People’s Artist of Russia, Leonid Filatov (1946-2003), stage and screen actor, playwright, poet and scriptwriter, was born on December 24. \nAfter graduating from the Shchukin Theater Academy, Filatov worked at the Taganka Drama and Comedy Theater, which he left in 1985 to support Yury Lyubimov, after Anatoly Efros was appointed the theater’s director. \nFrom 1985 to 1987, Filatov worked at the Sovremennik Theater and returned to Taganka Theater in 1987. In 1993, together with Nikolai Gubenko, Natalya Saiko, Nina Shatskaya, Filatov established his own theater community, Union of Taganka Theater, to compete against Yury Lyubimov’s Taganka Theater. \nFilatov was more than an actor, he also authored the plays “Mottled People,” “Cuckoo Clock,” “Artist from Sherwood Forest,” “The Love for Three Oranges,” “Lysistrata” and “Troublemaker,” and wrote the musice for the plays “The Theater of Clara Gazul,” Martin Eden,” “Once Upon a Time in California,” and “Hercules and “The Augean Stables.” \nHe starred in many films, including “Air Crew” (1979), “Women’s Serious Jokes” (1981), “Rooks” (1982), “Chosen” (1983), “Success” (1985), “Chicherin” (1986), “A Forgotten Tune for the Flute” (1987), “Zero City” (1988), “Charity Ball” (1993) and others. \nIn 1990, Filatov became the scriptwriter, director and lead actor in the film “Sons of a Bitch,” which got the first prize at the Kinotavr Film Festival in the nomination “Films for All.” \nIn 1990s, Filatov’s books “The Tale of Fedot the Strelets,” “Robin Hood’s Big Love,” “Love for Three Oranges,” “Lysistrata,” “Leonid Filatov’s Theater,” “I am a Theater Person,” “Sons of a Bitch” were published.
