Andrey Myagkov, one of Russia's most familiar faces and a leading actor of the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) who starred in the 1970's comedy Ironiya sudby, ili S legkim parom! (1975), made a comeback in the sequel Ironiya sudby. Prodolzhenie (2007).
He was born Andrey Vasilevich Myagkov on July 8, 1938, in Leningrad, Russia, USSR (now St. Petersburg, Russia). His father, Vasiliy Myagkov, was a professor at the Polytechnical Academy. Young Andrey was fond of theatre and was involved in the drama club at his high school. However, he focused on the study of chemistry and attended the Leningrad Institute of Technology, graduating in 1960 as a chemical engineer. His first job was as a research engineer at the Leningrad State Institute of Plastics, although at the same time he continued playing on stage as an amateur actor.
In 1961 he was admitted to the acting school of the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT) in Leningrad. Then he moved to Moscow and studied at the Theatrical School of the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT), graduating in 1965 as an actor. At that time he married actress Anastasiya Voznesenskaya. From 1965 to 1977 he was a member of the troupe at the Sovremennik Theatre in Moscow. There his stage partners were such actors as Oleg Efremov, Evgeniy Evstigneev, Galina Volchek, Stanislav Lyubshin, Anatoliy Romashin, Alla Pokrovskaya, Oleg Tabakov, Oleg Dal, Igor Kvasha, Valentin Gaft, and other notable Russian actors.
In 1977 he became a member of the troupe at the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT). There he made his stage debut in the leading role as Zilov in "Utinaya okhota" ("Duck Hunting") by Aleksandr Vampilov, and eventually established himself as a leading actor in other stage productions at the MXAT. His stage partners there were such actors as Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Yekaterina Vasilyeva, Tatyana Doronina, Oleg Efremov, Evgeniy Evstigneev, Oleg Tabakov, Aleksandr Kalyagin, Andrei Popov, and other notable Russian actors. Since the split of the troupe in 1987, he has been a member of the Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre (Chekhov MXAT), named after Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. His stage partners there have been such notable Russian actors as Alla Pokrovskaya, Natalya Rogozhkina, Anastasiya Voznesenskaya, Irina Miroshnichenko, Iya Savvina, Stanislav Lyubshin, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Evgeniy Kindinov, Viktor Sergachyov, and Vladimir Kashpur, among others.
He made his film debut in the leading role as a dentist in Pokhozhdeniya zubnogo vracha (1965), by director Elem Klimov. He established himself with such roles as the monk Alyosha in Bratya Karamazovy (1969), then as Khlebnikov, an obsessed chess master, in Grossmeyster (1973). He shot to fame in the Soviet Union with the leading role as Zhenya in Ironiya sudby, ili S legkim parom! (1975), by director Eldar Ryazanov. His fruitful collaboration with Ryazanov continued in Sluzhebnyy roman (1977), Garazh (1980), and Zhestokiy romans (1984). Andrey has played over 50 roles in film and on television. He declined offers to play in such modern Russian films as Nochnoy dozor (2004) and Turetskiy gambit (2005). However, he made a comeback reprising his most famous role as Zhenya opposite Barbara Brylska in Ironiya sudby. Prodolzhenie (2007), a sequel to the Soviet comedy Ironiya sudby, ili S legkim parom! (1975).
In 1989, he made his directorial debut with a stage production of "Spokoynoy nochi, Mama" ("Good Night, Mama") at the Moscow Art Theatre (MXAT). In 2002 he directed the MXAT production of "Retro", a nostalgic play about three middle-aged women courting one man; the play earned him wide public acclaim, although evoking sharp criticism from some contemporary Moscow critics. His latest directorial work for the Moscow Art Theatre was a 2006 production of "Osenniy charlston" ("Autumn Charleston") based on the play "The Cemetery Club" by American playwright Ivan Menchell.
He was designated a People's Artist of Russia in 1986. He was awarded the State Prize of the USSR in 1977, the Brothers Vasiliev State Prize in 1979, and has received several other significant awards and nominations. Outside of his acting profession, Andrey paints portraits, and his paintings are owned by such figures as Mikhail Gorbachev and Galina Volchek, among others. He is fond of sport fishing and hiking. He shares his time between his two residences, one in Moscow, and one in a remote village in central Russia.
