Biography of Ksenia Kutepova
Ksenia Kutepova is an original and talented Russian actress with unique charisma and memorable appearance. In her creative treasury there are more than twenty bright theatrical works and about thirty film roles, many of which were awarded high awards, including the State Prize. Since 2004 - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.
Actress Kutepova Ksenia Pavlovna
Teachers in the life of Ksenia and Polina Kutepov
For themselves, the sisters then saw only one path - to enter the theater. True, they still did not understand what they would do there. Polina and Ksenia were already independent individuals with completely different characters, but they auditioned at institutes together.
By the way, this did not add points to them. The teachers simply did not understand which one to choose - after all, they did not need two identical Kutepovas. Only Pyotr Fomenko, who was taking a course at GITIS in those years, noticed that as actresses they were completely different. That didn’t stop him from constantly confusing them off stage (or pretending to).
Pyotr Fomenko has always been distinguished by his special style in directing and the choice of students. The course was chosen to be very non-standard, both in appearance and in talent. Despite the fact that the Kutepov sisters were the youngest and most inexperienced on it, very quickly everyone became friends and began to work as one.
It was from this course that the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop theater subsequently grew. So the Kutepovs, one might say, stood at the origins of the theater and continue to work there to this day. The departure of their master in 2012 was difficult for both.
Course of the Kutepov sisters at GITIS
Childhood and adolescence
Ksenia is a native Muscovite, born and raised in a family of astrophysics engineers.
She was not born alone, but in company with her twin sister Polina, who is fifteen minutes younger than our heroine. The appearance of twins was a surprise not only for the parents, but also for three-year-old Zlata, their eldest daughter. The girl was looking forward to her sister and was terribly happy when there were two of them at once. She took care of the red babies, who looked like two peas in a pod, played with them, dressed them up like dolls, and when the girls grew up, she began organizing home performances with their participation. Ksenia still remembers with laughter her first appearance on stage, which took place in the attic of an old dacha.
Ksenia and Polina Kutepova in childhood
Her father’s influence in the family was strong, so Ksenia preferred boyish fun to playing with dolls and other “girly” entertainment, and grew up as an active and hooligan child. The twins did not allow themselves to be insulted and could always stand up for themselves.
Despite all the tricks of Zlata, who was fanatically passionate about the theater, Ksenia and Polina preferred to take up singing and choreography. When the sisters turned 6 years old, the mother took her daughters to the dance ensemble named after Loktev, to which the twins devoted seven years. At the same time, the girls attended a film school under the direction of Alla Stepanova at the Palace of Pioneers.
Ksenia Kutepova with her sister Polina
One day, the red-haired twins caught the eye of assistants from Mosfilm, who were looking for children to film a new film. This is how the Kutepov sisters (all three) first appeared on the screen, playing the children of the main characters in the serious dramatic film “Vasily and Vasilisa” (1981). Ksenia and Polina were included in the Mosfilm file and began to be invited to filming quite often. By the time she graduated, our heroine already had five film works under her belt, including the main role in the musical film-play “Alika’s Adventures in Imagination” (1987). Teachers were sympathetic to frequent absences.
Ksenia Kutepova in her youth
It is not surprising that the Kutepov sisters gradually began to think about the acting profession. In the ninth grade, they transferred to a school with in-depth study of humanities and began to diligently prepare for admission to GIGIS.
The Kutepov sisters in their youth
With their appearance, they shocked the members of the admissions committee, who did not understand what to do with two completely identical applicants. And only the brilliant Pyotr Fomenko, who was a teacher at the directing department and was then taking his course, saw how different they were. Ksenia Kutepova about acting After talking with the girls more closely, he became even more convinced of the correctness of his opinion and took his sisters to his workshop. From that moment on – it was 1988 – Ksenia and Polina began to develop as two independent creative units, although they remained the closest people to each other.
Interview
About theater and cinema:
“The theater has its own specifics. Rehearsals can last for months, and the process is quite intimate. When working on a role, you may have a huge percentage of mistakes, you have the right to search and try. A role in a play can develop and be developed over several years. In short, this is a long and painstaking process, in which a narrow circle of close people participates to one degree or another. And on the set there are crowds of people you don’t know very well, and you need immediate results.”
“Bad films and TV series are anti-training for an actor, a direct path to disqualification. I'm not talking about high-quality TV series with dramaturgy and where the directors are real professionals. For example, I really liked the multi-part television film “Border. Taiga novel." I would love to star in “The Idiot.”
