Laughter through tears: famous actor Roman Popov has died

On Tuesday, October 28, the talented actor and bright comedian Roman Popov died at the age of 40. For millions of viewers, he will forever remain investigator Mukhich from the TV series "Policeman from Rublevka" — a good-natured, sincere and memorable character with a recognizable manner of speech and a warm smile. His death was an irreparable loss for Russian cinema, theater and all those who loved his work. About what the actor was like and how his path in art developed — in the material of Izvestia.

The disease did not spare: What happened

Roman Popov, a 40-year-old actor known for his role as investigator Igor Mukhich in the TV series "Policeman from Rublevka", died in Moscow after a long illness.

In 2018, Popov was diagnosed with astrocytoma, a malignant brain tumor. The actor's wife, Yulia, said that after a course of treatment, the disease temporarily receded, but this year it relapsed, and Roman Popov partially lost his eyesight.

"A brain tumor is characterized by the fact that a person loses a little bit of himself. It's like he's more self-absorbed. But he still jokes, tells stories, and remains active. Sometimes his head hurts, he feels his arm worse, he walks badly. It's clear from him that it's very difficult for a person," the actor's wife said during his treatment.

During his career, Popov starred in more than 30 projects. Recent works include the films "Three Friends, a Treasure and a Sailor Cat," "A Letter to Santa Claus," "Love According to Freud," and "The Big Man."

From Konotop to "Kartavy": Roman Popov's path

Roman was born on February 9, 1985 in the Ukrainian city of Konotop, in the family of Alexei Ivanovich and Svetlana Eduardovna Popov. Both are environmentalists by profession. When Popov was not yet two years old, his family moved to Yoshkar-Ola, where the boy spent his childhood and youth.

It was here that his artistic talents began to manifest themselves, although at first he was hampered by his natural self-doubt. The dream of the stage brought Roman to the threshold of GITIS, but he never reached the last exam, doubting that he would be accepted because of his burr.

Fate, however, ordered otherwise. Popov entered the Faculty of psychology, but found his real vocation in the KVN team. The stage, the jokes and the energy of the audience captured him completely. It became clear that his talent was to make people laugh.

The family's move to Sochi became a turning point. At the sunny resort, his humor blossomed. He began working professionally at corporate events, honing his skills of live communication with the public, and met Hovhannes Grigoryan— his future partner and friend. Their creative duet "20:14. The City of Sochi" quickly gained popularity. Arriving in Moscow with almost no money and settling into a modest hostel, they rushed to conquer the capital. Perseverance and talent did their job, and winning the third season of Comedy Battle was a real start in life.

At the end of 2013, Roman first appeared on the stage of the Comedy Club under the pseudonym "Kartavy". What once seemed to him a disadvantage has become his trademark — a symbol of perseverance, individuality and unique humor that will forever remain in the memory of the audience.

A sharp turn: the first star role

The success of the Comedy project became a good springboard for Roman Popov's career. His recognizable humor, charisma and trademark self-irony quickly brought the actor to television. Together with his partner Hovhannes Grigoryan, he joined the team of the show "Do not sleep!" and launched the popular program "No Sleep show" on Comedy Radio.

However, Roman's real, national fame came in 2016, when screenwriter and director Ilya Kulikov invited him to the series "Policeman from Rublevka" — a comedy about the work of investigator Grisha Izmailov (Alexander Petrov) in the most elite district of the capital.

"I came to the casting, where Ilya Kulikov was sitting. He simply said, "Read the text." I read it, and after a couple of minutes he wiped his tears and said, "Everything is fine, thank you," the actor recalled.

Popov played investigator Igor Mukhich, a simple, good—natured and slightly naive guy who is sincerely in love with a girl named Kristina (Sofia Kashtanova). His character instantly became a popular favorite. The audience loved Mukhich for his humanity, sense of humor and genuine charm, and Roman himself for turning a minor character into one of the main characters of the series.

After the series, the actor began actively acting in other projects. He played in Alexey Nuzhny's comedy detective "The Last Video on YouTube", where he was accompanied by popular bloggers Denis Kukoyaka, Katya Klap, Ruslan Usachev and others. Then Popov appeared on the Gossip Girl show, where he and Olga Buzova staged a memorable dance show.

In 2018, Ilya Sherstobitov's comedy "Presidential Vacation" was released on big screens, where Roman played one of the notable roles, and then in Sarik Andreasyan's adventure film "Girls are different." In the latest project, he transformed into a woman, trying on women's outfits and high-heeled shoes.

In October 2018, the actor had an epileptic seizure in his sleep. After the examination, the doctors made a terrible diagnosis — astrocytoma of the third degree, a malignant brain tumor. "Another six months of delay and the tumor would have become inoperable," Roman said.

His colleagues and friends provided him with great support, both moral and financial. Thanks to an operation performed in Germany and subsequent therapy, Popov managed to overcome the disease for a while. Already in 2020, tests showed that the cancer had receded. Despite the difficult treatment, he did not stop acting: he continued to work in new episodes of "Policeman from Rublevka", as well as in the films "Love during non-working weeks" and "Girls are different."

Kindred Spirits: Roman Popov's Children and Family

Roman Popov was married to Yulia, originally from Yoshkar-Ola. The girl graduated in Sochi, where she met Roman. The couple got married in 2007.

Julia is a creative person. She spent some time building a career in radio and television, but later left the profession for her family. "Julia left her career for a strange chubby guy from Sochi. I am incredibly lucky to have a wife," Popov confessed.

Roman and Julia have three children.: son Fedor, daughter Lisa and youngest Marta. Martha's birth came at a particularly difficult time, when the actor was battling cancer and his future seemed uncertain. According to Roman, the arrival of his third child gave him the strength to fight the disease.