"I fall into the clutches of a perfectionist who dismembers me"
The talent and duty of critics is to highlight new forms, says actor Daniil Vorobyov. But he prefers not to read their work himself. He finds it interesting to see the real reaction of the audience in the audience, so sometimes you can meet an actor at a regular movie screening. His new film is "My Dog is an Astronaut," which premiered during Space Week in Russia. Why the animals on the set turned out to be ideal partners, how the artist got into the theological seminary, what people who left negative reviews did not see in the provocative series "Zhar", as well as his first lyrical collection about the search for a woman, Daniil Vorobyov told in an exclusive interview with Izvestia.
"Death is always an inspiration for life"
— They say about the Soviet generation of children that every boy dreamed of becoming an astronaut at least once. Did you dream of heaven when you were a child?
— No, never. But space has always attracted me as an object. I remember many evenings with my head raised to the sky and talking about the origin of stars and outer space. I think I realized then that I was finite, in the sense that there is death and that I probably won't be here forever. I don't know how, but it's connected — space and death. These things are very similar because they are shrouded in a kind of mystery.
A shot from the movie "My dog is an astronaut"
— At what age did this realization come to you? And is it important for a person to understand that he is finite?
— I was 10 or 11 years old. For some, it comes too late, but this is an important moment, because death is always an inspiration for life. I can't say that this realization caused a lot of turbulence in me. But, in my opinion, it was after that that I went to the theological seminary.
— Your new work is dedicated to the theme of space, where you appear as one of the Soviet scientists on Baikonur, the film "My Dog is an astronaut". Did you hear that you had to play aversion to animals?
- yes. There was such an idea — my hero is organizing a space experiment with animals, while he has a wild fear of dogs. It seems to me that this creates a powerful game structure. And she's visible there, by the way. This is an important point, because eventually this conflict is resolved.
We tried to get into the era, and hopefully the audience will appreciate it. This is a touch on a key moment in cosmonautics, when people send living beings into Earth's orbit with the prospect of organizing a human flight there in the future. A crazy experiment and a great event!
A shot from the movie "My dog is an astronaut"
— What's it like to work on a playground with real animals?
— These are professional actors, movie buffs. They are ideal partners: they come out clearly to the point, know the "voice" command, react at the right moment, jump, run after the ball. In general, the atmosphere was wonderful. It was even very funny. There's a scene in the finale where I'm chasing dogs. And, by the way, during the screening in Kazan, where we also presented the film, she caused a reaction from the audience. I thought, "Oh, it's working!"
— Is it important for you to understand how the viewer reacts? Does it happen that you come to the cinema not for private secular premieres, but for regular screenings of films with your participation?
- of course. Even the silence and the breathing of the audience is very interesting. You check at which points the audience freezes, at which it reacts. That's how I realized that our movie is very well made.
In Kostroma, I went to the Last Ronin. There was an incomplete room, and people's matrix collapsed when they saw me among them: "Wait, is this the guy from the screen?" It's also very interesting to watch. I wasn't hiding. We were just watching a movie together. That's cool.
— What if the reaction is not what you expected? Does it hurt?
- yes. Sweat on my palms! (Laughs.) I immediately notice: "Wow, it didn't work out." It's always exciting.
"If a critic is trending, then usually nothing good comes out of it"
— In continuation of this topic. At the end of 2025, we met at the premiere of the new season of Method, and I asked what you would like to talk about. You answered about the critics.
"Oh well?" So. (He smiles.)
— Does the industry need film critics?
— Of course, because this is a chance that the community will see something new that appears in the modern, relevant cinematic field. The talent and, in general, the duty of a critic is to highlight new forms, to give them an opportunity and a place. This is its culture and value. And if the critic is trending, then usually nothing good comes of it.
Daniil Vorobyov
There are only a few who can see a small thing in the big picture that is not given the opportunity to manifest itself. And this is a disaster, because with a good combination of circumstances, a thing that seems like a small thing suddenly grows into a blooming garden. And then everyone walks around this garden calmly, using this new territory. This is a very important point. This has always been the case with authors: they are either given a chance or they are crossed out.
— Do you read the criticism of the works in which you star?
— I haven't read it until recently. I plunged into this story once and regretted several dozen times that I had devoured so many opinions. This was due to the work of Zhar, which we brought to the New Season festival. (Laughs.) I was very carried away. After that, I realized that I definitely would not look at my work through the eyes of an outsider.
— I was at the "New Season" then and I remember that the project was really ambiguously received. Someone said that your character has a strange voice, strange makeup. And some of those who eventually watched it to the end noted that the meanings were gradually revealed. What conclusions have you drawn?
— There are many conclusions. After the screening, everyone who saw it, except the critics, was thrilled that we suddenly had the courage and opportunity to tell a story in this way, and a very complex one, connected with silence and an inflated ego of a person who nevertheless comes to the center, to love, to family.
In general, this is a strange impression: on the "New Season" you present two episodes from an eight-episode body and it is difficult to judge the whole statement.
Of course, "Heat" does not rest on the cliched presentation of the series about the kitchen. This is a work that is filled with metaphors and complex meanings. She has a special film language: we filmed silence. Then the hyperbole that the hero has in the first two episodes is completely not accidental. Naturally, it suddenly meets with such a reaction.
The team that brought this series to the "New Season" had no illusions that we would be greeted with applause. We understood that most likely people would take it at face value. But what happened next — the series was released online, this is already a complete statement. And the amazing ratings of this work confirm that the viewer understands everything perfectly. And even, in my opinion, a number of critics have very gently changed their minds.
— Are you prone to self-criticism?
— Of course! I'm actually a reflection myself. (Laughs.) I just realized that the most important thing for me is the process. Everything happens to me in the process.
But then I fall into the clutches of a perfectionist who dismembers me. We begin to engage in endless dialogues. It's a lot of reflection.: "then it should have been like this," "but then it was possible." And everything. Although there is work on mistakes, of course, I understand where they are objective.
"Great love should always be with us"
— You have said more than once that art therapy is your job. What is "Heat" about?
— Actually, it's about silence, the center, the ego. This is a saying about the path. A critical point that I personally passed through in my life and which seemed like a disaster at the moment. You want to escape from these big, big problems in every possible way. But practice shows that circumstances that are critically difficult for you turn out to be beneficial. This is the hand of God when he creates the circumstances by himself or by your hands, thanks to which you are reborn. If they hadn't worked out that way, critically, you wouldn't have changed into another person. That's what happened in my life. I think this is a very relevant thing for all people who live especially in our very difficult context.
A shot from the TV series "Zhar"
— Among other things, the epistolary genre is close to you. Perhaps as another way of reflection? I know that you are preparing a collection of poetry. Will you tell us about him?
— This book is the first lyrical collection, which consists of my poems about the search for a woman. And there is, of course, a minor mood, and somewhere, maybe even a life-affirming impression of a woman. And most importantly, this book adapts exactly the attempt to find myself in everything and form this image that I am looking for. My reader is also a seeker, I would even say a spiritual seeker. And I think it will resonate with many people.
— What is the image of the lyrical heroine?
— In different ways. (He smiles.) It's a mirage. And that's the beauty of it, really.
— We started talking about dreams, and we'll end up doing the same. What do you dream about?
— About love, of course. About great love. Great love should always be with us.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
