A

Aleksandr Abdulov

Died
January 3, 2008
Age
54 years
Cause
lung cancer

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Aleksandr Abdulov, 54, Russian actor, lung cancer.

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Aleksandr Gavrilovich Abdulov (Russian: Алекса́ндр Гаври́лович Абду́лов; 29 May 1953 – 3 January 2008) was a Soviet and Russian film and stage actor, film director, screenwriter and television presenter. He was awarded People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1991.

Biography

Aleksandr Abdulov went to school from 1960 to 1970, and upon graduation wanted to become a sportsman. However, Abdulov's father encouraged his son to act, and Aleksandr Abdulov starred in About Vitya, about Masha and the Sea Force, 1974. In 1975 he graduated from GITIS and was hired by Lenkom Theater director Mark Zakharov.

Aleksandr Abdulov appeared in several films in the 1970s. In 1977 he was in the TV version The Twelve Chairs, directed by Mark Zakharov. In 1978 he became a celebrity after his role in An Ordinary Miracle. In 1979 Abdulov appeared in The Meeting Place Cannot Be Changed with Vladimir Vysotskiy. That year he also had roles in Do not part with the Loved Ones and The Very Same Munchhausen.

During the early 1980s, he was considered a sex symbol. In 1982 he performed in Look for a Woman, Magicians and The Woman in White. In 1982, he was given a role in The House That Swift Built (a film about Jonathan Swift) as Dr. Simpson. In 1984 Abdulov was in The Formula of Love and, the following year, In Search for Captain Grant. He also performed in The Most Charming and Attractive and Naval Cadets, Charge!.

Aleksandr Abdulov then went on to play in Desyat Negrityat (based on Agatha Christie's mystery novel Ten Little Indians) in 1987 and To Kill a Dragon in 1988. The next year he had a role in Black Rose Is an Emblem of Sorrow, Red Rose Is an Emblem of Love.

Abdulov was in Genius, The House under the Starry Sky (both made in 1991) and "Gold" (1992). During the 1990s he mostly worked in the Lenkom Theatre. In 2000 he performed in Still Waters and The Christmas Miracle with Chulpan Khamatova. In 2002 he appeared in the TV series Next (the title is the actual English word), where he played a Russian oligarch. He reprised the role in the sequel "Next 2" (2003). The following year he was in About Love.

In 2005, Abdulov had roles in the TV series Anna Karenina and The Master and Margarita. In 2006, he directed the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Lenkom and played the lead character of Randall P. McMurphy (played by Jack Nicholson in the American film). He also had an appearance in the film Attack on Leningrad.

Attitude to the mass media

In the last years of his life, Abdulov had extremely tense relations with the mass media, especially the tabloids. He vehemently resented all false information about him and hated those unscrupulous journalists who tried to pry into his personal life. On Man and Law, aired on Russia's Channel One, Abdulov said once that he owned a licensed gun and he would not hesitate to shoot any trespasser who dared to enter the territory of his dacha during his forthcoming birthday party.

Marriages

Aleksandr Abdulov was married three times. His first marriage was to Irina Alfyorova, by whom he had a stepdaughter, Ksenia Alfyorova. His second wife was Galina, a theatre administrator. In 2006 he married Julia Miloslavskaya, who gave birth to their daughter Eugenia in 2007.[citation needed]

Health problems and death

Abdulov was a smoker throughout his adult life. In August 2007, the actor experienced health problems, supposedly an ulcer. However, in September of the same year he was diagnosed with lung cancer in an Israeli clinic.

He was last seen in public in mid-December 2007 at an awards ceremony at the Kremlin, where Vladimir Putin awarded the actor with the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland", 4th class.

He died on 3 January 2008, aged 54.

Honors and awards

Selected filmography

Content from Wikipedia — licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0

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Sources

Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions

Questions drawn from Aleksandr Abdulov's archived record and the sources above.

  1. 1.On what date was Aleksandr Gavrilovich Abdulov born?

    • A.15 August 1956
    • B.29 May 1953correct
    • C.3 January 1953
    • D.12 June 1950

    The biography states that Aleksandr Gavrilovich Abdulov was born on 29 May 1953.

    Source: Biography section

  2. 2.What profession did Aleksandr Abdulov originally want to pursue after finishing school in 1970?

    • A.A sportsmancorrect
    • B.A theater administrator
    • C.A teacher
    • D.A journalist

    Upon graduating from school in 1970, Aleksandr Abdulov wanted to become a sportsman.

    Source: Biography section

  3. 3.Which institution did Aleksandr Abdulov graduate from in 1975?

