Born in 1879. A pupil of the Nikolaev Imperial Tsarskoye Selo Gymnasium, he actively participated in amateur performances during his years of study. In 1901 he entered the drama department of the Moscow Philharmonic School; in 1907 he was accepted into the troupe of the Maly Theater, where he worked until 1916. At the end of 1914 he received an invitation to participate in the film production "Natasha Rostova", filmed by A. Khanzhonkov's company. In the summer of 1916, the actor transferred to D. Kharitonov's company. Thanks to his expressive character traits, he established himself in the role of salon lovers and was recognized by viewers and critics as one of the "kings" of the Russian screen. He died on January 5, 1919 in Moscow.