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Maksim SchegolevActor
Date of Birth: 20.04.1982
Country:  Russia |
Content:
- Biography of Maxim Shchegolev
- Films
- Personal Life
- Julia Zimina
- Relationship with Teona Dolnikova
- Maxim Shchegolev Now
Biography of Maxim Shchegolev
Maxim Valeryevich Shchegolev was born on April 20, 1982, in Voronezh, where he spent his childhood. His father, Valery Konstantinovich, served on a submarine and was passionate about diving, while his mother, Irina Alexandrovna, worked as a doctor. Maxim shared a typical Khrushchev-era room with his younger brother. During his school years, the future actor devoted 10 years to ballroom dancing and achieved the title of Candidate for Master of Sports. Maxim's height of 189 cm caused him a lot of inconvenience from a young age. In his own words, even getting off a bus or trolleybus was almost like a brain concussion. From an early age, Maxim worked as a dancer in nightclubs and as a model in a local modeling agency. Unlike most of his colleagues, Shchegolev did not dream of the stage since childhood; on the contrary, he planned to pursue a more "grounded" profession as a doctor. In 1999, his dreams were shattered by the difficult entrance tests for medical universities and fierce competition. That's when Maxim decided to try his luck at the Voronezh State Academy of Arts. Moreover, for him, it was a chance to avoid military service. After a year, he transferred to the second year of the Russian Institute of Theatre Arts (GITIS) under the guidance of Sergey Prokhanov, who held the position of director at the Moscow theater "Teatr Luny." Prokhanov played a significant role in Maxim's creative biography. In 2001, the experienced mentor invited young Shchegolev to perform with him at the Theater Luny. A year later, the young actor made his theater debut. In 2002, he was invited to the creative laboratory of renowned director Anatoly Vasiliev at the Moscow School of Dramatic Art, and a year later, he became a member of the troupe.
Maxim graduated from GITIS, and for three years, he managed to simultaneously serve in two theaters. However, in 2007, he left the Moscow School of Dramatic Art.
Films
Shchegolev's film career was not as smooth and clean as his theatrical one. He started appearing in films while still a student. At the beginning of his career, he was offered only negative roles or unnoticed episodes. Often, Maxim's name wasn't even mentioned in the credits.
He received his first significant role in the 150-episode action series "Molodye i zlye" (Young and Angry). After the release of the series, he started being recognized on the streets.
The melodrama "Brak po zaveshchaniyu" (Marriage by Will) brought him his first television award, the "Golden Rhinoceros." And for his role in the film "Vtoroe dykhanie" (Second Wind), Shchegolev received a medal from the Ministry of Defense.
His real popularity and love from the audience came from his role as a criminal authority in the TV series "Karpov" and "Pyatnitsky. Glava vtoraya" (Pyatnitsky. Chapter Two), where his co-stars were Vladislav Kotlyarsky, Victoria Tarasova, Stepan Rozhnov, and others.
His participation in the show "Tantsy so zvezdami" (Dancing with the Stars) also contributed to his growing popularity. Maxim Shchegolev and his dance partner, Kristina Asmalovskaya, were recognized as the best on the show, as ballroom dancing was one of his youthful hobbies.
Maxim does not exploit his popularity, claiming that it is simply impossible. The audience believes that actors live in luxury, but money comes when there are shootings, and during other periods, actors don't earn anything.
As the years passed, Shchegolev started participating in projects only with the permission of his spiritual advisor. If the priest does not allow it, no fee or other circumstances can convince him to accept a role. And since God created men and women separately, he will also not try on female roles.
In his filmography, the actor has played the role of law enforcement officers the most. An excellent example of this is the series of crime films "Detektivy Anny Malyshevoy" (Detectives of Anna Malyshova). Maxim and his screen partner, played by Elena Velikanova, appeared in the screen adaptations of the Russian writer's works from 2017 to 2021, with 15 four-episode detective films released during that time.
His excellent physical shape helped the actor convincingly transform into a hockey team coach in the popular series "Molodezhka" (Youth) from 2015 to 2018. The project received high praise from both the audience and professional athletes and commentators. Extensive preparatory work was carried out before the filming. The actors trained every day for three months, under the guidance of hockey player and the only ice hockey scene director in Russia, Yevgeny Polynsky.
In 2022, his filmography was expanded by the 12-episode action series "Port." His co-stars in this project were Alexey Barabash, Vadim Andreev, and others. The series marked the producer debut of Arseny Robak.
Maxim performed the stunt scenes in the project himself, including shooting, chasing, and diving underwater, which was not a problem for him due to his good physical shape.
"Fights, stunts, races, shootouts – I love it. It's my environment; I feel very comfortable in it. Although in 'Port,' there is not only action but also a strong romantic storyline. And I really like the unexpected ending of this story."
In his theatrical repertoire, Maxim has performed in productions such as "Noch nezhna" (Tender Night), "Maki" (Poppies), and others. He was also involved in a non-verbal physical performance called "Caligula" at the Moscow Regional Theater.
Personal Life
Both Maxim's professional and personal life is very eventful and diverse. His first serious relationship, with actress Tatiana Solntseva, resulted in the birth of his son, Ilya, in 2002. The boy was diagnosed with mild autism.
The first and only official wife of Shchegolev is his colleague Alla Kazakova. These relationships were kept secret for a long time because the actors worked in the same theater.
It became known that Maxim and Alla were together after they got married, and later, they had daughters Maria and Ekaterina. However, in 2010, their marriage ended.
Julia Zimina
His relationship with the performer of the role of a sensual beauty in the melodrama "Karmelita. Tsyganskaya strast" (Carmelita. Gypsy Passion) started on the set and lasted for three years.
According to rumors, the girl wanted to speed up the separation of her chosen one from his wife by posting a joint photo on social media. As a result, Shchegolev left his family, but he and Julia did not last.
Relationship with Teona Dolnikova
The actor is reluctant to share details of his personal life with the press. However, journalists have found out that Shchegolev is in a relationship with actress and singer Teona Dolnikova. They kept both their relationship and the fact of their son Luke's birth in March 2017 a secret.
The boy's mother works in two countries – Russia and the USA – and travels with the child. Maxim considers Teona his wife, and the couple is arranging a home in the residential complex "Novaya Riga." The only thing that disappoints them is that Dolnikova cannot finalize her divorce from her American husband, Josh. The singer claims that she simply hasn't had the time to gather the necessary documents.
Shchegolev maintains a good relationship with the women who gave him children, although he admits that it took a lot of effort, time, and nerves. His sons and daughters get along, and even their mothers call each other and meet when necessary. The social media of the father of many children is dedicated to his work, but occasionally, personal photos can be found.
While living in Moscow, Shchegolev maintains relationships with old friends from Voronezh. Although he rarely visits his hometown due to a busy schedule, he regularly speaks with his mother, Irina Alexandrovna. Maxim's father, Valery Konstantinovich, passed away in 2007.
Maxim Shchegolev Now
Maxim Shchegolev is not familiar with professional downtime. In the spring of 2023, the detective series "Strazhnik" (Guardian) premiered on NTV, where Shchegolev appeared as the best friend of the main character, Makar Zaporozhsky. His co-stars in the series were Nikolay Kozak, Yana Enzhaeva, Natalya Vysotanskaya, and others.
The film's director, Alexei Bystrovsky, emphasized action and realism, so there were many location shoots in various parts of St. Petersburg. To achieve authenticity, active duty special forces personnel were involved, and specialized equipment was used.
