Biography

The famous Russian actor was discovered by Andrei Tarkovsky. He was looking for an actor to play the part of Andrei Rublev for his second full-length film and accidentally found the completely unknown Solonitsyn in Chelyabinsk. He worked there as an amateur actor. After Andrei Rublev, he played main parts in many of Russia's best movies, before his tragic death aged just 47.
- IMDb mini biography by: Pavel Mirzoev <mir@rustel.ru>

Characters in a grim, severe situation with the attitude to match

Receded hair line and reddish beard

Frequently cast in Andrei Tarkovsky films.

Was an unknown theater actor from Sverdlovsk before getting the lead role in Andrei Rublev.

Andrei Tarkovsky intended for Solonistyn to star in Nostagia (1983) but Solonitsyn was too ill to travel to Italy where it was being shot. The part went to Oleg Yankovsky and Anatoly died shortly afterwards.

Solonitsyn initially turned down the role of Portnov in The Ascent (1977) as he saw it as a repeat of the same type of character in earlier films. He changed his mind after a long conversation with director Larisa Shepitko on what an important role it was.

Won the Silver Bear for Best Actor at the Berlin Film Festival in 1981 for his leading role in Twenty Six Days from the Life of Dostoyevsky.

«You never know what you miss the most in your life and only within years you understand - time» Anatoly Solonitsyn