Biografia

In 1953 he took up residence in Switzerland where he got the Swiss nationality.

He was born in St. Petersburg und entered the military medical academy of St. Petersburg in 1919. Two years later he escaped in a adventurous flight via Finland to Berlin where he continued his medicine study, he finished in the field preliminary medical examination.

During the years of war he acted only in Germany.

During the vacation he worked in France as construction worker and eventually he came to the film by accident when a film agent spoke to him because he looked so typical Russian. He got the role of a Russian dancer in the movie "La flambee des reves" (1923). The movie was a success and Andrews Engelmann got an engagement for the Parisian "Théatre des Variétés".

Tall, bald and tough-looking Russian-born actor in international films. Studied medicine in St. Petersburg but fled from Russia (via Finland) in 1921, as a consequence of the fallout from the October Revolution. Continued studies in Berlin but made his acting debut on the Parisian stage in 1924. Appeared in several French silent films before setting up base in Germany where he often played insidious Russian villains. Moved to France after the war, continued playing assorted heavies on screen. Became a Swiss citizen in 1953, taking up residence in Basel.