Born on June 14, 1956 in Leningrad.
Honored Artist of Russia (2015).
Daughter of the famous actor Vsevolod Safonov (1926-1992) and Mosfilm director Valeria Rubleva.
After school, she worked as a librarian for two years, then entered the theater department of VGIK. But, after studying there for two years, she returned to Leningrad, where she continued her studies at the Institute of Theater, Music and Cinematography (now the St. Petersburg State Academy of Theater Arts).
After graduating from LGITMiK in 1981, she worked for one season at the Vera Komissarzhevskaya Theater.
She made her film debut with the role of Lyuba in the film "In Search of My Destiny" (1974). The image of the singer Salomeya Krushelnitskaya in the film "The Return of the Butterfly" (1982, directed by Oleg Fialko) became a statement of Safonova's acting theme: a strong woman in a situation of choice between personal happiness and an emancipated existence. However, it was the role of Olga in Winter Cherry (1985, directed by Igor Maslennikov) that brought Elena real national recognition. This film brought great popularity and recognition to her fellow artists.
In 1985, she was named the best actress of the year, and in 1986 she received awards for best female performance at the Madrid and Alma-Ata film festivals.
For her role as Anna in the Soviet-Italian film "Black Eyes" (1987, directed by Nikita Mikhalkov), she received the "David di Donatello" award (Italy, 1988).
After marrying French actor Samuel Labarthe, Safonova lived in Paris and starred in French films (The Companion, Mademoiselle O., Woman in the Wind, East Wind). She continued to work actively in Russia: she played Olga in Winter Cherry 2 (1990) and Winter Cherry 3 (1995), and the alcoholic and gradually demented wife of a "new Russian" in the film Music for December (1995). . , directed by Ivan Dykhovichny). Post-Soviet cinema did not fail to take advantage of the actress's strong-willed and at the same time feminine image. In the film "The President and His Wife" (1996, directed by Elena Raiskaya), her character Vera is again faced with a choice between family happiness and, this time, a political career. In The Princess and the Beanstalk (1997, directed by Willen Novak), her Nina is also faced with a dilemma: to remain proud but poor, or to compromise her principles and become the wife of a nouveau riche. For her role as Vera, Elena Safonova received the Nika and Kinoshock awards, and for her role as Nina she received the awards of the Sochi Film Festival and the Sozvezdie Film Actors Festival. She continued her professional career in France. She played in the same play where her husband was busy - in Jean-Marie Besset's play "What We Expect and What Happens", dedicated to gay culture (the role of Sophie). The Russian actress performed her role brilliantly and received praise from the press. After that, Safonova received several offers from French directors. But no matter what Safonova's heroines chose - happiness or pride, independence or love - their choice in any plot situation looked convincing thanks to the actress's charm. In 1997, Safonova broke up with her husband and returned to Russia, thus acting in the spirit of her heroines.
Returning to Russia, Safonova lives in Moscow and does not feel any lack of creative demand. In the theater, she received the Chaika-99 Prize for her role as Polina in the comedy "I'll Pay Forward!" (based on the play by Nadezhda Ptushkina), staged by the Amphion Theater. As part of V. Dubrovitsky's LA'TEATR company, Safonova plays such roles as Chris Gorman (the comedy "Rumors" based on the play by Neil Simon) and the Marquise de Merteuil (Les Liaisons dangereuses based on the play by Leonid Filatov and the Courtoise (novel by Choderlos de Laclos) magnificently. One cannot fail to mention the role of Marta in the play "The Bachelorette Party" (based on the play "Beautiful Bodies" by L. Cunningham), created by the production company "Independent Theatre Project". In the field of cinematography, Elena Safonova played more than thirty roles in the post-French period, among which I would like to highlight her wonderful Lisa in the film "The Singularity of Women" (1999, directed by Dmitry Meskhiev).
Photos, videos, texts
1997 - La Princesse sur un petit pois (Принцесса на бобах) de Vilen NOVAK
1987 - Les Yeux noirs (Очи черные) de Nikita MIKHALKOV
1985 - La Cerise d’hiver (Зимняя вишня) de Igor MASLENNIKOV
