Actors enter their profession in different ways. Lev Prygunov knew from childhood that he wanted to play in the theater
Although he grew up quiet, he was interested in botany and ornithology, and even entered the pedagogical institute to become a biology teacher. However, two years later he took the documents, and from his native Almaty he went to Leningrad, to enter the Institute of Theater and Cinematography. Prygunov entered the first time and realized that this was his element.
After graduating from high school - entreprise performances, the stage of the Central Children's Theater, the Stanislavsky Theater and the Theater of the Actor.
Film career
While still a third-year student, Lev starred in the film Shore Leave (1962), where he starred with Vladimir Vysotsky. This film opened the way to cinema for Prygunov.
After that there were various films: the comedy "Children of Don Quixote" (1966), the drama "Morning Trains" (1963), the war film "They walked east" (1964). By the way, the last picture is Italian, and the Italian soldier Prygunov played in it. The artist himself most of all likes his role in the film "The Heart of Bonivour" (1969).
After filming an Italian film, he was not allowed to act abroad for a long time - at that time, actors in foreign films could not act in films without KGB approval. But in the 90s everything changed, and Prygunov could again be seen in foreign films.
The last role of Lev Prygunov in the American film is the image of Mamontov in the film "Archangel" (2005). Here he plays a former KGB agent who wants to hide the facts about Stalin's death.
Jumpers often played villains, and he succeeded in these roles perfectly - the audience remembered these images of him even better than positive ones.
Recently, Prygunov has starred a lot in films and TV shows of Ukrainian and Russian production. In total, his portfolio includes more than 100 Russian films and about a dozen Hollywood films.
Lev Prygunov's talent is manifested not only in the cinema - he writes beautiful poetry and draws pictures. A funny incident once happened to his paintings: those paintings that did not sell in Russia for two or three hundred rubles were bought abroad for an amount equal to the actor's annual salary. Now Prygunov's paintings are exhibited at the opening days of both capitals of Russia and London, he himself is a member of the World Association of Artists..
Personal life
The first wife of Lev Prygunov, Ella, died in a car accident, and he left a little son in his arms. The actor was very upset, remaining a single father. Because of his employment, he had to send Roman to a boarding school, but every free minute Lev Georgievich took his son home and spent time with him.
Only six years after the death of his first wife did he let another woman, Olga, into his heart, and their union has been going on for more than twenty years. Leo himself says that he found in her everything that he was looking for in women, but the main thing is that Olya made friends with his son, and now they are a friendly company.
His son Roman became a director, he makes films, and sometimes he invites Lev Georgievich for a role, and he agrees with pleasure.
