Akim Tamiroff trained for the stage at the Moscow Art Theater drama school; in 1923 he toured the U.S. with an acting troupe and decided to stay. After establishing himself as an actor with the New York Theater Guild, he launched a busy screen career in 1932; a flamboyant, charismatic actor, he played some character leads but primarily had supporting roles, often as suspicious, Slavic-accented foreigners. He was steadily employed in Hollywood until 1949, after which he appeared mostly in British and European films. In 1959 he played the lead role in the Broadway adaptation of Rashomon. For his work in The General Died at Dawn (1936) and For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) he received Best Supporting Actor Oscar nominations.