Yuriy Nikulin
Born: 1921-12-18 in Demidov, Smolenskaya oblast, RSFSR, USSR
Died: 1997-08-21
Known For: Acting
Biography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Yuri Vladimirovich Nikulin (Russian: Юрий Владимирович Никулин; 18 December 1921 – 21 August 1997) was a well-known Soviet and Russian actor and clown who starred in many popular films. He was awarded the title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1973 andHero of Socialist Labour in 1990. He also received a number of state awards, including the prestigious Order of Lenin, which he received twice in his lifetime. Nikulin's effortless style and precise delivery, as well as his mastery of timing and his hilarious masks made him an outstanding comedian, arguably the best Russian comedian ever. Nikulin showed his range in a variety of genres from slapstick comedy to romance and war drama. His most popular film partners were Georgiy Vitsin, Yevgeni Morgunov,Natalya Varley, Rolan Bykov, Anatoli Papanov, Sergei Filippov, Mikhail Pugovkin, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Leonid Kuravlyov, Andrey Mironov, Evgeni Evstigneev, Vasili Shukshin, Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Sergei Bondarchuk, Nikolay Burlyaev, Viktor Pavlov, Boris Novikov Vladimir Etush, Saveli Kramarov, Nikolai Grinko, and many other notable Russian actors. In the ring, Nikulin presented a phlegmatic temperament, slow and unsmiling, and to many in the West his personality was reminiscent of the great silent film comedian Buster Keaton. Rich in mimicry, doleful of expression, Nikulin was hailed as “a brainy clown” outside Russia. Simple in style and gentle with children, his only vestiges of make-up were a reddened nose and black lines around his eyes, much different from the grotesquely painted faces of Western clowns. Nikulin, affectionately called Uncle Yury by Russian children, relied mainly upon his wits to earn his place in history as one of the best clowns of the 20th century.
Filmography
2016
- Легенды кино as Self (archive footage)
2005
- Как уходили кумиры as Himself / ArchiveFootage
1993
- To Remember as Narrator
1991
- Captain Krokus as introductory and concluding remarks
1983
- Scarecrow as Nikolay Bessoltsev - Lena's grandfather
1982
- I Don't Want to Be a Grown-Up as Kloun
1979
1977
- Bobik Visiting Barbos as Bobik (voice)
- Clowns and Children
1976
- The Adventures of Travka
- Twenty Days Without War as Major Vasily Nikolaevich Lopatin
- Pyotr Martynovich And The Years Of Great Life as Himself
1975
- They Fought for Their Motherland as pvt. Nekrasov
1974
1972
- Telegram as Fyodor Fyodorovich
- Point, Point, Comma... as Alexey's father
- Old Men: Robbers as Николай Мячиков
1971
- 12 Chairs as дворник Тихон
- Parad-Alle
1970
- Deniska's Stories as сосед Дениски из похожего дома
1969
- The Diamond Arm as Семён Семёнович Горбунков
- New Girl
1968
- Seven Old Men and One Girl as грабитель («Балбес»)
1967
- Kidnapping, Caucasian Style as Balbes
1966
- Andrei Rublev as Patrikey
- The Little Runaway
1965
- Operation Y and Other Shurik's Adventures as «Балбес»
- Fantasizing
- Голубой огонек - в первый час as Self
1964
- Big "Wick" as Петя-Петушок (нлвелла «Влип»)
- Give Me a Complaints Book as продавец
- Come Here, Mukhtar! as Glasychev
1963
- Strictly Business as thief (story «Makes the Whole World Kin»)
1962
- Fuse
- No Fear, No Blame as clown
- Bootleggers as «Балбес»
- Young-Green as Nikolai
1961
- When the Trees Were Tall as Kuzma Kuzmich Iordanov
- Sovershenno seryozno as «Балбес» (новелла «Пёс Барбос и необычный кросс»)
- Dog Barbos and Unusual Cross as «Балбес»
- The Taming of the Shrew as Boys' Choir Master
- My Friend, Kolka! as Vasya
- The Man from Nowhere as Militsioner (uncredited)
1959
- The Unamenables as Vasily Klyachkin
1958
- A Girl with Guitar as Pyromancer Loser