Donatas Banionis was born on April 28, 1924 in the Lithuanian capital Kaunas. Since his father, Juozas Banionis, was actively involved in the revolutionary movement, the university for Donatas was closed, so after eight classes he entered the craft school. Soon Banionis became interested in theater, and in 1941 he was accepted into the troupe of the Panevežis Drama Theatre, which was directed by director Juozas Miltinis. During World War II, performances did not stop. Simultaneously with his work
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Donatas Banionis was born on April 28, 1924 in the Lithuanian capital Kaunas. Since his father, Juozas Banionis, was actively involved in the revolutionary movement, the university for Donatas was closed, so after eight classes he entered the craft school. Soon Banionis became interested in theater, and in 1941 he was accepted into the troupe of the Panevežis Drama Theatre, which was directed by director Juozas Miltinis. During World War II, performances did not stop. Simultaneously with his work in the theater, Donatas Banionis graduated with a gold medal from the school, and in 1946 – from the drama studio at the Panevezys Theatre. The actor made his film debut in 1947, playing a small role in the film "Marita". The next work in cinema followed after more than ten years - in 1958, Vytautas Zhalakevichus invited Donatas Banionis to star in his film "Adam wants to be a man", but fame came to the actor only after the triumphal success of one of the best Soviet films - "Nobody wanted to die", released in 1966. The role of Chairman Waitkus - one of the central roles in this picture - was played by Banionis.
Huge popularity brought the actor work in the film Savva Kulish “Dead season” (1968), and to this day loved by the audience. The prototype of the main character, Ladeinikov, in the role of Donatas Banionis, was the Soviet intelligence officer Conon Trofimovich Molody. In the 1970s, the actor was invited by many film directors, he played in such films as “Red Tent” by Mikhail Kalatozov, “King Lear” by Grigory Kozintsev, “The Escape of Mr. McKinley” by Mikhail Schweitzer, “Armed and very dangerous” by Vladimir Weinstock. On account of his interesting work in the adventure television films "Operation Trust" and "Where were you, Odysseus?". In the film by German director Konrad Wolf, Goya, or the Hard Way of Knowledge, Donatas Banionis created a memorable image of the great Spanish artist. One of the best works of the outstanding actor was the role of Chris in the film by Andrei Tarkovsky “Solaris”, directed by the eponymous science fiction novel by Stanislav Lem.
In 1981, after the retirement of Miltinis, Banionis headed the Panevezis Theatre, and today enjoys well-deserved fame. Due to the heavy workload in the theater, he began to appear infrequently, but the role of the Chairman in the film "The Adventures of Prince Florisel" can be confidently called acting luck.
After Lithuania gained independence, Donatas Banionis continues to work in the theater, and rarely appears in films, from his latest films can be called the Swedish adviser to Princess Olga in the historical film Bulat Mansurov “Warm Winds of the Ancient Bulgars” (1997).
The work of the actor is dedicated to the documentaries “I am a poor king” and “Master from a small town”; in 1995 Donatas Banionis was awarded one of the highest awards of Lithuania – the Order of Gediminas of the third degree.
Donatas Juozovic Banionis died on September 4, 2014 at the age of 90.