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Danila DunaevActor
Date of Birth: 15.07.1981
Country:  Russia |
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Biography of Danila Dunayev
Danila Leonidovich Dunayev, a well-known actor, was born on July 15, 1981, in Moscow, Russia. He is best known for his portrayal of bright and romantic characters in television series such as "Secrets of Palace Coups," "The Return of the Musketeers," and "Monte Cristo." However, Dunayev is equally convincing in portraying contemporary characters.
Early Life and Education
In his youth, Dunayev had no intention of becoming a television star. He initially dreamed of pursuing a career in sports and later studied psychology. He was born into a family with a champion fencer father, Leonid Dunayev, and an economist mother, Larisa. His sister, Yaroslava, became a designer. From a young age, Dunayev's father taught him to excel in things he could do himself. Although he had modest success in fencing, he displayed exceptional talent in organizing performances based on his own scripts. His parents also encouraged his creative abilities. Dunayev took ballet lessons, graduated from a music school playing the accordion, and even participated in fashion shows. While maintaining his interest in sports, he practiced swimming, martial arts, and eventually became serious about playing basketball.
Upon completing high school, it was decided in the family council that a career in sports was uncertain, and it would be better for Dunayev to pursue a promising and in-demand profession. Following his mother's advice, he enrolled at the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) but chose to study social engineering and psychology instead of technical specialties. However, Dunayev quickly realized that the student club KVN (Club of the Funny and Inventive People) at MAI appealed to him more than lectures and seminars. His innate artistic talent, improvisation skills, tall stature, excellent physical shape, and musical and choreographic training made him one of the most active KVN participants, causing his academic pursuits to take a back seat.
Acting Career
After completing four years at MAI, Dunayev decided to try his luck at the Shchukin Theatre School in Moscow. He successfully passed the audition and was admitted to Yuri Shlykov's course. During his first year at the Shchukin School, he also had to deal with his graduation at MAI, where he had to use all his charm to persuade the professors not to spoil the future screen star's life. Like many theater school students, Dunayev submitted his information to the Mosfilm Studio. One day, he received a phone call inviting him to audition for the new season of the cult series "Secrets of Palace Coups." Dunayev successfully passed all the tests and trials and was approved for one of the central roles: he played Petr Sumarokov in the eighth film of the saga, "Long Live Anna" (2008). During the filming of "Long Live Anna," Dunayev was invited to several other projects and played minor roles, including Krey in the series "Young Wolfhound" (2007) and Philip Sarovsky in the contemporary crime drama "Monte Cristo" (2008).
Dunayev's diploma performances at the Shchukin School were "Don Gil in Green Breeches" (Don Martin) and Ivan Vasilyevich in "Theatre Novel." He considers the time spent working on these plays as the period of his greatest creative growth. After graduating, he joined the Mayakovsky Theatre troupe and, like many young actors, participated in children's plays. Dunayev's theatrical career was short-lived as he received an invitation to join the cast of "The Return of the Musketeers" in 2009. With his tall figure, draped in a cloak, impeccable swordsmanship, and excellent acting skills, Dunayev won the hearts of the audience as Raoul, the son of Athos (despite the overall reception of the project not being successful). The filming of "The Return of the Musketeers" revealed another facet of Dunayev's creative talent. Together with Anton Makarsky, he composed a song that became part of the series' soundtrack. After that, Dunayev became passionate about composing music and started creating his own songs. His compositions were included in the series "News," and he also performs with his band, "DanilaDunayev-Band," having already released two music videos - "Now I Know" and "Portrait."
In 2009, Dunayev appeared in the comedy film "The Best Movie 2," where he parodied Nikita Mikhalkov. He then played the role of a Scythian king in the series "The Gold of the Scythians" (2009). In 2012, he played the main character, ambitious journalist Gleb Chernov, in the highly-rated series "News," receiving favorable reviews from his fans. In the same year, Dunayev reprised his role as Petr Sumarokov in the ninth film of the "Secrets of Palace Coups" series, titled "Two Knights, or the Hunt for the Princess." He also played several other lead roles in 2012, including Roman Gerasimov in "Divorce," Mark in "May Rain," and Marat Safarov in the detective series "Lednik." In 2013, Dunayev appeared in the fourth film of the series "Mama Detective," portraying the role of actor Solntsev. His most recent work to date is the role of a charming specialist in artificial insemination in the series "Profession - Midwife" (2014).
In addition to his acting and music composition activities, Dunayev is also involved in teaching. He works with children at the "Domisolka" Theater and teaches acting skills to participants of television projects such as "One to One" (2013) and "Exactly" (2014) on Channel One.
Personal Life
Regarding his personal life, Dunayev prefers to keep it private. His first marriage, which took place during his student years and resulted in the birth of his sons Fyodor (2005) and Innokentiy (2007), ended in 2007. However, he maintains good relations with his ex-wife and their growing sons. His second wife, Elena Dunayeva, gave him a daughter named Elizaveta. When it comes to parenting, Dunayev believes in learning from his children rather than teaching them. He does not try to impose his opinion on what they should pursue or engage in. For example, his daughter expressed a desire to dance but later left the dance class. He believes that there is nothing wrong with that. Dunayev's older sons are studying at the jazz college of Leonid Agutin. Currently, Dunayev is in his third marriage and continues to avoid excessive attention to his personal life. His current wife's name is Irina Bolotova.
Current Endeavors
Currently, Dunayev dedicates much of his time to developing his blog on Instagram. He records and uploads videos where he discusses topics such as domestic violence, harmful habits, self-compassion, and the meaning of life. He also offers his own online course aimed at addressing psychological issues. In terms of his acting career, on April 30, 2021, the fourth season of the sitcom "IP Pirogov" began streaming on the START video service, where Dunayev continued to develop his character's story.
