- Full name – Serhiy Gavrylovych Kalantay
- Date of birth – May 31, 1964
- City – Kyiv (Ukraine)
- Activity – theater and film actor
Serhiy Kalantay is a Ukrainian film and theater actor, People's Artist of Ukraine. A native of Kyiv, Serhiy Gavrylovych connected a significant part of his creative path with Germany, where he moved to permanent residence in 1992. But Serhiy Kalantay did not abandon his stage career. And now in the professional biography of Serhiy Kalantay there is a significant European experience. In different years, the actor collaborated with the Munich theaters Fisch und Plastik and Viel Larm um Nichts, where his stage temperament was formed and the skill of working with the image was honed.
Since 2000, the artist has been passing on his knowledge to young talents - he taught acting at private theater schools in Burghausen and Munich. Over time, his creativity went beyond the stage and the artist began to actively act in films, expanding the palette of roles and characters.
In 2003, the actor completed his studies at the DSA Higher Theater School. Since 2016, he has been working at the Ivan Franko National Academic Drama Theater - one of the key centers of theatrical art that Ukraine is proud of. Since 2022, he has been teaching an acting course at the film faculty at the I. K. Karpenko-Kary KNUTKiT. And since 2023, he has been a member of the Board of the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine. The actor lives and works between Kyiv and Munich, combining two cultural realities.
Artist's specialization
Although Serhiy Kalantay is primarily a theater and film actor, his filmography is quantitatively dominated by films and TV series. He took his first steps in front of the camera while studying at the Ivan Karpenko-Kary Kyiv Theater Institute. Then, filming became a natural continuation of the educational process. Subsequently, Kalantay's creative output included dozens of international projects that covered Austria, Switzerland, and Germany.
After 2007, the actor increasingly appeared in Ukrainian projects. Viewers remembered his roles in the TV series "Department 44", "Female Doctor", "I Will Always Wait for You", "Nikonov and Co.", as well as in the film "Servant of the People-2. From Love to Impeachment".
Speaking of his own professional priorities, the artist does not hide his special love for the stage. He is closer to theatrical performance, because the theater allows you to live the story sequentially - from the first line to the finale, gradually revealing the role and inner world of the character. In cinema, the process is different: filming often does not take place chronologically, and the power of the director and editing is much more tangible. However, the magic of the film set has its own appeal, which is difficult to refuse.
Famous roles
Sergiy Kalantay, whose biography forms a holistic picture of the life of an outstanding and talented Ukrainian, has over 100 roles to his credit. The actor is actively filmed in projects by Ukrainian directors, and is also in demand in Germany. Among the most famous roles and projects with the artist's participation:
- the TV series "Department 44". In it, the actor plays the strict but fair head of the special forces Nikolai Strogov, nicknamed the Chief;
- the series "Female Doctor" - the role of the ambitious and somewhat conflicted towards his colleagues deputy chief doctor Valentin Bondarev;
- the series "Secrets", where Sergey Kalantay played the role of the uncle of the main character Katya - Ivan Grischuk;
- the series "The Sniffer", where Kalantay appeared in the role of an intellectual character, which is harmonious for the aristocratic appearance of Sergey Gavrilovich;
- the series "The Bell Ringer", where the actor plays the police chief Artsybashev, the father of the main character's beloved girl;
- "I Will Always Wait for You" - a four-part melodrama, where Kalantay's character is the banker Sergey Ivanovich Guryanov.
During the 2000s, the actor starred in over two dozen films and TV programs in Austria, Poland, Switzerland and Germany.
Theatrical works
Performances and roles at the Frank Theater:
- “Three Comrades” (Blumenthal);
- “Richard III” (Cardinal Borcher, Archbishop of Canterbury);
- “The Marriage of Figaro” (Antonio);
- “Kalin's Pipe” (Father);
- “Krum” (Sweet Dolce);
- “A Little Drama” (Bezpalko, head of the Makhor Trust department) and other works.
Serhiy Kalantay's theatrical career also had a consistent development in Germany. The talented Ukrainian worked in the Munich theaters Fisch und Plastik and Viel Lärm um Nichts. The actor also appeared on the stages of the Stuttgart and Hanover theaters.
Stage presentation
Sergey Kalantay's acting style was formed under the influence of his long-term work in Europe. His acting is characterized by restraint, psychological accuracy and the ability to work with subtext. On stage and in the frame, he avoids excessive pathos - instead, he builds the role clearly, concisely, with inner concentration. One look or minimal movement can convey a deep transformation of the character.
Thanks to his textured appearance and natural charisma, the artist often embodies the ariasstocratic intellectuals, status antagonists, foreigners or representatives of the security forces. His speech is distinguished by impeccable pronunciation and accuracy of intonations. The voice - deep, rich, with a soft timbre - adds persuasiveness to the images.
Voicing work
A separate page of creativity is professional dubbing and voice acting. The actor works on audiobooks, in particular modern prose, where his voice creates an atmosphere and helps the listener to fully immerse himself in the text. The artist also collaborates with the radio "Culture", participating in radio projects.
Awards and distinctions:
- award for the best acting work (Theatre Festival "Golden Lion", performance "Vertep" - Lviv, 1991);
- First prize of the Republican contest of pop artists - Uzhgorod, 1989. Duet "Mykyta the Fox" together with Anatoly Hnatyuk.
Who will be interested in the work of Serhiy Kalantay
Serhiy Kalantay's work is addressed to a wide audience, but it finds the greatest response among connoisseurs of intellectual theater and auteur cinema, viewers of action and social series.
As an associate professor at the I. K. Karpenko-Kary University, the actor is interesting to young artists not only as a performer of roles, but also as a mentor. Kalantay's professional path demonstrates how you can combine the Ukrainian theater school with European experience and build your own system of working on a character.
Where to find information about Serhiy Kalantay's performances
Today, the actor's stage activities in Ukraine are connected with the Franko Theater - see the current poster of the institution on the Concert.ua website. All of Serhiy Kalantay's repertoire performances are presented on the artist's page.
Why you should go to a performance with Serhiy Kalantay
Seeing Serhiy Kalantay on stage is an opportunity to feel a special "Western" charm. The actor behaves confidently and restrainedly, without demonstrative gestures, but with inner strength. His presence in the performance is magnetic - the viewer carefully follows every movement, even when the character is silent. At such moments, it becomes obvious: in front of the audience is an artist with a deep intellect, a subtle sense of role, and impeccable stage culture.
