Vasili Lanovoy was a renowned Russian actor, best known for his roles in Alye parusa (1961) as Captain Grey and Anatol Kuragin in War and Peace (1965).
Born Vasili Semenovich Lanovoy on January 16, 1934, in Moscow, Russia, USSR, his parents, Ukrainian peasants from Odessa, had escaped the 1931 famine by moving to Moscow. At age seven, Lanovoy visited relatives near Odessa, but was caught by the advancing Nazi Armies during World War II.
Young Lanovoy was abused by the Nazis, who fired machine guns above his head to scare him, resulting in a stammer that lasted for several years. Despite this, he dreamed of becoming an actor, overcoming his stammer and heavy Ukrainian accent.
He attended the acting class of Sergei Lvovich Stein at the Moscow ZIL club, making his stage debut in a play by Lev Kassil. Lanovoy was torn between acting and journalism, studying both at Moscow University.
In 1953, at age 18, he was cast in Problem Child (1954),making his film debut. He then studied acting at the Shchukin Theatrical School of Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, where his classmate was Tatyana Samoylova, whom he married in 1955.
Lanovoy appeared as Anatol Kuragin in War and Peace (1965) and as Captain Grey in Alye parusa (1961). Since 1957, he has been a member of the Vakhtangov Theatre in Moscow, working alongside notable actors such as Mikhail Ulyanov, Ruben Simonov, and Boris Zakhava.
His most memorable stage performances include Protasov in 'Deti Solntsa' (1968),Oktavian in 'Antony and Cleopatra' (1975),and the title role in 'Kasanova' (1985). Lanovoy has delivered acclaimed performances in the legendary Vakhtangov's production of Carlo Gozzi's comedy 'Princess Turandot', taking the role of Prince Calaf in 1963.
Vasili Lanovoy was designated People's Actor of the USSR, awarded Lenin's Prize (1980),and received numerous awards and decorations for his work on stage and in film. He was fond of classical music and Ukrainian songs, maintaining a good physical form through sports and a pesco-vegetarian diet.
Lanovoy was married three times and had two sons with actress Irina Kupchenko. He was a prominent member of the Communist Party of USSR and Russia, supporting president Putin and Moscow mayor Sobyanin in their re-elections. Vasili Lanovoy passed away on January 28, 2021, at the age of 87, due to Covid-19 complications in Moscow, Russia.
