A 1980s cult romantic comedy film set in Liverpool helped launch the careers of its young stars and made some of them household names.
Letter to Brezhnev is a romantic comedy film about working class life in Liverpool that came out in 1985. Starring Alexandra Pigg and Margi Clarke, the film written by Frank Clarke presented Liverpool as a city that had fallen on tough times during Thatcher's Britain.
The film revolves around the lives of two young women from Kirkby, Teresa and Elaine (played by Margi Clarke and Alexandra Pigg) who meet two Russian sailors on a night out. While Teresa is only looking for fun from their encounter, Elaine is yearning for love and romance, and the dream of moving away to a different life away from Liverpool.
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Elaine and one of the Soviet saliors, Peter, immediately fall in love but at the end of the night the sailors must leave with the ship. Elaine can't forget him and so writes a letter to Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, asking him to make it possible for them to reunite.
The film was shot over three weeks in Liverpool on a shoe-string budget, with scenes shot in The State nightclub, a prominent city music venue in the 1980s. The film was warmly received and has been credited as the film that put Liverpool on the cinematic map.
The film also helped propel the careers of the cast, many of who have gone on to huge success in the world of TV and film. In honour of this cult classic, we took a look at where the stars of the show are now – and what they’ve achieved in their careers since.
Alexandra Pigg (Elaine)
Actress Alexandra Pigg, 59, was born 1962 in Knotty Ash. She first came to prominence playing Petra Taylor in Brookside (1982) before starring as Elaine in Letter to Brezhnev (1985), for which she was nominated for a BAFTA award.
Her role as Elaine in Letter to Brezhnev led several other parts including staring opposite Sir Anthony Hopkins in the film 'A Chorus of Disapproval' (1988). She went on to star in more roles films in the early to mid 90s opposite the likes of Kiefer Sutherland and Michael Caine, as well as Gary Oldman in the 1994 biographical film about Beethoven, 'Immortal Beloved'.
She was originally cast in the role of Kochanski in the pilot episode of Red Dwarf but was unavailable for new recording dates following an electricians' strike, so the part then went to Clare Grogan instead.
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During her successful film career, Pigg had been married and divorced twice; however, in a satisfying twist, she was interviewed with her Letter to Brezhnev co-star Peter Firth (who played Peter, Elaine's love interest) on BBC Breakfast in April 2017. During the interview, Firth explained that they dated briefly after making the film and that they have been in a relationship since 2010. The couple married in London on Christmas Eve in 2017.
Peter Firth (Peter)
Peter Firth, 68, who played Russian sailor and Elaine's love interest, went on to marry his former co-star, Alexandra Pigg, in 2017 after they previously struck up a relationship filming Letter to Brezhnev. The English actor is best known for playing Sir Harry Pearce in the BBC One drama Spooks but has also starred in many other TV and film roles, most notably as Alan Strang in Equus (1977), earning both a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for the role.
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Born in Bradford in 1953, Firth has gone on to star in more than 50 film and TV roles during successful acting career. Some may recognise him more recently playing the Duke of Cumberland in the historical TV drama Victoria in 2016, or as Captain Mervyn Bennion in the 2001 Hollywood blockbuster Pearl Harbour.
Margi Clarke (Teresa)
Since starring as Teresa in Letter to Brezhnev in 1985, Margi Clarke, 67, has gone on to success as a actress and TV presenter. One of her most prominent roles has been playing Jackie Dobbs in the ITV soap Coronation Street between 1998 to 1999, and 2008 to 2010.
Clarke was born and raised in Kirkby and began her career as a presenter in 1978 on the late-night television magazine show What's On. She also performed in punk bands under the name Margox in the early 1980s.
More of Clarke's film credits include 24 Hour Party People (2002), and as a female boxer in the 1991 film Blonde Fist. She was also once dubbed 'The Queen of Liverpool' by artist and punk impresario Malcolm McLaren.
Clarke's varied career has also seen her try her hand as a stand up comic and a radio presenter. She also appeared in a prime-time starring role in the second series of the hit sitcom Benidorm on ITV in 2008.
Alfred Molina (Sergei)
Since starring as Russian sailor Sergei in Letter to Brezhnev, Alfred Molina, 68, has gone on to have a hugely successful acting career, including Hollywood stardom. Already renowned for his work on stage and screen, Molina is best known for his portrayal of Spiderman's arch nemesis Doctor Octopus in 'Spider-Man 2' in 2004, and again in the Marvel Cinematic Universe film 'Spider-Man: No Way Home' in 2021.
Born in London in 1953, Molina's prolific film and TV work has brought him widespread critical acclaim. For his portrayal of Robert Aldrich in the mini-series Feud in 2017, he was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and a Primetime Emmy Award.
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He also received a BAFTA Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Frida (2002), and has also been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award, a British Independent Film Award, five Screen Actors Guild Awards, and three Tony Awards.
Molina was married to English actress and novelist Jill Gascoine from 1986 until her death in 2020 following a battle with Alzheimer's disease. He now lives in Los Angeles and has been a US citizen since 2004.
