Lembit Ulfsak: from Thiel to Paganel

This pretty Balt broke into the Soviet cinema, carrying a train of something easy and joyful. Perhaps it was in his open and slightly embarrassed smile, perhaps - in kind eyes, touching the eyes of others because of the glasses. And, maybe, it's all about his talent, which he gave to the audience for many years.

So let's get acquainted: Lembit Ulfsak - the same rebel Mr. Mr. Hey from the film about Mary Poppins, the charming and constantly confused professor Paganel from the wonderful Soviet series about Captain Grant, and also Gerald Wright from the film about blackbirds, based on the novel of Agatha Christie.

Hello, baby!

About childhood and the family of the Estonian actor and director to the general public, almost nothing is known. There is evidence that Lembit Ulfsak was born in the Estonian SSR - Järva province, Koeru village. This significant event occurred on July 4, 1947.

For some time he was engaged in singing, was a member of the ensemble Amor Trio. At the age of 23 he received a diploma on the completion of the acting faculty of the Tallinn State Conservatory. For eight years, the guy worked in the city theater in the capital of Estonia, and then decided to transfer to the Academic Drama Theater. True, in the first place in those years for Ulfsak was the cinema. After all, he was one of the most demanded in the Soviet Union Baltic actors.

Choice of profession

In one of the interviews, recorded in April 1982, Lembit Ulfsak said that his acting biography began quite by accident. At school he studied with Kalju Komissarov, who later became an artist and director. And at that time he had played for a while in the folk theater. And so, one day Kalju invited Lembit to try to play the main role in the play "Oliver Twist". Everything that later happened to Lembit made an indelible impression on him. He sincerely fell in love with rehearsals, memorizing the text, trying on costumes, interesting scenery, long conversations with the director. After all, he has not yet come across an internal "kitchen". Just watched the performances from the audience, like most viewers. Then the boy firmly decided to become an actor, not realizing that this is hard work. It seemed to him that everything was very simple: he learned the text, followed the direction of the director - and applause was assured.

The first steps in the cinema

After the end of the conservatory, Lembit Ulfsak, whose photo was in the pages of most Soviet magazines, begins to receive the first proposals and invitations to the shooting. His debut role was a character from the military picture "The Story of a Chekist." He played a young guy Volodya Muller. According to the scenario, his hero, unable to withstand the heavy atmosphere of the occupied city, and having suffered defeat in search of the path leading to the Soviet underground, rushes to the Nazis with weapons that he had to steal.

A little later, in 1971, Lembit Ulfsak, whose filmography begins to replenish with interesting and diverse roles, received his first major role. He was invited to appear in the dramatic film "Seven Days of Tuiza Taavi" directed by Velia Kiasper. It was the story of a young man's life. A few days ago he lived very easily, without thinking about anything. But there was a certain period in his life: the moral maturity of the hero is taking place.

Among other works of the actor is worth highlighting the film "Spring in the Forest". The story told in the film took place in the thirties in bourgeois Estonia, in a small village of woodcutters. Here, the love story of the poor daughter of Minna and accordionist Axel Laame was played out. Lembit's character - the harmonica impressed him with some unusual, unceasing faith in goodness and justice, the ability to look straight and fight for his own happiness.

First fans

Despite a successful start on the set, the fame for Ulfsak came only after the release of the pictures on the Till Eulenspiegel, based on the novel by Charles de Coster (the directors were Vladimir Naumov and Alexander Alov).

Time passes and in his creative biography, new roles appear: Lord Darlington in Lady Windermere's Lady, Eric Burling in Inspector Hull, Bruno in The Sacrifice of Science, Allan McGee in The Dragon Hunt, Counselor in The Snow Queen "Vent in" Turning the Story, "William Garnett in" Death by the Sail, "and many other memorabilia. The range of his characters is wide. And, playing each of them, he tried to be bright, emotional and very artistic.

"I play for children!"

Estonian actor Lembit Ulfsak is convinced that his works in children's tapes, which are so popular in the territory of the former Soviet Union, still not only occupy an important place in his creative biography, but also significantly add to his fame among small viewers. And this for him, as the father of three children, is very important.

The minors of the huge country of the Soviets adored him: the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the cute and slightly distracted geography professor Paganel, the rebel Robertson, who did not want to put up with the rules of Miss Andrew and singing a song about three dozen cows.

Post-Soviet time

After the collapse of the USSR, Lembit Juhanowicz had very little work: mostly he was filming with Estonian cinematographers. Changes have come almost in the new millennium, when the "creaking" Russian cinematography decided to cooperate with a talented Estonian actor. In 1999 he was offered the role of writer Steve McDonald in the series about the detective Dubrovsky. Later Ulfsak played an oil smuggler in the multi-series film "Cobra".

Often spectators ask a question: in what year was Lembit Ulfsak born? After all, it seems that he was always in the cinema. Yes, the actor is already 68 years old, but he is still full of strength and energy. One of his characters of the last decade - the head of the political police Arthur Neumann in the TV series "Isayev". And in the Russian-Estonian drama "Red Mercury" Lembit Ulfsak shared the set with his son Juhan. The eldest Ulfsak played Tibbel, and the youngest Repsa.

Personal life

Lembit Ulfsak was twice married. In the first marriage was born the son of Johan, an actor of theater and cinema. With his second wife, Epp lives up to now. Together they brought up two daughters - Maria and Johanna. The senior works as a journalist. Younger is a student of an art institute.