Banionis, Donatas

Banionis, Donatas Iuozovich 

(also D. Iu. Banenis; Lithuanian, Donatas Baniónis). Born Apr. 28, 1924, in Kaunas. Soviet Lithuanian actor. People’s Artist of the USSR (1974). Member of the CPSU since 1960.

A member of the troupe of the Panevėžys Drama Theater since 1941, Banionis graduated from the theater’s drama studio in 1946. His stage roles have included Andrei in Ostrovskii and Solov’ev’s Belugin’s Marriage, Tesman in Ibsen’s Hedda Cabler, and Davydov in an adaptation of Sholokhov’s novel Virgin Soil Upturned. Among his film roles are Vaitkaus in Nobody Wanted to Die, Ladeinikov in The Lifeless Season, the title role in Goya, Kriss in Solaris, McKinley in The Flight of Mister McKinley, and the title role in Beethoven (Defa Studio, German Democratic Republic). He has also appeared as Eduard Staunits in the television film Operation “The Trust”.

Banionis was a deputy to the ninth convocation of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He received the State Prize of the USSR in 1967 and 1977. Banionis has been awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.