“Theater”, “Winter Cherry”, “Entrance to the Labyrinth”, “Silva” - paintings that made Ivar Kalnins famous. By the age of 68, a talented actor from Riga managed to play about 90 roles in films and TV shows, and continues to act actively today. What is known about this mysterious man who in his youth most often embodied the images of heroes-lovers?
Ivar Kalnins: childhood
The future actor was born in Riga, it happened in August 1948. Ivar Kalnins was born in a low-income family, which does not prevent him from happy to remember the years of his childhood. His parents had many children, so his mother was forced to do housework. My father worked as a car mechanic. Parents hoped that his son would acquire a simple male profession, but fate decreed otherwise.
As a child, Ivar Kalnins was fond of music. As a teenager, he immediately joined several rock groups, which were very dissatisfied with his mother and father. In those years, the boy did not cut his hair, wore fashionable flared pants. He had the opportunity to perform at concerts in Jurmala, Riga, this activity even brought a small income.
However, Ivar was much more attracted to the world of cinema. A visit to the cinema almost from the first years of his life became for the boy his favorite way of spending leisure time. It is known that he always tried to come long before the start of the session in order to admire the paintings hanging in the lobby.
Carier start
Parents, knowing about his son’s passion for rock music, feared that he would go along a crooked path. They insisted that Ivar Kalnins start working at the age of 14. The guy studied plumbing, for some time was engaged in the repair of computer technology. However, having received a certificate, he suddenly announced his intention to become a student at the Latvian Conservatory. He really succeeded on the first attempt to conquer the theater department.
Cinema entered the life of Ivar when he was still a freshman. The first picture with the participation of a young man was Ilga-Oriole. The film was about the life and exploits of the heroes of World War II. This was followed by episodic roles in the films "Sancho's Faithful Friend", "Right to Jump." Of course, they did not help Kalninsh become famous, but they allowed them to gain practical experience and stop being afraid of the camera. Students were forbidden to film, but for a charming young man, teachers often made an exception, for which Ivar is still extremely grateful to them.
Music, Theater
Actor Ivar Kalnins became a graduate of the Latvian Conservatory in 1974. By the time he graduated, he knew that he would join the troupe of the Rainis Art Academic Theater, where he was accepted with pleasure. Ivar’s workload was amazing in those years; he participated in 30–40 productions every month. However, the salary of the young actor remained indecently low, which forced him to look for additional sources of income, since he had already managed to have two children by that time.
Kalnins recalled his childhood passion for music and organized a small quartet. The collective, whose leader he became, performed mainly in collective farm clubs. However, soon the need for this disappeared, as the aspiring actor gained fame.
Finest hour
Not only charm, attractive appearance and talent owes its popularity to Ivar Kalnins. The filmography of the novice actor acquired the first star picture thanks to Vie Artman. It was this movie star who once decided that a young man should embody the image of her lover in the drama Theater, the plot of which is borrowed from the work of Somerset Maugham. She chose him from dozens of applicants gathered at the Riga film studio. Interestingly, such an unexpected decision gave rise to gossip about the star’s love affair with a young actor.
In the “Theater”, Kalnins played Tom Fennel, his character, for selfish reasons, becomes the lover of an aging diva. The film was presented to the audience in 1978, after its release, Ivar literally woke up famous. "Theater" gave the aspiring actor not only the love of the public, but also the role. The directors began to actively offer him the roles of heroes-lovers. For some time this even bothered the actor Kalnins, who dreamed of embodying images that were different from each other.
The vivid roles of the 80-90s
After the release of The Theater, Ivar Kalninsh no longer knew a shortage of interesting roles. Films with the actor came out one after another - about three to four films a year. To his charm, the spectators did not remain indifferent; a native of Riga enjoyed particular success with a female audience.
In the 80s, Ivar played in many worthy paintings. He was remembered by the audience as Edwin from Silva, Duke from Captain Fracassa, Andrei Bolotov from I Can't Guarantee Personal Safety. Herbert deserves special attention, the image of which the actor embodied in Winter Cherry. His character is a modern version of the prince on a white horse, it is not surprising that the role for many years turned him into a favorite of a female audience.
Unfortunately, the 90s were not so favorable for the star. The crisis negatively affected the work of many actors, Ivar Kalnins was no exception, films with whose participation began to appear less and less. However, one cannot fail to note the vivid roles played by the actor in the films “Secrets of the de Hanshan Family”, “The Show for a Lonely Man”, “The Secret of the Villa”.
New century
Having successfully survived the crisis, the Latvian actor returned to duty again. In the 21st century, Ivar is more likely to appear in television projects than in films. The attention of the audience was awarded to many series with his participation: “With new happiness!”, “Time to love”, “Beauty salon”. An unusual role went to Kalnins in the Drongo television project: he embodied the image of an employee of Interpol hunting for drug dealers.
Personal life
Ivar Kalnins and his wives are one of the favorite topics of journalists. The famous actor entered into legal marriage three times, he has five children - a boy and four girls. The first star of the star was a girl named Ilga, whom he married in 1971. The family broke up after 20 years of marriage.
Ivar then married Aurelia’s colleague Anujita, a girl who is more than 20 years younger than him. With a second wife, Kalnins met on the set, this happened while working on the painting “Secrets of the de Hransch Family”. The lovers spent together for about seven years, then their union broke up.
Ivar Kalnins and his wives - a topic that touched upon, one cannot but tell about the third wife. She became lawyer Laura - a girl who is 30 years younger than the actor. This marriage brought the star the long-awaited happiness, love and mutual understanding reign in the family for many years.
