Zhanna Trofimovna Prokhorenko belongs to that generation of Russian (Soviet) artists who never sought commercial gain in art. She, like her peers, was drawn to creativity sincerely and impartially, preferring to think about the essence of acting work, rather than its monetary equivalents. Perhaps fate was generous to Zhanna Prokhorenko, giving her great fame in the most flowering years.
Her life began a year before the Great Patriotic War - May 11, 1940. Three months after the first raids by German bombers, Zhanna’s father, who served in the Poltava air regiment, was killed in battle. Jeanne and her mother moved to Leningrad. In the city, not yet recovered from the blockade, Zhanna grew up and studied, receiving her first acting lessons in the Leningrad City Palace of Pioneers named after Zhdanov.
The talented girl was lucky: she was noticed during the Leningrad tour of the Moscow Art Theater. She, among several St. Petersburg children, was accepted to the course of actor and director M.N.Kedrov, where he conducted the main classes.
director Grigory Chukhrai The student's face was both "standard" and very individual. Cheerful, heartfelt Shura, the heroine of Prokhorenko in the film Chukhrai “The Ballad of a Soldier” glowed with kindness and sincerity. This role was a beautiful debut, but the picture was not accepted by Goskino – it was considered a distortion of the image of the Soviet warrior. Only after “The Ballad of a Soldier” received the Grand Prix of the Cannes Film Festival, it was recognized at home, and Jeanne became famous – as well as the main character of the film, played by the actor.
Vladimir Ivashov .
A couple of Soviet actors visited the famous film even in the United States - at the film festival in San Francisco (1960). Hollywood "stars" and journalists were impressed by the appearance of Jeanne - her luxurious braid, natural blush and eyebrows, which never touched tweezers. “Nothing has been done in it,” the foreign press shared her impressions, “it is what it is,” these words were long remembered by the actress.
If the first picture with the participation of Zhanna Prokhorenko made her famous on both sides of the Atlantic, then thanks to the subsequent one, she became an outcast. From the Moscow Art Theatre School Zhanna was noisily expelled, and she continued to study at VGIK – on the course
Sergei Gerasimov . This happened after the cult film by Y. Y. Raisman.
What if it's love? ? In which Jeanne played Xenia - a gentle and clean schoolgirl, protecting her first love from evil tongues. Prokhorenko was once upset: she continued to study and work fruitfully, especially her classmates were bright and talented students, from whom it was impossible to lag behind:
Sergei Nikonenko Lydia Fedoseyeva-Shukshina,
Nikolai Gubenko . At the same time, Jeanne married the future.
Directed by Gennady Vasilyev . In 1961, she had a daughter Katya, who was also destined to study at the course of Sergey Gerasimov - his last set of students.
During her long artistic life, Zhanna Prokhorenko starred in more than fifty worthy films:
"Balzaminov's Marriage" "I'm Going to a Thunderstorm", "Uncle's Dream", "One Chance in a Thousand", "Kalina Red",
Unfictional story" "They went to the East", "An incident that no one noticed", "Love of Seraphim Frolov", "Stray bullet", "Golden mine", "Charlotte's ring",
"TASS is authorized to declare ..." And many others. She liked to experiment, “try on” different images, to reincarnate in women, unlike her personal character.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, the actress, like many of her colleagues, was out of business. Meanwhile, fate was preparing her another terrible blow: in 1995, unknown persons killed her second husband.
actresses Tamara Makarova . After this tragedy, Zhanna Trofimovna moved to her secluded house in the Pskov region, to occasionally leave it for filming episodes and visiting film festivals. One of the last works of the wonderful actress - the series "Drongo",
"A Place in the Sun" , "Twins." /