Soviet and Russian film actor. He became a People’s Artist of the RSFSR in 1976.
Kuravlyov was born in Moscow into a working-class family. His father Vyacheslav Yakovlevich Kuravlyov (1909–1979) worked as a locksmith at the Salyut Machine-Building Association and his mother Valentina Dmitriyevna Kuravlyova (1916–1993) was a hairdresser. In 1941 with the start of the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union (known in Russia as the Great Patriotic War) his mother was arrested on false report, accused of counter-revolutionary activity (Article 58) and exiled to Karaganda, Kazakh SSR to work at the local plant. In five years she was freed without a right to live in Moscow and sent to Zasheyek, Murmansk Oblast in the Russian far north where she continued working as a hairdresser. In 1948 she managed to get a permission to see her son who spent a year with her at Zasheyek, and in 1951 she finally returned to Moscow.
In 1955 Kuravlyov entered VGIK to study acting under Boris Bibikov. He graduated in 1960 and joined the Theater Studio of Film Actors. He made his first movie appearances while still a student. In 1960 he was noted by Vasily Shukshin and took part in his diploma film Reported From Lebyazhye. In 1961 they both starred in the popular melodrama When the Trees Were Tall, and in 1964 Shukshin gave him the leading role in his comedy movie There Is Such a Lad which brought Kuravlyov true fame and which he considered to be the start of his successful movie career. He also acted in Your Son and Brother (1965) and felt so grateful for what the director did for him that he later named his son after Shukshin.
The role of Shura Balaganov in Mikhail Schweitzer’s comedy The Little Golden Calf based on the book by Ilf and Petrov was one of his first successful roles: he managed to create an image of a brash yet charming petty thief. His other notable roles of that period include Khoma Brut in one of the first Soviet horror movies Viy (1967), antagonist Sorokin in a psychological melodrama Not Under the Jurisdiction (1969), Robinson Crusoe in Stanislav Govorukhin’s Life and Amazing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (1972), a Nazi officer Kurt Eismann in Seventeen Moments of Spring (1973) and Lavr Mironovich in Pyotr Todorovsky’s The Last Victim (1975).
In the 1970s he appeared in three to four films per year. Even though Kuravlyov was adept at playing serious dramatic roles, he is still best known for his leading roles in top-grossing comedy movies such as Afonya (1975) by Georgiy Daneliya (11th highest-grossing Soviet film, highest grossing film of the year, 62.2 mln viewers), Leonid Gaidai’s Ivan Vasilievich: Back to the Future (1973, 17th highest-grossing film, 60 mln viewers) and It Can’t Be! (1975, 46th highest-grossing film with 46.9 mln viewers), The Most Charming and Attractive (1985) by Gerald Bezhanov (the highest-grossing film of 1985, 44.9 mln viewers) and others.
During the late 1990s he hosted a popular TV programme The World of Books with Leonid Kuravlyov where he talked about new book releases. In two years it was closed and then relaunched with new hosts. In 2012 he was awarded the IV class Order “For Merit to the Fatherland”.
| 2016 | Весь этот джем as father Leonty |
| 2009 | Книга мастеров as Barin |
| 2008 | Наследники as глава администрации |
| 2005 | Турецкий гамбит as major |
| 2004 | Сага древних булгар: Лествица Владимира Красное Солнышко as Dobrynya |
| 2004 | Сага древних булгар: Сказание Ольги Святой |
