Date of Birth
8 March 1941, Moscow, USSR [now Russia]
Date of Death
16 August 1987, Riga, Latvian SSR, USSR [now Latvia]
Birth Name
Andrei Aleksandrovich Mironov
Andrei Aleksandrovich Mironov was born on March 8, 1941, in Moscow. His father, named Aleksandr Semenovich Menaker, and his mother, named Mariya Mironova, were famous actors in Russia. From 1958-1962 he studied acting at the Moscow Shchukin School. From 1962-1987 Mironov was a permanent member of the trope at the Moscow Theatre of Satire.
Mironov studied in the Vakhtangov Theatre School during the early 1950s. From 1958-1962 he studied acting at the Moscow Shchukin School. From 18 June 1962 to 1987 Mironov was a permanent member of the trope at the Moscow Theatre of Satire. In 1961, he acted in his first film, What If This Is Love? On 18 December 1980 he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR.
Andrei Mironov is known and loved for his roles in films made by Eldar Ryazanov, Leonid Gaidai, Mark Zakharov, and other directors. He had a wide comedic range and played diverse roles (e.g. a Soviet bureaucrat, Figaro, a romantic spy, a member of the Russian intelligentsia, a con man, an American movie pioneer, a tale-teller, etc.).
On one of his tours through Latvia in 1987, he lost consciousness while performing the lead role in The Marriage of Figaro. He was driven to a hospital where two days later he was pronounced dead on August 16, only nine days after the passing of his close friend and frequent co-star Anatoli Papanov. The cause of his death was excessive internal bleeding due a bursting of a congenital cerebral aneurysm.
In 1961, while being a student, Mironov made his film debut in 'A esli eto lyubov?', by director Yuli Raizman. He became famous after his roles in Moy mladshiy brat (1962), written by Vasili Aksyonov and directed by Aleksandr Zarkhi, and in '3+2' (1962), directed by Genrikh Oganisyan. Mironov did a nice performance in a supporting role in Beregis avtomobilya (1966) (Watch Out for the Automobile 1966), by director Eldar Ryazanov. In it Mironov worked with the stellar acting ensemble, including such stars, as Innokenti Smoktunovsky, Oleg Yefremov, Anatoli Papanov, Georgi Zhzhyonov, Evgeni Evstigneev, Olga Aroseva, Donatas Banionis, and others.
Andrei Mironov is best known for his brilliant performance in supporting role as Kozodoev, a sloppy tourist turned involuntary jewel-smuggler in popular comedy Brilliantovaya ruka (1968) (The Diamond Arm 1968), by director Leonid Gaidai. After this film Mironov became a superstar in the Soviet Union. He worked with an outstanding ensemble of stars, such as Yuri Nikulin, Anatoli Papanov, Nina Grebeshkova, Nonna Mordyukova, and other popular Russian actors. The film became the biggest box-office hit ever in the Soviet Union with theatrical admissions over 76,000,000 in the year 1969. It still remains popular after many decades. In the 1995 national poll Brilliantovaya ruka (1968) (The Diamond Arm 1968) was voted the best Russian film of all time.
Andrei Mironov was among the most popular Russian actors during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. He was highly regarded for his distinguished contribution to the Russian comedy. Among his best known works was his interpretation of the classic character Ostap Bender in _"12 stulev" (1977) (mini)_ (Twelve chairs 1977), by director Mark Zakharov. There his partners were Anatoli Papanov, Rolan Bykov, Georgiy Vitsin, Oleg Tabakov, Aleksandr Abdulov, and others. Mironov also worked with Mark Zakharov in Obyknovennoye chudo (1978) (TV) (An Ordinary Miracle 1978), where his partners were Aleksandr Abdulov, Irina Kupchenko, Evgeni Leonov, Yevgeniya Simonova, Ekaterina Vasileva, and Oleg Yankovskiy.
Andrei Mironov was honored with the title of People's Artist of Russia, and also received awards at film festivals. He had a heart attack and collapsed during his performance on stage, in the arms of his friend and partner Aleksandr Shirvindt, just minutes before the end of the show. Mironov died on August 16, 1987, he was only 46 years old. His best film partner Anatoli Papanov died on the previous day. Andrei Mironov was laid to rest in the Vagankovo Cemetery in Moscow, Russia.
Andrei Mironov was married twice. First to Yekaterina Gradova, with whom he had one daughter, Maria Mironova, and second to Larisa Golubkina, a singer and actress best known for her role of the hussar maiden in Hussar Ballad. Maria Mironova and his adopted daughter Maria Golubkina (from his marriage with Larisa) had successful careers in Russian cinema.
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