This pretty Baltic burst into Soviet cinema, carrying a train of something light and joyful. Perhaps it was his open and slightly embarrassed smile, perhaps his kind eyes, touchingly looking at people around because of glasses. And maybe the whole thing is in his talent, which he gave to the audience for many years.
So, we get acquainted: Lembit Ulfsak - the same rebel Mr. Hey from the movie about Mary Poppins, the charming and constantly confusing professor Paganel from the wonderful Soviet series about Captain Grant, and also Gerald Wright from the blackbird film, based on the novel by Agatha Christie.
Hello baby
Almost nothing is known to the general public about the childhood and the family of the Estonian actor and director. There is evidence that Lembit Ulfsak was born in the Estonian SSR - the Järva region, the village of Coeru. This momentous event occurred on July 4, 1947.
For some time he was engaged in singing, was a member of the ensemble Amor Trio. At 23, he received a diploma from the acting department of the Tallinn State Conservatory. For eight years, the guy worked in a city theater in the capital of Estonia, and then decided to move to the Academic Drama Theater. True, cinema was in first place in those years for Ulfsak. After all, he was one of the most requested Baltic actors in the Soviet Union.
Choice of profession
In an interview recorded in April 1982, Lembit Ulfsak said that his acting biography began completely by accident. At school, he studied with Kalyu Komissarov, who later became an artist and director. And at that time he had been playing in a folk theater for some time. And so, one fine day, Kalju suggested Lembit try to play a major role in the play "Oliver Twist." Everything that then happened to Lembit made an indelible impression on him. He sincerely fell in love with rehearsals, memorizing the text, trying on costumes, interesting decorations, and long conversations with the director. Indeed, until now he has not encountered an internal “kitchen”. I just watched performances from the audience like most spectators. 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 instructions of the director - and applause was provided.
First steps to the cinema
After graduating from the conservatory, Lembit Ulfsak, whose photo was on the pages of most Soviet magazines, begins to receive the first offers and invitations to shoot. His debut role was the character from the military film "The Tale of the KGB". He played a young guy Volodya Muller. According to the scenario, his hero, unable to withstand the harsh atmosphere of the occupied city, and having been defeated in search of a path leading to the Soviet underground, rushes to the fascists with weapons that he had to steal.
A little later, in 1971, Lembit Ulfsak, whose filmography begins to replenish with interesting and diverse roles, got his first main role. He was invited to star in the drama film Seven Days of Tuizu Taavi, directed by Velje Käsper. It was the story of a young man. A few days ago, he lived very easily, without thinking about anything. But a certain period has come in his life: a moral maturity of the hero occurs.
Among other works of the actor, it 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 loggers. Here the love story of the daughter of poor Minna and the harmonist Axel Laame was played out. The character of Lembit - the harmonist impressed him with some unusual, ongoing faith in goodness and justice, the ability to look directly and fight for his happiness.
First fans
Despite a successful start on the set, fame came to Ulfsak only after the release of the film about Tile Ulenspiegel, shot based on the novel by Charles de Coster (the directors here were Vladimir Naumov and Alexander Alov).
Time passes and new roles appear in his creative biography: Lord Darlington in “Lady Windermer's Fan”, Eric Burling in “Inspector Hull”, Bruno in “Sacrifice of Science”, Allan McGee in “Dragon Hunt”, Advisor in “The Snow Queen” ”, Vent in“ The Turn of the Story ”, William Garnet in“ Death under the Sail ”and many other memorable works. 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!”
The Estonian actor Lembit Ulfsak is convinced that his work in children's films, 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 added fame to him among young viewers. And this for him, as the father of three children, is very important.
The minor citizens of the vast country of the Soviets adored him: the storyteller Hans Christian Andersen, the sweet and somewhat absent-minded professor-geographer Paganel, the rebel Robertson, who did not want to put up with Miss Andrew's rules and sang a song about three dozen cows.
Post-Soviet time
After the collapse of the USSR, Lembit Yukhanovich had very little work: he mainly starred in Estonian filmmakers. The changes came practically in the new millennium, when the "creaking" Russian cinema decided to collaborate with a talented Estonian actor. In 1999, he was offered the role of writer Steve MacDonald in the series about detective Dubrovsky. Ulfsack later played the oil smuggler in the serial film Cobra.
Often viewers ask the question: what year was Lembit Ulfsack born? After all, it seems that he was always in the movie. Yes, the actor is 68 years old, but he is still full of strength and energy. One of his characters in the last decade is Political Police Chief Arthur Neumann in the TV series Isaev. And in the Russian-Estonian drama Red Mercury, Lembit Ulfsak shared the set with his son Johan. The eldest Ulfsak played Teible, and the youngest played Reps.