| 2003 | Железнодорожный романс as Petrovich |
| 2003 | Европейский конвой as генерал |
| 2002 | Если невеста ведьма |
| 2002 | Стрела Любви |
| 1999 | Ультиматум as Leonid |
| 1998 | Sibirya Berberi as Vakhmistr Bukin |
| 1998 | The Stringer |
| 1998 | Старые песни о главном 3 as Жорж Милославский |
| 1997 | Новогодняя история as Ded Moroz |
| 1997 | Ночь перед Рождеством |
| 1997 | Старые песни о главном 2 |
| 1996 | Мужчина для молодой женщины |
| 1995 | Ширли-мырли as USA ambassador |
| 1995 | Барышня-крестьянка as Grigoriy Muromskiy |
| 1994 | Русский счёт as Иван Сидоров, майор |
| 1994 | Мастер и Маргарита as Nikanor Ivanovich Bosoy |
| 1994 | Шоу для одинокого мужчины |
| 1994 | Приговор as Лео Харман |
| 1994 | Призрак дома моего |
| 1994 | Русское чудо as Сеня |
| 1993 | Кодекс бесчестия |
| 1993 | Deribasovskaya'da Hava Güzel ya da Brighton Sahili'nde yine Yağmur Yağıyor as Михаил Горбачев |
| 1993 | Личная жизнь королевы |
| 1993 | Провинциальный бенефис |
| 1993 | Чёртовы куклы |
| 1992 | Тридцатого уничтожить! |
| 1992 | В поисках золотого фаллоса |
| 1992 | Гангстеры в океане as Sobakin |
| 1992 | Великое замыкание, или Детонатор |
| 1991 | Агенты КГБ тоже влюбляются |
| 1991 | Сделано в СССР as Ivan Moiseyevich |
| 1991 | Notti di paura |
| 1991 | Встретимся на Таити as Шнайдер |
| 1991 | Как живёте, караси? as высокий начальник |
| 1990 | Несрочная весна as хозяин |
| 1990 | Мордашка |
| 1990 | Вход в лабиринт as Oleg Khlebnikov |
| 1990 | Очарованный странник as Priest |
| 1990 | Испанская актриса для русского министра |
| 1990 | Самоубийца |
| 1989 | Лестница as дядя Миша |
| 1989 | Оно as Vasilisk Borodavkin |
| 1989 | Частный детектив, или Операция «Кооперация» as Editor |
| 1988 | Презумпция невиновности as Bondarev - nachalnik poezda |
| 1988 | Эсперанса as Stepan |
| 1988 | Энергичные люди as Аристарх Петрович Кузькин |
| 1988 | Трое на красном ковре as Михаил Иванович Сошкин |
| 1988 | Пусть я умру, господи |
| 1988 | Загон |
| 1988 | Шантажист as Федор Семенович |
| 1988 | Ёлки-палки!.. |
| 1988 | Запретная зона. |
| 1987 | Первая встреча, последняя встреча as Count |
| 1987 | Поражение |
| 1987 | Мартынко |
| 1987 | Раз на раз не приходится as Fedor Romanov |
| 1986 | На златом крыльце сидели... |
| 1986 | Левша |
| 1986 | Змеелов as Konstantin |
| 1986 | Sherlock Holmes ve Dr. Watson'ın Maceraları: Yirminci Yüzyıl Başlıyor. Part 2 as Von Bork |
| 1986 | Sherlock Holmes ve Dr. Watson'ın Maceraları: Yirminci Yüzyıl Başlıyor as Von Bork |
| 1985 | En Büyüleyici ve Çekici as Pasha Dyatlov |
| 1985 | Pyat Minut Strakha as Леонид Каретников (свидетель) |
| 1985 | Искренне ваш... as Emtsov |
| 1985 | Опасно для жизни! as Spartak Molodtsov |
| 1985 | Человек-невидимка as Marvel |
| 1984 | Медный ангел as Ларсен |
| 1984 | Прежде, чем расстаться as Badarin |
| 1983 | Витя Глушаков – друг апачей as Arkady |
| 1983 | Демидовы as Menshikov |
| 1983 | Мы из джаза as Samsonov |
| 1983 | Не было печали as Vadim Petrovich Potapov |
| 1983 | Трест, который лопнул as Ezra Plunkett |
| 1983 | Свадебный подарок |
| 1983 | Миргород и его обитатели as Ivan Shponka |
| 1982 | Ищите женщину as Henri Granden |
| 1982 | Просто ужас! as Ruslan Ivanovich |
| 1982 | Берегите мужчин! as Vladimir Rodionov |
| 1981 | Бешеные деньги as Vasiliy |
| 1981 | Факты минувшего дня as Grinin |
| 1981 | Дамы приглашают кавалеров as Sanya |
| 1981 | Мы, нижеподписавшиеся as Lyonya Shindin |
| 1980 | Tulitikkuja lainaamassa as Peasant |
| 1980 | С любимыми не расставайтесь as Валера |
