Vladimir Sokoloff

Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sokoloff (; 26 December 1889 – 15 February 1962) was a Russian actor of stage and screen. After studying theatre in Moscow, he began his professional film career in Germany and France during the Silent era, before emigrating to the United States in the 1930s. He appeared in over 100 films and television series, often playing supporting characters of various nationalities and ethnicities.

Early life and education Sokoloff was born in Moscow, Russian Empire. He was raised bilingual, speaking both Russian and German. He studied theatre in Moscow, first at the Moscow State University and later at the Russian Academy of Theatre Arts, graduating in 1913. At one point a pupil of Constantin Stanislavski, he would later reject Method acting (as well as all other acting theories).

Career Upon graduation, he joined the Moscow Art Theatre as an actor and assistant director. Although he spoke very little English at the time of his arrival, his first stage role there was a lead in Georg Büchner's play Danton's Death, under the direction of Orson Welles.

That same year, he had his English-language breakthrough starring in fellow expat William Dieterle's The Life of Emile Zola, portraying Paul Cézanne. He appeared in a number of Broadway plays from 1937 to 1950. He also quickly found work in American films, playing characters of a wide variety of nationalities (he himself once estimated 35 12/20/27 - 01/01/27 Dantons Tod Maximilien Robespierre 01/02/28 - 01/31/28 Peripherie Judge Cosmopolitan Theatre 11/02/38 - 11/19/38 Danton's Death Maximilien Robespierre Mercury Theatre 02/05/42 - 02/07/42 The Flowers of Virtue General Orijas Royale Theatre 12/22/47 - 01/24/48 Crime and Punishment Porfiry Petrovitch National Theatre 12/27/48 - 01/07/50 The Madwoman of Chaillot The Prospector Royale Theatre

Filmography

Television credits