    • A.The Kremlin Theater School
    • B.Russian Academy of Theatre Arts
    • C.Moscow State University
    • D.GITIScorrect

    Aleksandr Abdulov graduated from GITIS in 1975 before being hired by Mark Zakharov.

    Source: Biography section

  4. 4.In which 1978 film did Aleksandr Abdulov play a role that made him a celebrity?

    • A.About Vitya
    • B.The Formula of Love
    • C.An Ordinary Miraclecorrect
    • D.The Twelve Chairs

    Aleksandr Abdulov became a celebrity in 1978 following his role in the film An Ordinary Miracle.

    Source: Biography section

  5. 5.What specific role did Aleksandr Abdulov play in the 1982 film The House That Swift Built?

    • A.A Russian oligarch
    • B.The Innkeeper
    • C.Jonathan Swift
    • D.Dr. Simpsoncorrect

    In 1982, Aleksandr Abdulov was given the role of Dr. Simpson in the film The House That Swift Built.

    Source: Biography section

  6. 6.Which famous Agatha Christie novel was the basis for the 1987 film Desyat Negrityat, in which Aleksandr Abdulov appeared?

    • A.Murder on the Orient Express
    • B.Ten Little Indianscorrect
    • C.And Then There Were None
    • D.Death on the Nile

    The 1987 film Desyat Negrityat, featuring Aleksandr Abdulov, was based on Agatha Christie's mystery novel Ten Little Indians.

    Source: Biography section

  7. 7.What character did Aleksandr Abdulov play in the 2002 TV series Next?

    • A.A Russian oligarchcorrect
    • B.A detective
    • C.An Israeli doctor
    • D.A theatre administrator

    In the 2002 TV series Next, Aleksandr Abdulov played the role of a Russian oligarch.

    Source: Biography section

  8. 8.Which play did Aleksandr Abdulov direct at the Lenkom in 2006?

    • A.One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nestcorrect
    • B.The Master and Margarita
    • C.The Christmas Miracle
    • D.The Twelve Chairs

    In 2006, Aleksandr Abdulov directed the play One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at the Lenkom.

    Source: Biography section

  9. 9.What did Aleksandr Abdulov claim he owned during a broadcast on the show Man and Law?

    • A.A licensed guncorrect
    • B.A collection of vintage cars
    • C.A vineyard
    • D.A private theater

    On the show Man and Law, Aleksandr Abdulov stated that he owned a licensed gun.

    Source: Attitude to the mass media section

  10. 10.Who was Aleksandr Abdulov's first wife?

    • A.Galina
    • B.Irina Alfyorovacorrect
    • C.Chulpan Khamatova
    • D.Julia Miloslavskaya

    The biography notes that Aleksandr Abdulov's first marriage was to Irina Alfyorova.

    Source: Marriages section

  11. 11.What is the name of the daughter Aleksandr Abdulov had with Julia Miloslavskaya?

    • A.Eugeniacorrect
    • B.Ksenia
    • C.Anna
    • D.Masha

    Aleksandr Abdulov married Julia Miloslavskaya in 2006, and they had a daughter named Eugenia in 2007.

    Source: Marriages section

  12. 12.What was the official medical diagnosis Aleksandr Abdulov received in September 2007?

    • A.Lung cancercorrect
    • B.Heart disease
    • C.An ulcer
    • D.A respiratory infection

    Though initially suspected to be an ulcer, Aleksandr Abdulov was diagnosed with lung cancer in September 2007.

    Source: Health problems and death section

  13. 13.Which award did Vladimir Putin present to Aleksandr Abdulov in December 2007?

    • A.Order of Honour
    • B.Honored Artist of the RSFSR
    • C.People's Artist of the RSFSR
    • D.Order 'For Merit to the Fatherland', 4th classcorrect

    In mid-December 2007, Vladimir Putin awarded Aleksandr Abdulov with the Order 'For Merit to the Fatherland', 4th class.

    Source: Health problems and death section

  14. 14.In what year was Aleksandr Abdulov awarded the title People's Artist of the RSFSR?

    • A.1997
    • B.1991correct
    • C.2007
    • D.1986

    Aleksandr Abdulov was awarded the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1991.

    Source: Honors and awards section

  15. 15.At what age did Aleksandr Abdulov die?

    • A.52
    • B.55
    • C.54correct
    • D.53

    Aleksandr Abdulov died on 3 January 2008, at the age of 54.

    Source: Health problems and death section

  16. 16.Which theater company did Aleksandr Abdulov work for during the 1990s?

    • A.Bolshoi Theatre
    • B.Lenkom Theatrecorrect
    • C.Taganka Theatre
    • D.Moscow Art Theatre

    During the 1990s, Aleksandr Abdulov primarily worked at the Lenkom Theatre.

    Source: Biography section

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