Rehabilitation on Stage: Yefremov to Star in Mikhalkov’s Theater After Parole

Russian actor Mikhail Yefremov will be joining the theater company led by pro-Kremlin director Nikita Mikhalkov following his parole release from prison, as confirmed by Mikhalkov on Friday.

The 61-year-old Yefremov was sentenced in 2020 after being found guilty of causing the death of a delivery driver in a head-on crash while driving under the influence in central Moscow. He initially received an eight-year sentence in a medium-security facility, which was later reduced to seven and a half years upon appeal.

In March, a court granted him parole, and he was released in early April.

“Yes, he’s on the mend, and we have a contract,” Mikhalkov stated to the state-owned TASS news agency. “I sincerely hope he will become part of the theater group because he remains a talented actor despite everything.”

On Thursday, the exiled broadcaster TV Rain, citing a confidential source close to Yefremov, reported that Mikhalkov assisted in enabling the actor’s parole on the condition that he obtains formal employment. According to the report, Yefremov must participate in at least two plays as part of these conditions.

While Mikhalkov did not provide details on when Yefremov would make his stage debut, he mentioned that the actor is anticipated to star in a theatrical rendition of one of his films.

Yefremov has been a notable presence in Russian theater and cinema for many years, famously portraying charming, often drunken characters before his conviction.

Mikhalkov, aged 79, is a vocal conservative and Orthodox Christian who frequently supports the Kremlin and critiques the West on his state television program. He won an Academy Award in 1995 for Best Foreign Language Film for “Burnt by the Sun.”