Aglaya Tarasova – about the series “Vika-hurricane”, tricks on the set and plot taboos

The creators of the series “Vika-hurricane” do not hide the fact that they wrote the script, presenting you in the lead role. How does an actress feel when she finds out that a script is specially written for her?

Feels more confident than usual. It was very flattering. We have great mutual love with Ilya Petrukhin and Oleg Goldfain (the authors of the script and creative producers of the project), and Vika-Hurricane has become one of my favorite projects. It’s always nice to feel that they believe in you.

“Vika-hurricane” — this series is extraordinary. Still, not every day they shoot projects about women who have just got out of prison. Did this topic bother you, or vice versa? — attracted by the fact that it is somewhat taboo?

I would not say that this topic is taboo. In general, it seems to me that in Russia there are a lot of comedy dramas or dramatic comedies on not the most obvious topics. As for “Wiki Hurricane” — Personally, the series is very interesting to me, and I would not say that this is a “series about the release of a woman from prison.” Our project is about simple and basic things: to find yourself in life, to stay true to yourself, not to give up no matter what.

Vika ended up in a colony, but it is difficult to call her a criminal, because all her actions are dictated by her heightened sense of justice. She was unlucky to end up in a colony, and this circumstance added to her life the difficulties that Vika has to cope with: re-build relationships with her child, return to social life. “Vika-hurricane” — a series about a girl who does not give up no matter what, about a simple girl who is looking for herself, looking for a way to survive, dreams of happiness for her family. All these things are close to most people.

Did you find some common ground between Vika and you? In general, is it important for you to look for these points, to notice similar features of you and your heroines, or do you work differently?

Yes, it’s important to me. In the case of Vika, I was lucky: the authors wrote the script knowing me, and we have a lot in common with the heroine. We are both stubborn, stubborn, we say what we think, we climb where we don’t need to, we are chasing justice … We can’t get past someone else’s misfortune. The resemblance to the heroine helped me to play her.

Was there anything that caused resistance?

Probably only the fact that Vika has a fairly adult child, and I have no children. But I recalled communication with my sister, who is 17 years younger than me, and tried to project this experience onto the experience of Vika’s motherhood.

According to the plot, the son of your heroine — boy with autism. Did you communicate with the real parents of special children in preparation for filming?

No, I didn’t communicate, but the authors of the script communicated when they wrote the series. In general, we have a story about the fact that Vika communicates with her special son absolutely on an equal footing, without focusing on his features. I don’t know how correct this is in real life, but in the case of my heroine, this is definitely the only right decision. Grisha was treated as if he had deviations, but in fact it turns out that this child is smarter than all the adults around him. Vika does not feel sorry for him, she loves him and accepts him for who he is, treats him as a person.

They say that on the set, you yourself were ready to climb a tree, climb over fences, almost jump out of the car without an understudy. Do you always work without an understudy? Is there some kind of boundary: this is what I will do, but this is definitely not?

There were understudies on the set, but the authors of the series also believed that it was better for me to cope on my own. I think it’s great — do everything in the frame yourself. It brings you closer to the heroine. But, to be honest, I didn’t have as much physical activity as in Vika Hurricane on any project. Vika is constantly rushing somewhere, late, running away, catching up …

Jogging was almost every shooting day. We hooked the camera to the trunk of a car that was going fast, and I had to run after it. In addition, Vika gets into various funny situations, for example, she falls into a manhole, and I stick around in this manhole for three days; sometimes it climbs trees … Probably, if I had to jump from a roof or drive a motorcycle at a terrible speed, then I would ask for an understudy. But otherwise, it seems to me that it is right to do everything yourself, as far as possible.

Did you get any injuries?

At one point, my legs gave out, and for a couple of days we did not run. Nothing critical, but, of course, the overload for the body was great.

Recently, films and TV shows often reveal the topic of adult problems through parent-child relationships, and Vika-Hurricane is no exception. In one of the scenes, Vika even asks her mother for support, which she does not feel. How do you feel about this approach? And is it important for you to feel that your parents are behind you?

This is a very important feeling. I agree that many of our fears, problems and complexes — comes from childhood. In the first season, we started to explore Vicki’s issues with her parents, and I hope that the series will have a continuation in which we will touch on this topic in more depth. Vika has a feeling that her mother does not understand and does not support her, although it seems to me that her mother is trying to support her in the best way she can. They are just very different.

Vika had a strong connection with her father, who is no longer in her life, and she shifted some of the responsibility for his death to her mother. I hope that the heroines will still come to understanding and forgiveness. At the very least, they will have an important conversation that will make it clear to the audience why Vika is like this and cannot be different.

Did they support you in crazy deeds and undertakings?

