Roman Filippov is a renowned Soviet and Russian theater and film actor, teacher, and recipient of prestigious honors. As a People's Artist of the Russian SFSR and Honored Artist of the Belarusian SSR, he has made a lasting impact on the world of entertainment.
In his early years, Roman was an avid chess player, aiming to become a master of sports in the game, and an enthusiastic reader of Russian literature. His unique, naturally deep and chesty voice, a rare profundo bass, set him apart.
Roman's journey in the theater began with the Malyy Theater actress Vera Pashennaya, who discovered his hidden talent during an audition. This chance encounter led him to enroll in the Shchepkin Theater School, where Pashennaya became his teacher. After graduating in 1957, he joined the Malyy Theater troupe and went on to work with several prominent theaters, including the Moscow Drama Theater named after Alexander Pushkin, Mosconcert, and the National Academic Theater named after Janka Kupala in Minsk.
Throughout his career, Roman demonstrated his linguistic versatility, speaking fluently in Belarusian, Polish, German, and Ukrainian. He performed in various languages, including English in the play 'Peter the Great' and Ukrainian in 'Warsaw Melody' at the Kiev Academic Theater. From 1969 until his passing, he was a dedicated member of the Malyy Theater in Moscow.
Roman's film career began in 1954 and spanned numerous notable roles. His breakthrough performance came in the 1960 film Zelyonyy furgon, where he played Fed'ka the Bull. He went on to play a range of small but memorable character roles, often portraying larger-than-life figures with a dash of humor and irony. Some of his most iconic roles include lumberjack Vasya Zaytsev in the comedy The Girls (1962),Evgeniy Ladyzhinskiy in the comedy The Diamond Arm (1969),and Nikola Piterskiy, a colorful prisoner, in the legendary comedy Gentlemen of Fortune (1971).