| 1980 | Маленькие трагедии as Leporello, servant of Don Juan |
| 1980 | Глубокие родственники |
| 1979 | Buluşma Yeri Değiştirilemez as "Smoked" |
| 1979 | Суета сует as Volodya |
| 1979 | Пена as Валерий Солома, аферист |
| 1979 | Фрак для шалопая |
| 1979 | Ты — мне, я — тебе as Ivan Kashkin / Sergei Kashkin |
| 1979 | Безответная любовь as Pavlov |
| 1978 | Инкогнито из Петербурга as Shpekin |
| 1978 | Пока безумствует мечта |
| 1978 | Живите в радости as Митяй Пряжкин (Дмитрий Петрович) |
| 1978 | Счет человеческий as Чаплыгин (зооинспектор) |
| 1978 | Дождь as Trenka, journeyman (voice) |
| 1978 | По улицам комод водили... as Михаил (новелла «Мы едем, едем, едем...») |
| 1978 | Шла собака по роялю |
| 1977 | Смешные люди! as Денис Григорьев |
| 1977 | Самый красивый конь |
| 1977 | Мимино as Professor Khachikyan |
| 1977 | Тимур и его команда |
| 1977 | Развлечение для старичков as Yefremov |
| 1977 | Эти невероятные музыканты, или Новые сновидения Шурика |
| 1976 | Последняя жертва as Lavr Mironych |
| 1976 | Приключения Травки |
| 1976 | Cirkus v cirkuse as Grisha |
| 1976 | Безотцовщина |
| 1976 | Афоня as Борщов Афанасий Николаевич (Афоня) |
| 1975 | Бегство мистера Мак-Кинли as мистер Дроот |
| 1975 | Ау-у! |
| 1975 | Не может быть! as Vladimir Zavitushkin |
| 1975 | Повторная свадьба as Михайлов |
| 1974 | Лев Гурыч Синичкин as князь Ветренский |
| 1974 | Кыш и Двапортфеля as папа Алёши, Дмитрий Эдуардович |
| 1974 | Северная рапсодия |
| 1974 | Свой парень as Fedor |
| 1974 | Друзья мои |
| 1974 | Мріяти і жити as Иван Григорьевич, механизатор-тракторист, режиссёр |
| 1973 | Эта веселая планета as Игрек - член экипажа летающей тарелки |
| 1973 | Нейлон 100% |
| 1973 | Ivan Vasilyevich Meslek Değiştiriyor as George Miloslavsky / Prince Miloslavsky |
| 1973 | Жизнь и удивительные приключения Робинзона Крузо as Robinson |
| 1973 | Пётр Рябинкин |
| 1973 | Aibolit ve Barmaley Hayvan Doktoru ve Haydutun Maceraları as Толстый |
| 1973 | Двенадцать месяцев as Old soldier |
| 1972 | Мальчики as Viktor Viktorovich |
| 1972 | Ход белой королевы as Тюликов, тренер Бабуриной |
| 1972 | Седьмое небо |
| 1971 | Освобождение 5: Последний штурм as Chuikov's signaler |
| 1971 | Молодые as new settler |
| 1971 | Поздний ребенок |
| 1971 | Карусель as Nikolai Timofeyevich |
| 1970 | Начало as Arkadiy |
| 1970 | О друзьях-товарищах |
| 1970 | Баллада о Беринге и его друзьях |
| 1970 | День и вся жизнь |
| 1970 | Два дня чудес |
| 1970 | Семь невест ефрейтора Збруева as Priest |
| 1969 | Я его невеста |
| 1969 | Неподсуден as Sorokin |
| 1969 | Любовь Серафима Фролова as Serafim Frolov |
| 1969 | Гори, гори, моя звезда as Red comissar |
| 1969 | Крах as Сыроежкин |
| 1969 | Мужской разговор as Alexey |
| 1968 | Золотой теленок as Shura Balaganov |
| 1968 | Урок литературы as Савелий Сидоров |
| 1967 | Вий as Khoma Brutus |
| 1967 | Такой большой мальчик as Vasiliy |
| 1967 | Старшая сестра as Volodya |
| 1966 | Без свидетелей as Валька Бурмакин |
| 1966 | Ваш сын и брат as Stepan |
| 1966 | Живет такой парень as Pashka |
| 1965 | Время, вперёд! as Korneyev |
| 1965 | Всё для вас |
| 1964 | Непридуманная история as Kostya Remizov |
| 1963 | Третий тайм as Lyonya Fokin |
| 1963 | Крыса на подносе |
| 1961 | Когда деревья были большими as Lenka |
| 1961 | Любушка |
| 1961 | Водил поезда машинист as Yasha |
| 1960 | Мичман Панин as Pyotr Kamushkin |
| 1960 | Из Лебяжьего сообщают as Сеня Громов |
| 1959 | Сегодня увольнения не будет... as Morozov |
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