Very Personal

Joan Borsten Vidov presented a documentary film about her husband Oleg Vidov titled Oleg at the Moscow International Film Festival.

When Oleg passed away, he left an unfinished autobiography, which he wrote over the past three years, - says Joan. - He always came up with ambitious projects and believed that I could bring them to life. It seemed to me that it was impossible, but he was more confident in my abilities than I am. And this time he left me his unfinished story. But at that moment I was so desperate with grief that I fell ill - literally. And only six months later, in November 2017, she began to come to her senses. I realized: Oleg did not leave me alone, I have his business, and I have to complete the project. Then she was able to get out of bed. An acquaintance in the film industry advised me to shoot an interview with people who knew Oleg, because my husband's autobiography was not only a book, it could become the basis of a documentary film. And so it turned out. I started my journey: 8 countries, 75 interlocutors. In particular, she met in Serbia with the Yugoslav wife of Vidov, who at one time helped him to leave the USSR. She has not previously shared these details with anyone, including her current husband. He, like me, listened to our interview with an open mouth. Or, for example, we learned that Oleg's second wife, Natalia Fedotova, had no connections with Fidel Castro, towards whom Vidov was allegedly jealous of her. It took me three years to make sure that 95% of what my husband managed to write is absolutely true. As a result, it all became the film "Oleg: The Story of Oleg Vidov", and by the fall a book should be published with even more details.

About the first meeting

 If you watched Tarantino's film "Once Upon a Time in ... Hollywood", the main character there is a collective image of real actors Bert Reynolds and Richard Harrison. According to the plot, the character goes to work in Italy for six months. Richard Harrison did live in Rome in the 1980s. And when Oleg Vidov arrived there, he had only one address, and he appeared on the threshold of Richard's house. At that time, I was just working as a staff correspondent in Rome, and I had to wait until the new office apartment was vacated, so I also ended up visiting the Harrisons. Here is such a fateful accident.

 When we saw Vidov for the first time, I had no idea who it was. I was told a Soviet actor. Oleg just returned from the beach, red as boiled crayfish. Shaggy - probably cut himself on his own. In general, I absolutely did not look like a man whom you fall in love with at first sight. In addition, I urgently needed to submit an interview with Federico Fellini to the newspaper. And Oleg followed me as if tied. And he kept telling that he had to leave his parents, his fans, the country. He spoke English poorly, mostly with nouns. I tried to say that I needed to work, he agreed and continued: “I left my mom, my dad…” He was very upset by all the circumstances that forced him to decide to move, and he wanted to speak out.

 Then we walked a lot in Rome. And once on the Spanish Steps someone called out: “Oleg Vidov? What are you doing here?" It turned out to be an American journalist who comes to the Moscow Film Festival every year. He then asked me: “Do you know who this is? This is Robert Radford of the Soviet Union. " In general, this is how our romance gradually began.

 Two months later, the US Embassy helped Oleg fly to Los Angeles. He began to call me every day: "Come!" I hesitated because there was no work waiting for me there. But at the same moment, a familiar producer from Tunisia asked for help with organizing a branch of his office in the States. And I returned to America.

 My father has worked in Hollywood all his life, since 1944. He started as an actor, then was a screenwriter, a leading employee of one of the film studios. And he always told me: "No artists." But when the parents met Oleg, they really liked him. The first month we lived in their house. And when we moved to our own, they quarreled for the first time. Oleg got behind the wheel with emotion and drove away. After waiting for him for several hours, I went to my parents in frustrated feelings. And who did I see there? Oleg talking to my mother. He immediately became a member of the family.

About roles and potatoes

 Oleg ended up in Hollywood in 1985, the very beginning of perestroika. The Russian characters that the scriptwriters invented here were either KGB agents, or corrupt politicians, or someone from the mafia. Oleg did not like it. He said: "I studied according to Stanislavsky's system, I can play anyone." He also did not want to embody on the screen the characters who were killed by the Russians. He grinned: “To be successful in Hollywood, I need to have plastic surgery. I do not look like a Russian in the mind of the Americans. " There were also language problems, of course. He considered it impossible to learn two pages in English in one night.

Somehow, while still in Russia, he found out how much builders earn in America. And since he had experience - he laid bricks, and then conducted electricity during the construction of the Ostankino tower, he decided that he would do something similar in the United States. He was even once called to build a mansion in Beverly Hills, but the Russian owner, recognizing Vidov, instructed him to simply inspect the object and, where necessary, knock with a hammer. And he was followed by a worker who actually hammered in nails.

 Although at home the husband could do anything. He loved to water the lawn. When we bought the first house, I thought about what a good investment it was and then we could sell it profitably. Oleg did not care. The main thing is that one of his acquaintances told him that there is gorgeous land near the house and if there are problems with money, you can get a good harvest of potatoes.

