Valentin Gaft was born in Moscow to a family of a lawyer Iosif Romanovich Gaft and Gita Davydovna Gaft. The family moved to Moscow from Poltava, Ukraine. During World War II Iosif Gaft served in the Red Army finishing with the rank of Major. Valentin Gaft took a great interest in theater while in school and took part in the school theater amateur performance. Valentin Gaft graduated from the School-Studio at the Moscow Art Theatre. Among the students of the same course were future popular actors Oleg Tabakov and Maya Menglet.
Gaft started his work for the cinema in 1956 in the Mikhail Romm's film Murder on Dante Street. Later he starred in the movies The First Courier, Mad Gold, Centaurs, Black Hen, or Underground Villagers, Fuete, prominent roles were played by Gaft in the musical comedy The Sorceress, the tragicomedy Through Main Street with an Orchestra, the action filmThieves in Law, The Visit of the Lady, Night Fun, Encore, Once More Encore!. In 1994, Valentin Gaft played Woland in Yuri Kara's film The Master and Margarita, which was only released in 2011. However, the real popularity came to Gaft only after cooperation with Eldar Ryazanov. In 1979, he played the chairman of the garage cooperative Sidorkin in the comedy The Garage, in 1980, starred in the tragicomedy Eldar Ryazanov Say a Word for the Poor Hussar, in 1987, starred in the movie Forgotten Melody for a Flute, and in 1991 in the film Promised Heaven. In addition to theater and cinema, Valentin Gaft has played many roles on television - the main character in the television series based on Thomas Mann's novel Buddenbrooks, Lopatin in Lopatin's Notes, Jasper in the four-part film Edin Druid's Secret, Kramin in the television movie For the Rest of His Life, Prince Borescu in the television showThe Archipelago Lenoir, The Kid in Kings and Cabbage, Butler in the television film Hello, I'm Your Aunt! and others. Teleplays with Valentin Gaft's participation include Just a few words in honor of M. de Moliere, Widow's Home, Players, Aesop, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Personal life
Gaft has been married to the well-known actress Olga Ostroumova since 1996. He also the author of pointed but extremely popular epigrams against many theatrical and movie figures. In the 2013 film Yolki 3, he read some of his own poetry. For "statements contradicted the interests of our national security" Gaft is banned from entering Ukraine.
*2nd class - for outstanding contribution to the development of domestic theatrical art and many years of creative activity
*3rd class - for outstanding contribution to the development of theatrical art, and many years of creative activity
Order of Friendship - for services to the state and achievements in work and significant contribution to strengthening friendship and cooperation between nations
