Biography

Film actor, professional clown, known in the world as a "clown without makeup", songwriter and performer. After graduation, he studied at a vocational school. Having received the specialty of a welder, he worked at the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. In 1984-1986 he served in the Soviet Army in the city of Shuya. Demobilized with the rank of senior sergeant. In 1987 he entered the State School of Circus and Variety Art (GUTSEI). Clownery teachers were A. Smykov and B. Breev. In the first year, the duet "Eddie and Jeannie" was formed with Eduard Alekseenko. During his studies, he was invited to play the main role of Kolya in Nikolai Dostal's tragicomedy Cloud Paradise. The picture was noticed by both the audience and film professionals, was successfully shown at a number of film festivals. For the role of Kolya Zhigalov was recognized as the best actor in 1991. After a successful debut, he starred in several more films. For some time he worked together with Eduard Alekseenko in the "Center of Eccentrics" by Alexander Zheromsky. In 1992 he was awarded a gold medal at the prestigious circus festival in Paris - "The Circus of Tomorrow". In 2003, he received the highest circus award - the "Silver Clown" at the Monte Carlo Festival from the hands of Princess Stephanie. In 2005, Zhigalov responded to the proposal of Nikolai Dostal to star in the sequel to the film "Cloud-Paradise" - the film "Kolya - rolling stone." Alla Klyuka, Sergey Batalov, Irina Rozanova, Vladimir Tolokonnikov, Lev Borisov, Anna Ovsyannikova also played in it. At the Window to Europe Film Festival (2005), the film was awarded the Golden Boat Special Jury Prize. In 2007, Zhigalov starred in the film “Songs of the Southern Seas” co-produced by Kazakhstan, Germany, Russia and France, staged by director from Kyrgyzstan Marat Sarulu. The film premiered in Russia on April 10, 2008. He continues his clown career and works in the most famous circuses and variety shows, such as the circus Roncalli, Knie, variete Wintergarten and many others.