About the director:
“In cinema, not everything depends on the actor. This is the art of directing, and if the director doesn’t pull it off or is outright making hack work, you are absolutely helpless. It happens, however, differently: the actor is not up to the task, but is convinced that he played brilliantly. In this case, the director’s task is to convince him otherwise.”
About my husband:
“Yes, Boys from Mars is his feature debut. However, Sergei is not at all new to the profession: he has filmed TV series and worked a lot in advertising. The distance that exists between us is too short; we are too close. He can't behave with me the way he does with other actors. And I can’t behave the way I do with other directors. Sometimes I allow myself to disagree and argue. And you can’t argue with the director on the set.”
About family:
“Imagine, we are three sisters: me, Polina and Zlata, who is three years older than us. That is, in our family there was a father and four women - there was such a “female kingdom.” Then Polina had a daughter, Zlata had a daughter, and I... had a boyfriend. I want to say that he became everyone’s favorite - he’s the only guy in the village, because there’s a “women’s kingdom” all around. And then Lida was born: now there are seven of us women and one Vasyatka is in charge of everyone.”
"I do not have friends. At all. Only sisters. And Zlata and Polina. And since Polina and I have always been together, both in the theater and throughout our lives, this is probably the reason (laughs) that I don’t have girlfriends and there’s no need to have them.”
Usually Ksenia and Polina Kutepov are perceived as a single whole. A certain brand has already been created in the world of cinema and theater - the Kutepova sisters. In the “Life Line” program, Ksenia talked about what it was like to play with her twin sister on the same stage and utter the words in her face: “I look at you like in a mirror,” as well as about her individual works.
Theater career
Ksenia considers her student years to be the happiest period of her life. She was crazy about her teachers and idolized Pyotr Naumovich Fomenko, whom she considers the godfather in the world of theatrical art. The brilliant director, whom many were afraid of because of his tough character, also adored his red-haired beauties and tried to reveal all their unique creative abilities.
Ksenia Kutepova on the stage of the theater
While still a student, Ksenia began to appear on the stage of the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop theater. In tandem with her sister, she was involved in the plays “Wolves and Sheep” and “Three Sisters,” where the twins faced a difficult task. Ksenia and Polina had to play their characters in such a way that the audience would forget about their external similarity. This was the brilliant method of Pyotr Fomenko, who was able to educate two unique actresses in their own way.
Ksenia Kutepova’s height is 165 cm
After graduating from university in 1993, Ksenia and her sister joined the main troupe of the Pyotr Fomenko Workshop. For more than a quarter of a century they have been devoted to their favorite theater and consider it their second home. Our heroine has two dozen bright roles in the best repertory performances, for many of which she was awarded prestigious theater and state awards. Ksenia is an Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and a State Prize laureate.
Theater works
"Workshop of Pyotr Fomenko":
- Showcase (Columbine, girl)
- Varvara (Lidiya Pavlovna)
- Vladimir III degree (Odosimova, 2nd girl, woman drowned in the Neva)
- Twelfth Night (Viola, Sebastian)
- The Importance of Being Earnest (Gwendolen Fairfax)
- A month in the village (Lizaveta Bogdanovna)
- Adventure (1st Fashion Shop Master)
- Harvest Dance (Agnes)
- Tanya-Tanya (Tanya)
- Chichikov. Dead souls, volume two (Matryona Pankratovna, Ulinka, Lisa)
- The Sound and the Fury (Kandacey)
- War and Peace. The beginning of the novel (Princess Elizaveta Bolkonskaya, Sonya, Julie Karagina)
- Wolves and sheep (Anfusa, Murzavetskaya)
- The most important thing (Galpetra, Frau P., Tala)
- Family happiness (Masha)
- Three sisters (Irina)
- White Guard (Elena Talberg)
- Kreutzer Sonata (Lisa, aka Girl)
Film career
The list of Ksenia Kutepova’s film works is smaller than that of her sister, but it also includes almost three dozen roles. One of the most striking and memorable is the simple village woman Natalya in the touching melodrama “Travel with Pets” (2007). The film, which tells the story of a young woman’s difficult path to personal freedom and happiness, was highly acclaimed at prestigious international festivals and awarded the Golden Saint George at the Moscow Film Festival.