I would not say that I did straight crazy things. Of course, I had a teenage period, now I look back and understand: not everything that I wanted and did then was adequate. But that’s the way it is with most teenagers. My mother and grandparents always worried about me and supported me. By the way, when I started acting in films, my family was not that happy about it. But today my family — these are my closest friends, we have a great relationship, we are all — like one organism.

And why was the family not happy with your choice of acting profession?

Firstly, I can’t say that I directly chose her. I was going to become either a diplomat or a teacher of foreign languages, and first entered the Faculty of Political Science, then — international relations and foreign languages. The family was happy about this, but then I started acting … It was not easy for them to accept that I want to leave the university and devote myself to filming, but now, of course, everyone is happy that everything turned out the way it did. In any case, they supported me, and I am very grateful for that.

You also played one of the main roles in Alexei German Jr.’s film “Air”, which is due out in the foreseeable future. German is known both for his complex paintings and for his very long and painstaking method of work. What was this work experience like for you?

The experience was unforgettable. We prepared for filming for a long time, and we entered the filming period in 2020. Hermann — an amazing director, he is thoughtful, he really shoots very slowly and devotes a huge amount of time to rehearsals. He likes to shoot everything in one frame, while there can be forty actors in the frame. Therefore, rehearsals lasted five and six hours. — in order for everyone to play exactly the way he needs, for the camera to fly around us the way he needs.

There were days when we just came to the bay, put on heavy uniforms from the Second World War, and rehearsed in the wild cold and slush. As a result, the light went out, and we returned home without taking anything off. But the next day they came and were already ready, the process went easier. But still, the shooting moved very slowly, as a result, a pandemic came, and we stopped for two years …

It was, of course, hard, including emotionally. “Air” — this is a story about a military pilot, I had many scenes after which I could not recover for several days. But Aleksey Alekseevich supported me, helped me, he has a great sense of humor — a bit snarky, sarcastic, which is what I like.

Can you tell us more about Herman’s approach to directing?

There are directors who are opposed to having actors walk up to the playback and watch them act. Alexei Alekseevich has exactly the opposite opinion on this matter. After absolutely every take, he made everyone, even the actors of crowd scenes, run to the playback — and it took a long time — included a double and at the same time explained what he did not like. Someone got more, someone less, but it is important that everyone enjoyed it. There was a feeling that we were not only working, but also studying.

And how did you get this experience of public analysis of errors?

I’ve come to the playback before to look at my game, and I can’t say that I love it. But seeing yourself from the outside is, of course, useful. — notice what was insincere, and redo it in the next take. Most often, the director himself evaluates the duplicates on the playback, makes comments, and then you play according to these comments. But it happens that then the film comes out, and you think — why didn’t I control everything myself … This is such a fine line, everything is very individual.

You mentioned that you were emotionally difficult on set. How did you deal with these emotions?

I am sure that difficult emotions need to be experienced, and not closed off from them. So I just gave myself time.

You also play a major role in the continuation of the successful comedy “Kholop” by Klim Shipenko. This time, not the “major”, but the “major”, that is, your heroine, will go to the past. Could you tell us more about her? In what era did you have to “visit” on the set?

I can’t tell yet what time my heroine will get. But I will tell you that I am very pleased to act in this film, I have long wanted to work with Klim Shipenko. Plus, it’s a costume story, it’s been on my dream list for a long time. Filming is going on right now and going on a grand scale, I like the site, the attitude of people to the project. We try to make the second part of “Kholop” at least as boring as the first. A rental is planned for the New Year.

Judging by your social networks, not so long ago you visited Africa. Where exactly were they? Why did you choose this direction?

Africa has been my dream for a long time, for ten years now I have wanted to go there. I love wild animals, dreamed of seeing them live in their habitat. Coincidentally, this year I had free days, and my friends Natasha and Murad Osmann, who created the #FollowMeTo project with photos of the most beautiful places on earth, invited me on a tour. I agreed without hesitation. In ten days we saw so much amazing things that people do not have time for months. To be honest, I was even tired after this trip, because we tried to explore the entire mainland. But I will definitely come to Africa again.

What impressed you the most?

Victoria Falls — this is just an incredible place where the spirit stops. You feel harmony with nature, you understand what the elements are and what our planet is. I want every person to be there.

Now a lot of reality shows are filmed on the African continent. How do you feel about participating in them? Is it important for your media?

I was called, probably, already in all the reality shows of our country, but I always refuse. It’s not that important, I just don’t want to, I’m not interested … I had doubts: maybe it’s worth participating in The Last Hero, because my friends participated. But then I watched the show and realized that it was not for me. It doesn’t give me pleasure to put my hands in boxes with snakes and cockroaches, I don’t understand why I need it. I love doing my job. And the ratings and the increase in media do not interest me.