Stay” and “Keep Forever.”
Nelly Uvarova with her daughter
Uvarova, being a versatile person, also participates in other projects. For example, the favorite of millions is involved in charity work and supports people suffering from personality disorders.
2011 brought the actress an award for her contribution to Russian cinema and theatrical art, and 2021 brought her participation in the popular project “Dancing with the Stars.”
Even before filming began in the film “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” Nelly became the wife of Sergei Pikalov, who was also one of the directors of the popular series. The couple lived in marriage for three years: unable to bear the fame that fell on his wife, Sergei left Nelly for a young costume designer.
Uvarova with her husband Alexander
Uvarova remained silent for a long time and did not comment on her divorce. Therefore, the news about the actress’s pregnancy came as a big surprise to everyone. In 2011, Nellie gave birth to a girl named Iya. Uvarova was in no hurry to reveal the name of the child’s father. However, soon the wedding of the artist and Alexander Grishin took place. The man is a colleague of Uvarova, an actor at RAMT. Nellie and Alexander had known each other for many years, but romantic feelings between the actors arose only after a while. In November 2021, Uvarova gave birth to a son, who was named Ignatius.
Nellie is often asked about a possible sequel to “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” The actress believes that the story of Katya Pushkareva has long been completed, everything in her heroine’s life turned out well, so there is no longer a need to exploit this image.
Uvarova continues to play in the theater and act in films. For example, among her recent works we can note the comedy serial film “Adaptation”. Despite the fact that Nelly was pregnant during filming, she skillfully portrayed a seductive secretary on screen. The series was released in 2017 , and in 2018 Uvarova was involved in the serial film “Reckoning ,” where she played the role of a psychoanalyst.
In 2021, the actress shocked fans with her act: Nelly shaved her head as a sign of support for her colleague, the seriously ill actress Anastasia Zavorotnyuk.
Personal life of Nelly Uvarova
Even before the start of filming “Don’t Be Born Beautiful,” the actress married director Sergei Pikalov, who, ironically, became one of the directors of the series.
Nelly Uvarova and Sergei Pikalov
One way or another, after three years of marriage, Nellie’s husband left for a young costume designer. The reason for the quarrel was the rapidly increasing popularity of the actress, which her husband perceived very painfully.
Uvarova did not comment on the topic of divorce for a long time, and little was known about her personal life, and therefore the announcement of the actress’s pregnancy came as a huge surprise to everyone.
Daughter Iya (which means “violet flower”) was born in 2011. The name of the child's father remained a mystery for a long time. The secret was revealed when the media became aware of the wedding of Nelly Uvarova and her colleague, actor of the Russian Academy of Youth Theater Alexander Grishin.
Nelly Uvarova and her husband Alexander Grishin
They met while working on the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, where Alexander played the main role, and Nellie played the role of a woman of easy virtue. Then no feelings arose between them - they appeared only eight years after they met.
With daughter Iya
And in November 2021, a new addition appeared in the family. The second child of Nellie and Aleksand was born - a boy, Ignatius.
Nelly Uvarova now
Nelly Uvarova still refuses to continue “Don’t Be Born Beautiful.” “This is a complete story. Everything turned out well for Katya - I think she has a husband, children, and a career. Now this would simply be exploitation of the image,” says the actress.
Nelly Uvarova does not agree to the continuation of “Don’t Be Born Beautiful”
Among the latest works of Nelly Uvarova, it is worth noting the comedy series “Adaptation”. Filming had to be combined with pregnancy, but nevertheless, Uvarova masterfully transformed herself into the relaxed, daring and sexy secretary Vika. The main roles in the series were played by Leonid Bichevin, Evgenia Brik and Arthur Beschastny. According to the plot, an American spy penetrates Gazprom to collect secret information.
Still from the series “Adaptation”
Unexpected change of image
When fans saw a photo on the Internet where Nelly had her hair cut bald, they were extremely surprised and even upset. But, as it turned out, this was not the initiative of the actress herself; she cut her hair specifically for her role in the film.
And this is not at all surprising, because actors often have to sacrifice something for the sake of the most realistic transformation into their character.