Ksenia Kutepova in the film “Travel with Pets”
Also noteworthy are the actress’s roles in the melodrama “Spring is Coming” (2009), the series “Doctor Tyrsa” (2010), and the tragicomedy “The Guy from Mars” (2001). In 2012, Ksenia played the mother of the Turbins in the new film adaptation of The White Guard, and a year later she appeared on screen as Mrs. Coknard in the remake of the legendary The Three Musketeers.
Ksenia Kutepova on the set of the film “The Three Musketeers”
Prizes and awards
- laureate of the Special Jury Prize of the Drama Theater and Puppet Theater for the ensemble of female performers in the play “The Most Important”, Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theater, 2008
- nominated for the Golden Mask award in the category “Drama - Best Actress” for the roles of Galpetra, Frau P., Tala in the play “The Most Important”, Pyotr Fomenko Workshop Theater, 2008
- Prize named after Vladimir Vysotsky for the role of Caddy in the play “The Sound and the Fury”, 1993
- special prize for the best young actress of the Kontakt-96 theater festival in Poland (play “Tanya-Tanya”)
- Award from the Komsomolskaya Pravda newspaper for the best actress of the year in 1995 and 1996
- “Chaika-2000” award in the category “Some Like It Hot” (duet with Ilya Lyubimov in the play “Family Happiness”)
- K. S. Stanislavsky Award for the best actress in the play “Family Happiness”, 2001
- laureate of the State Prize of Russia (for the performances “War and Peace”, “Family Happiness”), 2002
- laureate of the "Chaika" theater award in the "Synchronized Swimming" category - for the acting ensemble of the play "Three Sisters", 2004
- Crystal Turandot Award in the category “Best Actress” - play “Three Sisters”, 2005
- Moscow Prize in the field of literature and art in the category “Theater Art” - for performing one of the main roles in the play “Three Sisters”, 2007
- theater award of the newspaper "Moskovsky Komsomolets" (season 2006-2007) in the nomination "Best Actress in a Supporting Role", category "Half-Maitres" - for the role of Galpetra in the play "The Most Important", 2007
- Prize “For Outstanding Artistic Achievement” at the annual international film festival in Cottbus, Germany (film “Travel with Pets”), 2007
- Award in the nomination “For the most feminine image” at the IX Baku International Film Festival “East-West” (film “Travel with Pets”), 2007
- Prize “For Best Actress” at the Second Open Festival of Film and Television Programs for Family Viewing named after. V. M. Leontieva “With all my heart” (the role of the nun Catherine in the film “Spring is Coming”), 2010
- Commemorative medal of the Moscow Art Theater for the 150th anniversary of A.P. Chekhov to outstanding cultural figures in recognition of merit and personal contribution to the development of art, 2010
- Prize “For Best Actress” at the Russian Film Festival “Literature and Cinema” in Gatchina (female acting ensemble of the film “Dance of Delhi”), 2013
Based on materials from Wikipedia and websites: kino-teatr.ru, fomenko.theatre.ru, kutepovy.narod.ru, rusactors.ru, stuki-druki.com, fb.ru, uznayvse.ru, 24smi.org, vokrug.tv, kultura-portal.ru, spletnik.ru.
Personal life of Ksenia Kutepova
The actress’s personal life was as successful as her creative career. For more than twenty years she has been happily legally married to director and screenwriter Sergei Osipyan, with whom she is raising her son Vasily (2002) and daughter Lydia (2005).
Ksenia Kutepova and her husband Sergei Osipyan
Sergei first saw Ksenia on the stage of the Pyotr Fomenko Theater and was impressed by her original talent. He invited the actress to his film “Fish,” on the set of which their love story began.
Ksenia Kutepova with children
Personal life
Ksenia met her future husband, then an aspiring director, Sergei Osipyan, while studying at GITIS. However, the actress herself said that they did not begin a romantic relationship right away:
“My husband and I knew each other for six years, and during all this time nothing resonated in either him or me. And then suddenly. not only responded, but flared up like a bright fire, and two months later we got married. A super-romantic adventure in which I felt like the heroine of Shakespeare’s play “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”: everyone falls in and out of love there too.”
The couple has two children - son Vasily and daughter Lida.
Career
In 1993, she graduated from university and became an actress at the Pyotr Fomenko Theater Studio. In the same year, Georgy Danelia’s film “Nastya” (1993) was released. A modest saleswoman at a stationery store dreams of happiness. Thanks to the kind sorceress, the girl turns into a beauty. But it turns out that inner beauty is more important. After this film, fame came to the actress, and when after “Nastya” she starred in the next film by this director, “Heads and Tails” (1995), she began to be considered Danelia’s talisman.