About traditions and the Russian cat

 At the time of our acquaintance, Oleg was a cosmopolitan, he saw more than 20 countries. But at the same time he remained 100% Russian. There are many Russian shops in Los Angeles. Oleg constantly bought something there, for example dumplings, the existence of which I learned just from him. The Kiev's cutlets. He loved borscht. And I adored all kinds of herring! I've always enjoyed cooking, I've even published a cookbook. But Vidov had a special talent for this. He would open the refrigerator, take what was there, mix and put something amazing on the table. But when I asked: “Will you do it again?” I answered: “No! I don’t remember what was there. ” As far as tradition goes, we certainly had big New Year parties. In America, December is mostly a hot season, everyone celebrates Christmas. We also had a Russian New Year, a lot of people gathered on a visit.

 We once visited Oleg's stepmother in Moscow, and her cat got kittens. The smallest became attached to her husband - he climbed onto his chest and fell asleep there. The husband named him Marco Polo and decided to bring him to our home. I was against it, but after two weeks we were already bringing the kitten with us. So we had a Russian cat, to whom Oleg read Pushkin aloud, and the cat listened attentively. Even in the courtyard, a raccoon and a skunk came for treats, and a squirrel knocked at the window, her husband called her Boy (in Russian) and treated her to an avocado. True, once the Boy came with three squirrels, that is, he turned out to be a Girl.

About my son and grandchildren

 By the time we met Oleg, I was too many years old to have children (in 1985 Joan was 38. - Approx. "Antenna"). And our attempts were unsuccessful. In 1991, Oleg went to Russia, an acquaintance from Ukraine called him: “There is a kid here, your copy. I think this is your son. " Tanya, the boy's mother, brought him to Moscow. The husband saw Seryozha and immediately realized that this was his child, he was going to take him to us. I asked for a DNA test just in case. He showed 99% coincidence, and since then Sergey is our family.

 Seryozha married Anya, the daughter of a well-known addiction scientist. They wanted to set up a help center in the United States. Oleg then said: "We will buy premises for the clinic, and you will help them start a business." I? I don't know anything about this topic, our family has never had such problems. Nevertheless, everything worked out. This is another example of Oleg's grandiose idea and how he believed in me. Now Sergey is still in this business, and I sometimes help him. He has two children, Oleg managed to see the eldest grandson Sam, he is now 16 years old, he appears in the film. Unfortunately, with Vidov's eldest son, Vyacheslav, we have long been lost.

About family heirlooms

 Disease (melanoma. - Approx. "Antenna") Oleg was diagnosed back in Moscow. I started looking for a doctor who had the best results for this diagnosis. She decided we’ll move wherever we need to, but it turns out that the doctor lives right here in Beverly Hills. And he extended Oleg's life by almost 10 years. The husband did not feel sick; a week before leaving, he drove a car and swam. I did not expect everything to happen so quickly ...

 Now I live in the house where we moved in 2016. Oleg then changed everything here, and since then I have not changed anything. My father had great artistic taste. He often went to garage sales and found unique paintings. Oleg learned the same, often bought paintings. One of the walls of the house is covered with works of art.

 And of course there are a lot of Russian things. After perestroika, people from the former USSR began to arrive in the United States. Mom told me that a billboard hung in Sheremetyevo with the words: "If you are going to Los Angeles and you have nowhere to stay, call Oleg Vidov." Calls in our house rang out constantly:

“Masha gave me your number, and Sasha gave her to her, can I sleep with you? By the way, I don’t have money for a taxi either. ” But the guests did not come empty-handed. At first they brought a lot of Gzhel, then a collection of Lomonosov porcelain was assembled. I still drink coffee from a mug from the service.

 On my hands - rings presented by Oleg. One belonged to his mother Varvara Ivanovna, she bought it in the GDR in 1947, where she worked for some time. The second - from the wife of his father, Irina Alexandrovna. She gave me some very beautiful pieces of jewelry, including this ring, and to it a list of five women from her family who once carried the relic. Now I don't take it off. I keep the jewelry in a large beautiful box from Palekh.

 Oleg began to write his biography, because he wanted to convey to the world: despite the fact that he left Russia, he remained Russian. He spoke, and this is how the last phrase in the film sounds: "Happiness belongs to those who know how to take risks."

Oksana Trukhan, kino@antennatv.ru

Dossier

 Born: June 11, 1943 in the village. Filimonki, Moscow Region

 Education: graduated from the acting department of VGIK in 1966, and from the directing department in 1978.

 Career: starred in more than 60 films and TV series, including "The Tale of Tsar Saltan", "Gentlemen of Fortune", "Headless Horseman", "Wild Orchid", "Criminal Minds", "Spy" and others. Together Together with his fourth wife, he created the Films by Jove company, and rented Soyuzmultfilm films outside the USSR.

 Family: first wife - Marina Vidova, graphic designer. The second wife is Natalya Fedotova, from her son Vyacheslav, 49 years old. The third wife is Vericia Jovanovich. Since 1989, he has been married to journalist Joan Borsten. There is an illegitimate son Sergei, 43 years old. Two grandchildren.

 Died: May 15, 2017 in Westlake Village (USA). Buried in a cemetery in Hollywood.