Drama of actor Vladimir Gaitan: he lost seven children, and if he could turn back time, he would not have entered politics

When you say Vladimir Gaitan, you say “one of the most important Romanian actors”.

With a particular elegance, the artist has managed, throughout his career, to make his mark on Romanian cinema, becoming, even if somewhat indirectly, immortal.

Vladimir Găitan, one of the most prolific Romanian actors

Vladimir Găitan was born on February 2, 1947, in Suceava, and died on November 10, 2020, in the capital.

He was one of the most important Romanian actors, being awarded the National Order of Faithful Service, in the rank of Knight, “for the devotion and artistic grace put at the service of Romanian theatre, on the occasion of the celebration of one and a half century of existence of the National Theatre in Bucharest”.

He graduated from the I.L. Caragiale Institute of Theatrical and Cinematographic Arts in 1970, and during his studies he was chosen by Lucian Pintilie to play in the film Reconstitution, which marked the start of his career.

Later, he was to become director of the Nottara Theatre, but also of the Comedy Theatre.

Throughout his career, the actor has appeared in many films: The Heat, The Waiting, The Chase, The Mushats, The Power and the Truth, The Forest, Captain Ion’s Arrow, The Fog, A Less Angry Young Man, Hot Days, The Fool, No Way Through Here, Accident, Together Again, For the Fatherland, Vlad the Impaler, Ion Vlahul’s Irina, The Sunday Guest, Nea Marijn Millionaire, Michael the Circus Dog, The Pillars of Society, Last Night of Love, At the Crossroads of the Great Storms, The Burning Mountains, Blackmail, 1948, The Duel, The Bologa Sisters, The Meeting, The Blizzard, The Conquest of England, Dangerous Flight, Der Mann mit dem Ring im Ohr, Unity is Power, The Man Who, Special Mission, The Raid, Michael the Brave, Men in Battle, We of the First Line, The Darkening, Thursday to Sunday, The Secret of Nemesis, Flowers for an August Day, The Vagabond Poet, Mircea, The Crown of Fire, The Ivory Tower, The Medusa’s Raft, The Messenger, The Mirror, The Triangle of Death, Roberta, Impossible Marriage, The Unwilling Detective, The Woman of Dreams, Margo, Daria My Love, One Step Ahead, Gypsy Heart, The Survivor, The Last Corrupt Man in Romania, The Treasure of the Black Sea, Live and Kiss My Ass!.

Vladimir Gaitan’s regrets

“I wanted children very much. When we decided to have children, I was in a lot of trouble. My wife had serious health problems. And I lost seven children, seven pregnancies, at various stages, even a baby,” Vladimir Gaitan said about the drama that marked his life.

The actor had only one daughter, Gloria Găitan. The daughter followed in her father’s footsteps and graduated from UNATC in 2007.

Asked what his biggest regret is, the actor confessed at one point that he didn’t feel extremely proud of the fact that at one point he chose the path of politics. He was a member of the PSD.

“Because I got into politics, and maybe not where I was supposed to. Anyway, I think we actors should stay in the area of our profession. And now, I find, more than ever, that all my life’s work is treated with contempt, equal to zero. I wonder why I didn’t take up another profession to ensure a normal old age?

When I think of having endured so much, when I think of the cold on filming nights, when you didn’t get any tea. On “Last Night”, when we filmed upstairs at Fundata it was minus 30 degrees, we would get our clothes wet and in three minutes the cloak would freeze on me. We had nylon bags that we put underneath so the damp wouldn’t get on our skin. Those were our conditions. And today I’m met with contempt everywhere I go.

Everywhere you find one civil servant who loves you and five who wipe the floor with you… Plus you don’t have enough of that damn 13 million pension to pay your debts. For us, the soap opera story was a lifesaver, even though so many people judged us… But it was like when you’re out at sea with sharks around you and you see a ship coming to rescue you”, Vladimir Gaitan told adevarul.ro in a 2011 interview.