“Some kind of costumed nesting doll, a straw widow, a relic from Limita, Zinaida Ivanovna Prishchepkina. If you pass by one, you won’t notice. And if you notice, you will falter, become hooked, become agitated – and for the rest of your life, to the limit, to the end, to your last breath,” film critics wrote about her role. It was these roles that brought Polina the Golden Aries award.
For her role as Lyudmila in Nikolai Dostal’s film “The Little Demon” (1995), the actress was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the “Literature and Cinema” film festival in Gatchina. Today, the actress’s filmography includes 49 films. In 2009, the detective series “Pelagia and the White Bulldog” was released, a film adaptation of the novel of the same name from the series “The Adventures of Pelagia” by Boris Akunin. Polina played two roles at once: Pelagia (the spiritual daughter of Bishop Mitrofaniy (Alexander Feklistov) and the secular lady Polina Lisitsyna.
The author personally approved the actors and believed that Kutepova should be given the main role: “From the very beginning I wanted to see this actress in the series and achieved this, and now I see that I was right. Polina is not only very good in the role of a nun, but she is also very good (I now say “good” in the sense of beauty) when she dresses up as a society lady.”
How to distinguish between sisters Ksenia and Polina Kutepov
The traditional question that probably bothers all the twins in the world is how to tell you apart? In fact, the Kutepovs are so-called fraternal twins. In common parlance they are twins, and therefore they are completely different in appearance. And if the sisters themselves do not want to appear the same (which is rare), then it is very easy to distinguish them. The “elder” Ksenia has more clearly defined facial features, and Polina has a louder voice, and she is also more active and, as it seems to her, less diplomatic than her sister.
Since childhood, their mother bought them different clothes, which they wore in turns, and later they bought things for themselves - one for two. When the sisters went to their respective corners, they noticed that their wardrobes had significantly decreased in size and had to make up for it.
Kutepov sisters - Ksenia and Polina
As they grew older, the girls began to differ from each other more and more. But in film works, many still do not distinguish them, and some even believe that they are the same actress. By the way, Polina and Ksenia react to this very well, with humor - so each of them is twice as talented and popular.
After all, the Kutepovs are theater actresses. Being involved in repertoire performances, it is very difficult to combine this with active filming in films and TV series. In addition, there is excessive selectivity in scenarios. Despite the fact that both husbands are directors, the sisters do not act in films as much as they would like.
Polina was the first to begin her journey in cinema as an independent creative unit. It was she who starred in the films by Georgy Danelia “Nastya” and “Heads and Tails”. In those years, she was even called the director’s “mascot.”
Ksenia was more busy in the theater in the 90s and appeared on screen more often in small episodes with her sister. Only at the beginning of the 2000s she played in the film “Walk” by Alexei Uchitel, and then off we went and now the sisters are equal in the number of roles. They act in theater and cinema, both together and separately.
In their theater, the Kutepovs have already begun to be called “old-timers” (soon they are not far from the luminaries) and they joke that they have “hazing” towards the younger generation.
Polina Kutepova in the film “Nastya” (1993) and Ksenia Kutepova in the series “Doctor Tyrsa” (2010)
Childhood
Polina Pavlovna Kutepova, like her twin sister Ksenia, was born on August 1, 1971 in Moscow.
The girls studied in the dance ensemble named after V.S. Lokteva. There they were seen by the junior director of Irina Poplavskaya’s film “Vasily and Vasilisa,” who was looking for types for the film. So, not very noticeably, the acting career began for the twins. But then the girls were invited to star in the film “Where Will He Go” by Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich and the fairy tale “Red, Honest, in Love” by one of the best children’s directors Vladimir Nechaev, so the “relationship” with cinema continued.
They studied at the children's film studio of the House of Pioneers on the Lenin Hills, and after school, in 1988, they decided to enter the theater institute. At GITIS, the sisters passed the competition to both Leonid Kheifits and Pyotr Fomenko. Here, unlike other theater universities, no one wondered why the institute needed two identical actresses. “We had no idea who Kheifits was, who Fomenko was. And we didn’t go to the theater. But somewhere under the stairs we were stopped by Sergei Vasilyevich Zhenovach, who was a teacher on Fomenko’s course and said: go to Pyotr Naumych. And we went,” says Polina.
