Many Russian artists dream of Hollywood and world fame. However, not everyone has the tenacity to break through in the world of fierce competition that exists in the film industry. Soviet actress Olga Prokhorova did not even go to Hollywood, but to Canada, however, she could not become a movie star there either.
However, artists have such a life: today you are at the peak of fame, and tomorrow everyone has already forgotten about you. Perhaps it’s not about abroad, but something else?
Biography
The future actress was born in 1948 in Volgograd. Their family was artistic: both of her parents sang in operetta. They were beautiful, talented, and one day they were seen by a representative of the Riga operetta. He invited the artists to move to Riga, and they agreed.
Olya spent her childhood in the capital of Latvia. Parents from an early age instilled in her a love of music and dance, so she studied at a music school and a ballet school. The bright girl was noticed and began to be invited to popular science films that were filmed at the Riga Film Studio. Here Prokhorova saw how a movie was being made, and it was the world that simply mesmerized her.
After graduating from school, Olya applied to VGIK in Moscow, and she was lucky enough to enter this university. She studied with future celebrities: Natalia Belokhvostikova, Natalia Arinbasarova, Natalia Bondarchuk, Natalia Gvozdikova, Nikolai Eremenko Jr.
The student years were full of creativity, youthful hopes and fun. It all ended in 1971 - future actors were expected to work in theater and cinema. Olga joined the Film Actor Theater.
Film career
Olga Prokhorova's debut in cinema took place while still studying at VGIK: she played an episode in the film "By the Lake" (1969), which was filmed by her teacher Sergei Gerasimov.
Despite her talent and excellent appearance, Olga played secondary roles for a long time. As, for example, in the pictures "Siberian Woman" (1973), "No Return" (1973) and others.
Finally, in 1975, she got a lucky ticket - the main role in the film "The Ivanov Family" directed by Alexei Saltykov. Here the actress plays the role of a girl from a simple working-class family. Her partners on the set were Nonna Mordyukova, Nikolai Rybnikov and Nikolai Eremenko Jr. The Ivanov family hosts a student from the capital who fell in love with their daughter. These simple people with an open mind completely change the picture of the world of a young man who lived a free life and did not consider himself to be indebted to anyone - a kind of tumbleweed. However, having got to know Lyudmila and her parents better, he realized that their simple philosophy is much deeper and more honest than his youthful delusions.
Another notable role of Olga Prokhorova is the image of Ustinya Pugacheva in the film "Emelyan Pugachev" (1978). This story of the uprising and execution of the leader of the Cossacks found a lively response from the audience. Moreover, such stars as Yevgeny Matveev, Tamara Semina and Viya Artmane starred in the film.
The most famous role of the actress is the girl Masha in the drama "Wormwood - Bitter Grass" (1981). The film tells the story of a girl who lost her memory during the bombing of a concentration camp, where she was with other Russian prisoners. The compassionate soldier took pity on the poor fellow and took her with him to the village so that there she could come to her senses and heal. Unlike other Soviet films, the film shows different characters of the villagers - both positive and negative. However, there are still more good people, and friendly help helps Masha regain her memory.
The last film in which Prokhorova starred in the USSR is Strange Horizons (1993). Since then, Russian viewers have not seen her in films.
Personal life
In her student years, Olga was in love with the handsome Nikolai Eremenko Jr. Feelings were mutual, and the romance was seething with violent passions. Therefore, both in performances and in films, it was easy for both to portray love - they played themselves. And often in student performances they were paired.
Nikolai wanted to marry Olga - he had the most serious intentions, but at some point the girl drew attention to the director Alexei Saltykov. He conquered her with his humor and attitude to life, as well as talent. Their acquaintance happened during the filming of the film “Liberation. Battle of Berlin (1971).
Despite the fact that Alexei was much older, Olga became his wife. The director filmed her in his films, everything seemed to be fine. However, it let down the fact that Olga was often invited to meetings with foreign guests thanks to her knowledge of languages and singing talent.
On one of these evenings, she met a Canadian diplomat who invited her to pursue a career in Canada. They got married, but lived together for only a few months, and then broke up.
For a while, Olga was in demand in Canadian cinema, she was invited to television projects. She had the opportunity to get a second education there and earn her living. And then the popularity faded away, and in Canada she had nothing else to do.
In the nineties, Prokhorova moved to the United States, where an even more unenviable fate awaited her - she was deceived for a large amount of money, promising to arrange a film studio. Further - more: when her boyfriend fell out of the window, she was accused of pushing him. And she was kicked out of her home.
She wandered in different corners, twice suffered a stroke, but recovered after an illness. Now the former actress lives on disability benefits, which is not even enough to pay for housing. Therefore, she is forced to rent a room in half with another tenant.
Now Prokhorova is already over seventy, she lives in Los Angeles.
