Donatas Banionis
Donatas Banionis (Russian Донатас Юозович Банионис; born April 28, 1924 in Kaunas) is a Lithuanian and Soviet actor. He was one of the most famous actors of the Soviet Union.
Life
Banionis began his career as an actor after attending a ceramics school in the Drama Theatre in Panevėžys before he played in films in 1959. His portrayal of the character of the farmers in Vaitkus Nobody wanted to die ( 1965) ( Niekas nenorėjo mirti, Russian Никто не хотел умирать ) by Vytautas Žalakevičius earned him the Best Actor Award at Cannes, Karlovy Vary. Soon became a sought-after performer Banionis, so that larger and more complex projects, both national and international in nature followed, for example, a role in Soviet- Italian coproduction Mikhail Kalatosows The Red Tent (1969).
In the lead role of Francisco de Goya in Konrad Wolf's film adaptation Goya - or the evil path of knowledge, for the Banionis with the National Prize of the GDR was excellent, as Beethoven in Horst sailor Beethoven - Days of a Life ( 1976 ) and as Mauris in Wolf Mama, I live (1977 ), he was also active in the GDR for DEFA.
Among his most famous roles of the psychologist Kris Kelvin is one in the science fiction film Solaris ( 1972), directed by Andrei Tarkovsky.
Banionis received numerous awards in Lithuania and the Soviet Union and became a member of the Supreme Soviet.
His son Raimondas Banionis is also an actor.