A young actress Maria Guzeeva a graduate of the Theatre School Named after M. S. Schepkin became popular after she played the role of Donna Anna in The Last Don Juan staged in the State Film Actor Theatre in Moscow. Now she is playing the role of Lidia Yavorskaya in a TV series about Anton Chekhov. Yavorskaya was an actress and one of the writer's mistresses. Maria spends her free time learning to sail a yacht and riding an aquabike. Maria told a lot about these and many other adventures, extreme hobbies and experiments on her appearance and style in her interview to Gala.

ON HAIRCUTS
Once when my hair was cut very short and I got really upset. Everybody mistook me for a boy, and this irritated me. When I went to school my hair was not long enough to hold a bow and it looked like it had been nailed to my head. But in the long run I didn't care much about bows and ribbons; this haircut had changed my personality to some extent. I got used to climbing trees and playing football with boys. I felt like being a boy myself.

ON FAIRY TALES
However this boyish image didn't prevent me from believing in fairy tales. After all fairytales won a victory over the hooligan. I grew my hair back because all princesses have long hair. Then I wanted to put on nice dresses with frills and ruffles and pretty shoes with little bows. I remember I got my first evening dress when I was in the third grade. It had been made for me in an atelier. Since then I've been engaged as a princess in all school performances. First I think they called me because of my dress and then they revealed my talent.

ON ENGLISH FASION
After my seventh grade year I was sent to England on vacation to study English. When I left I was a modest girl with no make up on my face wearing a pretty little hat - a pure angel. And when I came back two months later I had long earrings, very short skirt, bright lipstick and green nails. My father met me at the airport asking, "Is this my daughter? With these red lips and green nails?"

ON THE AWKWARD AGE
In my 8-th grade I was changed to another school. Everything was different there. All my classmates were from rich, poshy families and were a bit spoilt. That was the time when I found out that life doesn't end after the evening TV program "Goodnight kids" and that there are such things as nightclubs and discos. I used to be a rapper and a raver. I loved parties, I have changed my style and my friends. My parents and teachers tried to struggle against this but I was utterly out of control. Almost every day I had to write explanatory notes at the principal's office. Once I even had a fight with a boy three years older than me. Later his mother came to school to complain and I was surprised that such an adult boy hided behind his mother's skirt.

ON THRILLING EXPERIENCES
I adore extreme sports. I first tried mountain skies when I was three. Eight years ago I changed them for a snowboard and only last year I've returned to skies. In summer I ride an aquabike and learn to sail a yacht. Of course actors should be careful and try to avoid any injuries cause their appearance is important for their profession. But when I step on a snowboard the instinct of self-preservation is submerged.

ON ADVENTURES
As first-year students we had to work really hard. The attendance was compulsory with no vacations. But I wanted so much to go to the mountains that I told everyone that I am in a hospital with follicular tonsillitis and I imitated it in the institute few days before my departure. Then I went into the mountains and I called our course leader and told her how bad I was. On the last day of my vacation I put on a pink ski suit with rhinestones and arranged nice ringlets on my head and a radiant make-up to look the brightest person on the hill. Then I decided to show off and make a somersault, although I had never done it before and besides I had no helmet. So I climbed up the highest ski-ramp reached maximum speed and fell down with my head deep to the snow. I was a miracle that I didn't break anything. But I got a dislocation of cervical vertebra. Next day I had to be in Moscow for a rehearsal at the institute. I went through one hospital after another and finally they gave me a head holder. When I came to the institute I told everyone a terrible story of my stay in a hospital where I was so weak that I felt giddy and fell down the stairs. Such crazy stories happen to me all the time. But I have never lied about my health since then.

ON OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE
I always loved to be in the centre of attention. I liked to organize beauty contests, stage performances and dancing-parties. I wanted to be a ballet dancer or a doctor. But one had to study hard and for quite a long time to be a doctor and I wasn't fond of studying. My history teacher organized a theater workshop and he said I have some inclination so he advised me to try acting.

ON CRAVING TO DRAMATIC IDENTIFICATION
I don't care much about styles or brands. I like to be not like the others, to challenge, to change my image after all I am an actress. For example I had to learn to smoke using a cigarette holder for the role of Yavorskaya while actually I don't smoke. But everything should look convincing. So I bought cigarettes and a cigarette holder, dressed up correspondingly and went to some presentation to get used to this image.

ON CHARACTER AND CHARACTERS
I am a bit disorganized because I am an impulsive, open and energetic person. So I like to play the same expressive characters like those of ancient Greek tragedy and Shakespeare. To deal with love and hate, win of die, all or nothing.

"GALA. Fashion and beauty" magazine, 7-8, 2006.