Leonid Parfenov: The most popular literature character of the recent years, detective Erast Fandorin, gained physical appearance last Thursday. This is Oleg Menshikov, with brown mustache and silvered temples. This week they started the shooting of the film based on Boris Akunin’s novel “The State Councilor”. The screening of the bestseller has been postponed for about three years. At first, the film was to be directed by Nikita Mikhalkov, then, by Menshikov himself. Now Mikhalkov produces the film directed by Filipp Yankovsky. Menshikov, of course, kept the leading part. The cast includes the first rate actors: Konstantin Khabensky, Vladimir Mashkov, Maria Mironova, Oksana Fandera, Fedor Bondarchuk, Nikita Mikhlakov, Oleg Tabakov. “The State Councilor” is to be finished by the end of the year. Only our TV-company watched Oleg Menshikov turn into Erast Fandorin.

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Oleg Menshikov: I woke up early. It is hard to invent something on the first day. The actor is unprepared for shooting! (laughs)
I know what I want to avoid playing this part. This is what I know for sure.
I want… to understand him, after all.
(touching his hair) But it isn’t a hairstyle for the film. They will do something with it. Now I will wear a top hat, and they will only whiten my temples.
(looks at the mirror, at his mustache) It seems of a strange color. A kind of shoe polish color. Is it some feature?
Filipp said that he will shave off his mustache in the first scene. I hate to act wearing mustache. I wanted to grow my own. What has grown was a shame. I started to grow it, and kept growing it for about 10 days, and one morning just struck it with a razor, automatically!

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(the shooting of the episode at the railway station)

Oleg Menshikov: A stammering man, who settles everything. I don’t know how he does it: jokingly, or not. And in general, what he thinks about.
I think, that his stammering shouldn't be like (shows strong stammering) - who needs it? Just a little bit!
Akunin simply said he was a freak. I rounded my eyes. He says, “Well, what? He is not a human”.

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Fedor Bondarchuk: Sverchinsky is an officer… But as a person he is a piece of shit! Weak, petty!
Filipp Yankovsky: But sexy?
Fedor Bondarchuk: Not even sexy!

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(at the railway station)

Filipp Yankovsky: Now we keep silence and just look with puzzled eyes of Erast Petrovich. Get ready! Motor! Camera!

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(the shooting ends)

Alright, gentlemen, thank you, have rest!