Nikita Mikhailovich Yefremov is a bright representative of one of the largest Russian artistic dynasties, who has played more than a dozen roles in theater and three dozen in cinema. He is a laureate of the Russian theater award Golden Leaf-2009 (for his performance as Alexander Chatsky in the play "Woe from Wit") and a nominee for the Kids' Choice Awards-2016 in the category "Favorite Russian Actor".
Actor Nikita Efremov
Childhood and family
The future actor and worthy successor to the family traditions was born on May 30, 1988 in Moscow. His father, Mikhail Yefremov, is a successful and original actor, director, and TV host, and the organizer of the youth troupe "Sovremennik-2". His grandfather, Oleg Nikolaevich Yefremov, was a legendary director, actor, head of the Moscow Art Theatre, and the creator of the Sovremennik Theatre.
The acting dynasty of the Efremovs: Oleg, Mikhail, Nikita
Nikita's grandmother, Alla Borisovna Pokrovskaya, was a well-known actress, theater director, and teacher at the School-Studio of the Moscow Art Theatre. His grandmother's father, Nikita's great-grandfather, Boris Aleksandrovich Pokrovsky, was a teacher, journalist, and famous opera director, after whom the Moscow Chamber Musical Theatre of Opera is named. Boris's first wife, Anna Alekseevna Nekrasova (Nikita's great-grandmother), worked as a director at the Central Children's Theater.
Oleg Yefremov and Alla Pokrovskaya
The actor's mother, Asya Vorobyova (born Asya Robertovna Bikmuhametova), was a philologist by education and oversaw the literary department at "Sovremennik-2". His maternal grandmother Flora was an economist. She left her husband and daughter when the latter was a teenager, fell in love with an Algerian, and left the country with him. The actor's grandfather, Robert Gatovich Bikmuhametov, was a distinguished scientist in the Bashkir ASSR, a literary historian, and a professor at the Philological Faculty of Moscow State University. After the divorce, he raised his daughter on his own.
Anton Tabakov, the son of famous actors Oleg Tabakov and Lyudmila Krylova, introduced Nikita's father to his future mother, Asya, who was his third wife at the time. Anton asked Mikhail Yefremov to hire his beautiful wife as a literary editor, and he did not refuse. Mikhail was charmed by the girl at first sight, who inherited her striking appearance from her mother and intelligence, softness, and detachment from her father.
Nikita Yefremov as a kid
A couple of months later, the "well-wishers" reported the adultery of the wife and the treachery of the friend to Anton. After the scandal, Asiya moved in with Mikhail. Soon she found out that she was pregnant and quit her job. They lived together with Yefremov in a civil marriage for about two years, but eventually parted ways.
We are different people. In childhood, I had a desire, like from fairy tales, to see my father that way. But he was different. That doesn't mean he's bad. He didn't like heart-to-heart conversations. On the contrary, he said that we should not engage in conversations but rather do things. I was offended. But at some point, there came an awareness and a willingness to accept him for who he is.
Nikita Yefremov about his father
Their son grew up in his grandfather's professorial apartment, helping his mother raise her son. When he was 7 years old, Robert Gatovich passed away. By that time, Asya's mother had returned from Algeria, and they began raising the boy together. He started using his famous father's last name at the age of 12 (he was born as Tabakov until his mother obtained a divorce, then he became Bikmukhametov).
Nikita Yefremov in his youth
Nikita studied at a physics and mathematics gymnasium, played sports (basketball, football), attended a music school where he learned to play the violin, sing, and play the piano.
In addition to this, he successfully participated in school productions, although he only began to think about becoming an actor in his senior years. Earlier, he wanted to be a trolleybus driver or subway driver, intended to become a football player, and then a student at the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of Moscow State University.
Youth and first roles
In 2005, the young man finished secondary school and applied to the School-Studio at the Moscow Art Theatre. Nobody tried to dissuade him from acting. His father warned that it was a difficult profession that required constant self-improvement, but added: "If you want to do it, you should try." And his mother advised him to apply to several acting schools to increase his chances of admission.
However, the son, being quite independent and ambitious, insisted that he wanted to attend only the school at the Moscow Art Theatre. He was accepted easily on his first attempt. The course was led by Konstantin Raikin, the heir of a famous dynasty of actors.
Nikita finished Moscow Art Theatre School
Attractive and talented, the student quickly caught the attention of directors and was invited to act in movies. Alongside Ravshana Kurkova and Artem Tkachenko, he played in the short film "Medusa" directed by Alexandra Bolshakova, where he fought for the heart of the heroine in a love triangle, and also appeared as Stas in the comedy TV series "My Beautiful Nanny." One of his first roles was as Ilya in the series "The Most Beautiful," where he had a romance with his co-star Anna Mikhailovskaia.
In his second year of studies in 2006, the aspiring actor was entrusted with one of the leading roles as Tema in the youth adventure film "Insatiable." At that time, he also played the role of a violinist who falls in love with a blind florist (Natalya Naumova) in the detective series "The Hijacking."
