Pauls ButkÃÂviÃÂs (born 8 August 1940 in Riga) is a Latvian film and theater actor, best known for starring in I Remember Everything, Richard and Elpojiet dziüi! (1967, also known as ÃÂetri balti krekli). He also starred in Ilgais ceÃ¼à ¡ kÃÂpÃÂs, Rallijs (1978), NepabeigtÃÂs vakarià Âas (1979), MirÃÂà ¾a (1981) and Aija (1987).
After graduating from Riga Secondary School No. 11 in 1959, ButkÃÂviÃÂs enrolled at the Riga Polytechnical Institute and started work as an automatic phone line regulator at VEF. At the same time he performed at the Roberts Ligers Riga Pantomime Ensemble from 1957 to 1959 and the Experimental studio no. 3 of the Dailes Theatre from 1959 to 1961. Later he studied at the Law and the History and Philosophy faculties of the University of Latvia and the Choir Conductor Section of the Latvian Conservatory of Music from 1964 to 1966.
His life partner is Zinta Jansone, a former costume designer for Latvian Television.
Pauls ButkÃÂviÃÂs has starred in approximately 150 films both in Latvia and abroad. He was awarded the title of Merited Artist of the Russian SFSR in 1990.
A while back actor said that to complete his life's work he wants to write a play, play in it, write a book and record a music album.
First Paul decided to write a book. He was still living in Jà «rmala, where his neighbor journalist Vija Apinëte was very excited about making a biographical book about Paul Butkevich, so after the actor had collected his materials and thoughts about his life and roles on paper, she systematized it all and in 2001 they published a 237-page thick book KÃÂjÃÂm pa Ugunszemi(Rëga : Sol Vita). Presentation photos are here...<br> While teaching musical acting course in Baltic Russian Institute he got inspired and wrote a musical play Es visur aicinÃÂts un izraidëts based on 15th to 20th century Russian poetry. Sung in Russian on the stage of Daugavpils Theatre, premiered on 13 January 2005, has been shown in several schools, recreation centers and libraries, and there has been also road-shows in Russia
Pauls ButkÃÂviÃÂs together with the army ensemble Zvaigznëte (Little Star) performed the original soundtrack of the movie Elpojiet dziüi! (Breathe Deeply!). Surprisingly enough, even though the film itself was not shown to public till the end of 80s, its songs, written by the acclaimed Latvian composer Imants Kalnià Âà ¡, became very popular among Latvian society, and later were performed by Latvian bands âÂÂMenuetsâ and âÂÂTuraidas rozeâÂÂ. However, as, for example, put it: âÂÂI think that nobody has performed the songs by Imants Kalnià Âà ¡ better than Pauls ButkÃÂviÃÂs, - neither âÂÂMenuetsâÂÂ, nor âÂÂTuraidas rozeâ didâ The members of the ensemble âÂÂZvaigznëteâ included such later well-known Latvian musicians as Uldis Stabulnieks, GunÃÂrs Rozenbergs, Dzintars Be÷eris, Valdis Eglëtis, Andris Vilsons and Jà «nijs Vilsons. In 2008 Paul Butkevich together with Elina CileviÃÂa engaged in a new musical project and recorded an album Tu esi, Tu biji, Tu bà «si. Butkevich dreams of recording another album in the future with the songs in Russian of his performance 'Es visur aicinÃÂts un izraidëts'.