Oleg Nikolaevich Efremov

Born Oct. 1, 1927, in Moscow. Soviet Russian actor and director. People’s Artist of the RSFSR since 1969. Member of the CPSU since 1955.

In 1949, Efremov graduated from the V. I. Nemirovich-Danchenko School-Studio and joined the Central Children’s Theater, where his best roles included characters in Rozov’s plays: Volodia Chernyshev in Her Friends, Kostia Poletaev in Pages of Life, and Aleksei in Good Luck! Efremov carefully analyzed the mental and moral makeup of his young contemporaries. In 1955 he began to direct at the Central Children’s Theater. In 1956 he became the chief director and actor at the Contemporary Theater. Plays staged by Efremov are noted for their attempt to express civic spirit and for their keen perception into various historical periods, for example, Rozov’s Living Forever (1957), L. Zorin’s Decembrists, Svobodin’s Members of the People’s Will, and Shatrov’s Bolsheviks (all in 1967). As an actor and director Efremov has always been interested in the theme of man’s moral perfection. Courageous lyricism characterized his performances of the younger (1957) and elder Borozdin (1961) in Living Forever. His portrayals of Ukhov in Volodin’s The Elder Sister (1962) and of Nicholas I in Decembrists were sharply satirical and precise. Since 1970, Efremov has been an actor and the chief director at the Moscow Art Theater, making his stage debut in 1971 in the role of Luis in Volodin’s play Dulcinea del Toboso. Since 1954 he has appeared in films; his best roles include the Inspector in Look Out for the Car! (1966), the Cab Driver in The Three Poplars on Pliushchikha (1968), Koshelev in Of Our Kin (1970), and Polynin in What Befell Polynin (1971). Efremov received the State Prize of the USSR in 1969.