As a student, the actor showed his best side on the theatrical stage. In 2007, the premiere of the choreographic performance "Stravinsky. Games" took place at the Mikhail Baryshnikov Arts Center in New York, in which he participated. The production, which included student etudes set to the music of the famous composer, became another plastic reading of his ballet "The Rite of Spring."
A year later, the actor played the young caballero Don Juan in the play "Silence is Golden," based on the play by the Spanish writer Pedro Calderon. And in 2009, he was awarded the prestigious "Golden Leaf" theater award for his role as Chatsky in the production of Alexander Griboyedov's play "Woe from Wit."
In the same period, in the melodrama "The Passenger", directed by Stanislav Govorukhin based on the story by Konstantin Stanyukovich, the actor played the naval officer Vorontsov.
After graduating from the school-studio in 2009, the promising graduate received several job offers, choosing "Sovremennik" quite logically. His debut on the stage of the theater founded by his grandfather was the role of one of the main characters, Gottfried, in the play "Three Comrades" based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque. This production, dedicated to the theme of the lost generation and war, told about such eternal values as friendship, loyalty, and devotion, has not lost its relevance and remains close to the viewer today. Later, Nikita could be seen in such plays as "Gorbunov and Gorchakov", "Seryozha", "Decameron".
Further career
Wide fame came to the rising star at the age of 23 in 2011, with the release of the multi-part film "Ballad of a Bomber," based on the eponymous book by Mikhail Veller, based on real events. The young man played the key role of pilot Andrey, who made over a hundred combat flights.
A still from the movie The Ballad of a Bomber
It should be noted that nature generously endowed Nikita not only with acting talent, handsome looks, great stage charm that captivates audiences, but also a pleasant voice. This circumstance allowed him to expand the sphere of his acting activities by doing voiceover and dubbing work. Thus, in the full-length animated film "Ivan Tsarevich and the Grey Wolf", he voiced the character Ivan, and in the American-Romanian romantic film "Charlie Countryman", he voiced the main character Charlie played by Hollywood star Shia LaBeouf.
In 2012, seven projects featuring Yefremov Jr. were released. Among them was the sitcom "The '80s," which awakened memories of that era in viewers. Yefremov played the role of Galdin, a nonconformist student and leader of the group "Fanny Kaplan." The series was so successful that it ran for three more seasons.
A still from the TV series The Eighties
In 2013, Nikita played the key role of talented actor Igor in the dramatic film "Rehearsals", which was included in the program of the Moscow International Film Festival and the Russian Film Festival in Tbilisi. He also joined the star-studded cast of the drama "Thaw" with Yevgeny Tsyganov, Anna Chipovskaya, and Victoria Isakova, where he appeared as his grandfather, Oleg Yefremov.
A still from the movie Rehearsals
In 2014, viewers could see the beloved actor in the drama "The Duel" the third part of the multi-part television project "Kuprin," based on the works of the classic Russian literature. He played one of his best roles as Sub-Lieutenant Romashov, who served in the same regiment as Kuprin and fell in love with the charming wife of Lieutenant Nikolayev, Shurochka.
On the set of the TV series Kuprin
During the same period, in the eight-episode historical film "Grigory R.", the actor transformed into Grand Duke Dmitry, a cousin of Nicholas II. The film was based on the events surrounding the life and tragic death of the mysterious "prophet" Rasputin.
A still from the series Grigory R.
In 2015, the premiere of the youth multi-series film "Londongrad" took place, which told the story of the activities of a former resident of St. Petersburg and former Oxford student Mikhail Kulikov, played by Nikita. His character founded a unique agency that solved problems of Russians in the capital of Great Britain - from finding the runaway daughter of a wealthy businessman, Alisa, to buying the best tickets for Chelsea FC matches.
Then the drama series "Quiet Flows the Don" was released on screens, dedicated to events from the life of the Don Cossacks in the early 20th century. The actor played the role of Korshunov, a friend of the main character Melekhov, learning during filming how to ride horses and the basics of handling a saber.
Nikita Yefremov as Korchunov
In 2016, among the projects featuring the actor, was the film "Anna Karenina" by Karen Shakhnazarov, where he played the role of General Serpuhovskoy, a friend of Vronsky, as well as the historical film about the 1733-1743 geographical northern expedition, "The Commander of the Polar Star" by Vladimir Kott, where he portrayed the image of the legendary polar explorer Semyon Chelyuskin.
A still form Anna Karenina
In 2017, among Yefremov's works, it is worth noting the detective melodrama about the daily life of criminal investigation in the Northern capital, "Excellent student." He appeared in it in the role of operative Oleg, whom the key heroine, criminalist Maria, unexpectedly fell in love with. Interestingly, Maria's role was played by the actor's ex-wife, Yana Gladkikh, and after the release of the mini-series, rumors began to circulate about the possible resumption of their relationship.
Nikita Yefremov in the TV series Exellent Student
In 2018, the actor's filmography was enriched by the musical film "Leto" about Viktor Tsoi, directed by Kirill Serebrennikov. Efreemov played the role of musician Bob (prototype - Boris Grebenshchikov), who helped Tsoi record his first album. The film was well received by the audience at Cannes and received an award for the best soundtrack.
