Leonid Yarmolnik Theatre and film actor, showman, TV-host :: people

Leonid Yarmolnik

Born: January 22, 1954

Theatre and film actor, showman, TV-host

Leonid Isaakovich Yarmolnik was born on January, 22nd, 1954 into the family of a Soviet Army officer in Grodekovo Town of the Primorski Territory. In the 1960s the Yarmolniks family moved to Lvov. Leonid studied at a music school, was fond of literature and theater, and attended a drama studio at the Lvov Folk Theater. In 1971 he tried to enter the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinema, but failed. However, next year he was admitted to the Schukin Theatrical College, where his teachers were Yury Katin-Yartsev, Vladimir Etush, Mikhail Ulyanov, and others.

Upon graduation in 1976 Leonid Yarmolnik was distributed to Taganka Theatre, with Yuri Lyubimov as the chief stage director at that time. The actor worked in Taganka Theater till 1984.

Leonid Yarmolnik made his debut in cinema in 1974, but those were episodic roles, which remained practically unnoticed. The actor gained popularity in the late 1970s, when he appeared in the telecast Volkrug Smekha (Around laughter) with a comic turn. His age-old friend Alexander Abdulov took him to the leading film director Mark Zakharov, who gave him an apt role in the television movie The Very Same Munchhausen (1979). Lots of Russian viewers remember the episode “And I say - don't growl!” from the Soviet action movie The Detective (1980) by director Vladimir Fokin featuring Yarmolnik as a gangster. In the following years the actor was actively engaged in filming; among his works are the well-known films A Man from the Boulevard des Capuchines, Look for a Woman, Frenchman, Two Arrows, Passport, etc.

From 1993, Leonid Yarmolnik worked a lot on television, where he was invited by the renowned journalist Vlad Listyev. Among the competitive and entertaining telecasts hosted by Leonid Yarmolnik one should mention the popular L-Club – his debut work as a host - and Gold-Rush, somewhat similar to Fort Boyard telecast.

The film Moscow Vacation (1995) starring Leonid Yarmolnik was his great creative success and also showed his talent as the film producer, who had to apply considerable resourcefulness while arranging the shootings in Russia and Italy.

Leonid Yarmolnik also produced a number of other films, founded the L-Club studio, was the president of the TV company Promotion Group, and released CDs with classical works played by famous performers.

Yarmolnik is the winner of the State Award of the Russian Federation, Gold Ram Prize, Nika Award, and other prizes. In spite of being busy Leonid has lots of hobbies, giving preference to diving and billiards. His wife Oksana is a theatre costume designer.

Tags: Leonid Yarmolnik Russian actors Russian Cinema