In the beginning of October, some Muscovites would have been happy to trade places with Tolyatti citizens. The reason was the "Triumph" Awards days held in Tolyatti. Oleg Menshikov's admirers are most likely to know that this wonderful artist doesn't arrange any meetings with the audience. Thus, his meeting with the public that took place in Tolyatti could be considered an unprecedented event. Viewers asked their favourite actor many questions. And today we are publishing people's interview with Oleg Menshikov.

- Is it true that to arrive in Tolyatti you had to descend from the mountains?
- Yes, I really descended from the mountains, from the set of the film entitled "Prisoner Of The Mountains". The filming took place in Dagestan; I had to grow a moustache, although I don't like it too much… Now I can be considered… how do they call it? "A person of the Caucasian nationality". You know, I met them there. They are wonderful people, big kids. We filmed in a village, which was 3 km above sea-level. People are born there, live their lives and die - and throughout their life they visit Makhachkala or Derbent only three times maybe. And relations are wonderful. If we go to the set and a wedding procession passes by, that means everyone comes drunk to the set. It's impossible to leave. They don't understand it that "we can't drink, we are at work". That's a shock for them. The director's son acts in our film, and once he began to smoke. Well, he was smoking - it's natural - and his father was sitting next to him. And someone whispered in his ear, "Your father is sitting next to you". - "I know, why?" - "How come you smoke when your father is near?" It's not allowed to smoke or drink when your father or elder brother is near. And it doesn't matter whether you are 30 or 40.
We have a great company. Sergey Bodrov, the director, may not be very famous, but believe me, he is great. Director of photography - Pavel Timofeevich Lebeshev - is a man, whose name is connected with the whole history of the Soviet - and now Russian - cinema. There are few professionals like him. I think one of the main problems nowadays is to be a professional. In every sphere, and especially in ours, where there are no criteria and everything is on the level of "liking and disliking", when it's impossible to understand where the real thing is.
As for "Prisoner Of The Mountains", only the title of the classic book is left, and the action takes place in the present days. There is a Caucasian war, but it's not specified which war exactly it is. We all pretend to be far away from it, from this war. As Dostoevsky said, "a man-scoundrel gets used to everything". In fact, it would be awful to get used to such things.

- If it's not a secret, can you tell us the formula of your success?
- I think the most important thing is to stay honest. You know what I am talking about. Not to lie to yourself. "I will do it afterwards" - no, you won't. There is no "afterwards". You should do everything now and do it well; there are no rough drafts.

- They say a person's childhood forms his future. What was your childhood like?
- I remember so little about my childhood that it even scares me sometimes. Some emotional memory perks up from time to time - for example, I feel some familiar smell, - whoops! But it's very hard to recall everything from the beginning till the very end. My first memories are those of my first year in the Institute. No, really… And everything that was before it comes as some subconscious flashes.

- How often does your sense of a character differ from the one of a director?
- We all are humans and can't always think the same way. I think it is very easy to start a conflict with a director, not to work together any more afterwards and pretend not to know each other. But what's the point in it? Even when I realize that a director is not really that good, I believe, it's necessary to find a common language. You can learn something even from a bad director. At least, the ability to work with him.

- Do you owe your talent to your parents, yourself or people who surround you?
- I owe it to both the parents and people who surround me. Because we live thanks to their energy and we breathe their love, and it is the most important thing.
I haven't said that Mikhalkov and Balayan were my teachers: teachers are those who give marks. I have never met the great conductor von Karajan, but I would be happy to call him my teacher, because he taught me a lot "in absentia".

- What do you think of Mikhalkov?
- I think that Nikita Sergeevich Mikhalkov is…I don't even know such a word! I consider him one of the greatest directors of our country, and maybe even farther - Europe and the world. I can't say I act a lot, but I have never felt such serenity on the set I feel when I act in his films. You know, there is such state - "tranquillity of a flying arrow". That's what one feels working with Nikita. When nothing bothers you. There are 15 people behind the camera, they may not watch you with interest, someone yawns: this is their everyday work. Only Mikhalkov can make you totally forget about them and feel tete-a-tete with a partner. Unfortunately, I haven't met anyone else of the kind. Besides, you know, he is a very jovial man, and it also influences the work. It becomes easy and fun. Besides, he is a very good friend.

- How did you come to the world of cinema?
- By pure accident. There are stories about people who come to keep company to their friends and are chosen instead of them, but it was not my case… Everything happened so quickly and accidentally, as if someone took me by a hand and brought there.

- You work abroad a lot. Where is it easier to work - there or here?
- I worked three seasons abroad. But I can't work there permanently, that is the fact. Well, we are different. Neither good nor bad - we are just different. If I had gone there at the age of 15, I'd have settled down and got used, but now it's impossible. Well… the age… There are many things that hold me here and I don't want to lose them. People you love and who love you. There are no these things there, there everything is different. When I worked in England, I suggested one day, "Guys, let's have a drink after the performance". They said, "A great idea", - and opened their notebooks, "Well, next Thursday, for example…" "What Thursday? Today! After the performance!" It was a shock. They didn't understand it; they needed to plan everything in advance. Do we need to plan to have a drink in a week?

- You dreamt of being like Marlon Brando. Did you succeed in it?
- You know, I have never dreamt of being like Brando because it is impossible. I consider him a genius who lives in the same time with us. I have always thought - how can a man achieve that? He lives on his island and doesn't let anybody come near. He acts. That's his attitude towards the profession. If I am asked to choose between family, friends and the profession, what will I choose? Well, not the profession, of course. One can live without acting and plant flowers, for example… Then the profession is not that important after all. As there are people who are around you. Besides, UP THERE it won't be the profession that we will account for, we won't be asked, "How many roles did you play?"
I believe in destiny. I think everybody has his chance in life. Quite a different thing is that you can miss it, pass it by.

- How do you relax?
- There are different ways, it depends on what you mean. You know, I've just thought of saying that I love music - and it will sound trivial and boring; but I really love it, I can't help myself. I love to go to the country-side. I love to go to the sauna. If that's "relaxation", then that's what I do.

- Is there a character you want to play but haven't done it yet?
- I have never had a dream-role. I don't know if it's bad or good - but I have never had it. I always based my decisions on the offers I received: I agreed if I liked them and refused if I disliked them. I would like to play Hamlet and if there is a good director who offers me this role, I will act. By the way, the negotiations about it are in progress now, but they've been in progress for a year already, well, nevermind. We'll come to some conclusion. I guess, I would like to play in "The Three penny opera" and then, maybe, I'd like to play Cyrano. There is no dream. All of us are dependable - well, I'll sit wishing, "Oh, I'd love to act this!" Does anyone need it?

- Could you characterize yourself with three words?
- Reserved. Patient. Jovial.

- Are you a star?
- I don't know what it is. And there is no coquetry in my words, I don't consider myself a star. Moreover, this word has been twaddled too much, and we have so many stars… There should be ten stars in the country, not five hundred. All kinds of comets, meteors - that's okay. But stars - they are very far away, they can't be touched with a hand. They are from a different world.