On the set of the movie Summer
Then, fans of Nikita could see him in the ironic comedy "Uncle Sasha" by Alexander Gordon, which premiered at "Kinotavr," and in 2019 - in the tragedy "VMayakovsky," where he played the role of one of the founders of Futurism, David Burliuk.
In 2020, the in-demand actor continued to be active in filming. In April, the premiere of the 8-part drama "Safe Connections" by Konstantin Bogomolov took place, which tells the story of how people's lives change during the quarantine period due to the coronavirus epidemic. In particular, Kolya, played by Nikita, and his lover Masha (Maria Shumakova) find themselves in self-isolation in the same apartment with their respective legal partners and get the opportunity to reflect on what they previously didn't have time for.
On the set of the TV series Safe Connections
In 2020, the actor continued to be active in filming. In April, the premiere of the 8-part drama "Safe Connections" by Konstantin Bogomolov took place, which tells the story of how people's lives change during the quarantine period due to the coronavirus epidemic. In particular, Kolya, played by Nikita, and his lover Masha (Maria Shumakova) find themselves in self-isolation in the same apartment with their respective legal partners and get the opportunity to reflect on what they previously didn't have time for.
Nikita Yefremov and Yulia Snigir on the set of The Good Man
In 2021, the thriller "Dormitory" based on the novel by Alexei Ivanov was released in cinemas, with Roman Vasyanov as the director and the actor once again embodying one of the key characters. The action takes place in a student dormitory in Sverdlovsk in the early 80s. The suicide of one of the students deeply shakes and completely overturns the life of Nikita's character, the musician and troublemaker Ivan, and the close-knit group of students tries to shift the blame onto each other.
The personal life of Nikita Yefremov
Yefremov had romantic relationships with many girls. At the age of 17, he started dating Anna Mikhaylovskaya, whom he met during the filming of the movie "The Most Beautiful".
Anna Mikhaylovskaya
Then for about a year, he was in a relationship with one of the first beauties of his class at the Moscow Art Theatre School, Elena Dudina. But she was unable to keep the sociable and loving guy by her side for long. Soon he started dating another classmate, Anna Chipovskaya.
With Anna Chipovskaya
Next, Nikita started dating Nina, the daughter of sports commentator Viktor Gusev. But he celebrated his 23rd birthday with a girl named Anna, whom he referred to as his future wife.
With Nina Guseva
However, in 2014 he married a completely different girl - Yana Gladkikh, a colleague from the theater. Moreover, they not only went to the registry office, but also got married in church. However, this did not save their marriage - the spouses broke up after a year. In one of the interviews during that period, the actor admitted that he was fatalistic, and later called himself a terrible egocentric.
Yana Gladkikh, former Nikita’s wife
The actor shared that when he got married, he imagined marriage as a glossy picture from a magazine and wanted to prove to his parents, who divorced early, that relationships could be different. But it didn't work out. According to the actor, they had a boundary disorder with Yana: "Either I wanted her to be too much mine, or she did."
In the spring of 2019, the actor started dating television presenter and photo model Maria Ivakova. They vacationed together in the Maldives, were guests at the wedding of Regina Todorenko and Vlad Topalov in Sorrento, and also appeared at the Glamour magazine awards and were unexpectedly named "Couple of the Year."
Nikita Yefremov and Maria Ivakova
Maria, like Nikita, was previously married. Her ex-husband, one of the co-owners of the construction holding company "Ingeocom-Trust" Ernest Rudyak, left her an apartment in the center of the capital, where the actor and TV presenter settled.
When asked by acquaintances about when the wedding will take place, Nikita would reply that he "rushed once already." In his opinion, a man matures to such an important decision as marriage around 35-40 years old. Maria, on the other hand, stated that she was ready to wait and that questions like "When is the wedding?" annoyed her much more:
Nikita is honest with me and himself, and that's cool. Everything will happen in time and for the better, and I live with that mindset. It bothers me more that it's considered acceptable to ask such tactless questions.
In November 2021, the couple parted ways. "Our dance with Masha is over. It ended with trepidation and love for the path we've taken. Thank you!" he wrote on his Instagram.
Nikita enjoys getting together with friends and playing rock music in his free time. He also likes to watch adult cartoons with satire and dark humor, such as "Rick and Morty," which grew out of a grotesque parody of the characters from the "Back to the Future" films.
In the summer of 2020, Nikita's father was involved in a fatal car accident while driving under the influence of alcohol. Mikhail Yefremov crashed into a car, and the driver of that car died in the hospital that same night. The actor was sentenced to 8 years in prison. It took Nikita six months to find the strength to talk about his feelings: "I could have ended up like him. Given certain circumstances in my life, the same thing could have happened. Anyone who drinks can find themselves in that situation."
Nikita Yefremov Now
On March 31, 2023, the drama film "Tetris" will be released on the streaming service Apple, in which Nikita played one of the main roles - Soviet engineer Alexey Pajitnov, who invented the most popular electronic game of the 20th century. Game designer Hank Rogers, who helped Pajitnov obtain a license to sell Tetris in the United States, was played by Taron Egerton.
