Russian actress Lyubov Aksyonova has revealed that she temporarily separated from her husband Pavel to prepare for an acting role that required intense solitude.
Speaking on the television show Actors' Studio, the performer explained that the separation experiment proved emotionally painful and nearly led to a nervous breakdown.
Aksyonova said her director instructed her to feel the total isolation of her character. Because she felt her real life was too secure and loving to portray that state, she asked her husband to move into a separate apartment.
She asked Pavel to leave his personal belongings in their shared home so she would still have access to them, and the couple agreed not to call each other.
However, the agreement lasted only two weeks before Aksyonova reached a breaking point. She admitted her nerves gave out, prompting her to call her husband late at night before the pair met on Tverskaya Street in central Moscow and returned home together.
Casting rejection
During the broadcast, Aksyonova also recalled an earlier disappointment in her career when she auditioned for the popular Russian television sitcom Daddy's Daughters.
She was under consideration for the role of Masha, but producers ultimately awarded the part to her stage colleague Miroslava Karpovich.
Aksyonova shared that a series producer called her mother to inform her that she looked too young for the role, describing the rejection as a severe blow at the time.
Background and career
Lyubov Aksyonova is a prominent Russian screen actress who has starred in major television dramas and feature films. She has been married to her husband Pavel since 2013.
Daddy's Daughters was one of the most successful comedy series in Russian television history, running for 20 seasons. Tverskaya Street, where the couple reconnected, is a principal radial street in central Moscow known for its shops and cultural landmarks.
