Ingeborga Dapkunaite: "Long separation from my husband does not prevent us from being happy!"

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

She plays the main roles in the most serious productions of the leading theater directors in Europe, but is practically unknown in the theatrical circles in Moscow. She may burst into tears when she counts to five, or laugh completely uniquely. And now she is also the television queen of ice and skates. So, Ingeborga Dapkunaite.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, tell me, how is it that so little is known about you? Hearing your name, everyone will remember you, but first of all, your ice adventures come to mind for many, and those who are older will also remember the scandalous "Intergirl" …

Ha-ha-ha … (This charming “ha-ha-ha” will accompany us throughout the interview - author's note) I don’t know! I never thought about it. Much in my life has happened due to my natural curiosity. You can say that I got married because of curiosity. When I was invited to a role in the play in England, and for the main role, I only knew that John Malkovich would take part in it. And she went just for fun. And it turned out that she got the role, and met her future husband, and made friends with one of the greatest actors of our time. And fame or lack of it … all this somehow passes me by.

Short questionnaire:

Are you friends with the Internet?

More likely no than yes.

What is an unaffordable luxury for you?

Do a hundred things at a time.

What animal do you associate yourself with?

Somehow they called me a butterfly … I liked it so much, so since then I associate myself with a butterfly!

Did you have a nickname as a child?

No.

What is the difference between a man and a woman?

Well, appearance is at least (laughs).

What turns you on?

Passion.

Are you an owl or a lark?

I have no problem getting up in the morning …

Do you have a talisman?

Until recently, my mascot was a black coat I bought seven years ago.

How do you relieve stress?

I DO NOT get stressed!

Where did you spend your last vacation?

In Moscow, if you can call it a vacation.

What melody is on your mobile phone?

Drin-drin (laughs).

Favorite aphorism?

"You are as good as your partner is." (John Malkovich)

Well, uh … Be cunning … During the "Stars on Ice" project, in my opinion, the whole country and all the neighboring countries were worried about you

And many thanks to everyone who supported me and Alexander. This is such an event in my life … And I am very grateful that it happened. It was a very interesting experience. And a fantastic life experience. Not to mention my wonderful partner, Alexander Zhulin.

In general, I am lucky in my life with unique people, and Sasha fully complies with this definition. He is a brilliant partner, an outstanding coach, and a wonderful person.

Was it difficult?

Highly. The rhythm is crazy, bruises, bumps, and even the rest of the work, shooting, performances, too, after all, has not been canceled. There was very little time to prepare each issue.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, was your husband worried about you? How does he generally perceive your long absences?

Well, what can you do, our work is like this: traveling, shooting, my husband is busy in the theater, after all, he is the director of one of the oldest and most respected theaters in London.

We are accustomed to such a life, and long separations do not prevent us from being happy. He is a very good director, but it somehow happened to us that our careers develop independently, and everyone respects this.

Of course, I play in his performances, but not in all, he is not obliged to give me roles everywhere just because I am his wife, although he considers me a good actress. So I just remembered that apart from the play, during the staging of which we met, I played with him only once during the entire time we were married. So I would not talk about the patronage of a well-known director in England (smiles).

Don't you suffer in Hollywood? Still, the film, where you played one of the main roles, won an Oscar (Nikita Mikhalkov, Burnt by the Sun), and you were nominated for Best Actress

Why suffer for it? If you suffer for every reason, life will turn into a boring thing. I have already been to Hollywood, and more than once, I have starred in fairly well-known films (Mission Impossible, Seven Years in Tibet) and I have an idea about it. And I will be happy to film again if they call. Well, if not, then okay, then it's not destiny. This is a movie, part of show business, and show business is a fickle and largely random thing. There are actors who, after the very first role, get into the stream, so to speak, and very quickly become mega-popular, and there are great theatrical actors, just lumps that appear in two or three films in a lifetime. At the same time, the talent of neither the first nor the second is not contested, and the human qualities too.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, is there something in your life that you regret? What can never happen again, but what would you like?

Anything can happen in my life! (Laughs again). And the fact that she skated is the best confirmation of this.

Although there is one thing … I really wanted to become a ballerina as a child. Just as horrible as I wanted, I remember how I was in seventh heaven with happiness and squealed with delight when I was allowed to put on a real ballet tutu. This is probably the only thing I regret a little, but this is such a good, pleasant pity, not upsetting.

Do you get upset about criticism? When is your work criticized?

I'm not upset at all. Do you know why? I follow the advice of my friend John (Malkovich - ed.) And do not read criticism. Never and never. All the same, nothing can be changed. Better to focus on the opinions of ordinary viewers.

I heard that you were seen on the subway, then at one station, then at another. Ingeborga, was that you? Or are they simply confused?

I am there, I am … (laughs).

What are you doing on the subway?

Like what?! The same thing as thousands of people - food.

Why not by car?

What for? Staying in traffic jams, coming home with aching back and nervous nerves? When you can take the metro and get there much faster and more calmly.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, is it in our metro without nerves? Yes, in my opinion, the opposite!

Well, it happens, of course, but most people do not care what is happening around them, they are immersed in their problems and they do not care about anyone. And the beauty around is amazing, because the Moscow metro is just one of the wonders of the world, I think so. And, I repeat, when you need to be in time somewhere, the metro is an irreplaceable transport.

Maybe you can reveal a secret? How long have I been looking at you, I still don't understand whether you have makeup on or not? You look natural in any setting

(Laughs) But I won't tell you! Let this secret die with me (all this is pronounced in such a pretentious tone that it is impossible not to laugh). Of course, nothing human, that is, feminine, is not alien to me, I just try not to overuse cosmetics, even the best ones, and always, no matter what I do, no matter how tired, take off my makeup at night and wash my face. Well, plus a light exercise in the morning - and my tool, my appearance, is ready for work.

Is this weapon enough to completely transform into an image?

It depends. Sometimes this is enough when the role is not very big and the appearance itself determines the character. So I had it in the recent film "Hannibal". This is a film about the childhood and adolescence of the well-known Doctor Lector from The Silence of the Lambs. I played there the mother of little Hannibal, it happened during the war, in the Baltic States, and I just had to play myself, my appearance is still Baltic (laughs). But in other films, where the roles are more significant, I always thoroughly understand my character: if she rides a horse, then I also try, I try to learn something about horses, if she is a prostitute (and I also had such roles), then I, of course, do not go to experience all the delights of the profession in practice (laughs), but I try to find out the features of this occupation.

So if you see me in the role of, say, a conductor, you can be sure that I know the bus route and ticket prices by heart.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, not quite a correct question. You are filming and acting in performances almost all over the world. Where is the work of an actress valued higher?

You know, it's hard for me to say that. If we talk about the material side of the matter, then I can rather dispel some misconceptions about the huge earnings in the West.

Big money can only be obtained by starring in some blockbuster, and even then on the condition that the film does not fail at the box office. Well, or in Broadway productions, for example.

In England, actors do not work in the theater for money, an actor in an English theater receives a salary (not royalties!), Fixed, it is about a thousand pounds a month, for our money it is about fifty thousand rubles. You will say that it is very good? But do not forget about the difference in prices, for example, in order to get somewhere in London by taxi, you need to pay at least 20 pounds, that is, a thousand rubles. And everything else is very expensive too. So this is very little money.

Ingeborga Dapkunaite, you have already got up on skates, you have already swam in the ice-hole, where will we see Ingeborga Dapkunaite again?

I don’t know… Where will fate bring… I don’t have time to think and plan my life, I barely have time to live it. So let's wait a bit, so much can happen (laughs).