Mikhail Andriyovych Gluzsky was born on November 21, 1918 in Kiev. In 1922 after the death of his father the family moved to Moscow. Mikhail started going to school in Baku, and in 1929 returned to the capital city of Russia. He worked as a mechanic and electrician apprentice, finished evening school for young workers and then got engrossed with amateur theatre performing in a local club. This developed in him an ardent desire to become an actor. After two years of failed attempts to enter he was finally admitted to the newly founded Film Actor School at the Mosfilm Studio. The future actor was lucky to study under the outstanding film directors, such as Yuly Rayzman, Mikhail Romm, Boris Barnet, and others. In 1939 Gluzsky made a film debut in The Girl with Character, Minin and Pozharsky, and The Oppenheim Family. 

 

In 1940 Mikhail was called up for military service and served in a crew at the Central Theater of the Soviet Army. In the years of war he participated in frontline divisions. After the war, for nearly half a century - from 1946 to 1995 - Mikhail Gluzsky worked at the Mosfilm Theatre Studio of the Film Actor, sometimes invited to by other theaters and performing there. 

 

However, Mikhail Gluzsky’s nationawide recognition and popularity was associated with cinema. His roles in the movies Quiet Flows the Don and Secret of Two Oceans became his first noticeable works. 

In both the cases Gluzsky played roles of negative characters. As it often happens in cinema this character type stuck to him. He was offered stereotypic roles, however, in each of them he found some traits accessible for him only and thus made the characters recognizable and memorable.  Such approach to his profession made it possible for the actor to break through the stereotypes, which is not so easy for every actor. 

 

Mikhail Gluzsky had a big range of drama talent: he coped well both with tragic and grotesque comedy characters.  Altogether the actor played more than 100 roles within 60 years of cinema work. He worked at radio and television, dubbed foreign movies, and beautifully recited poems. 

 

From 1987 to 1998 he headed studios at the Actors’ Department of VGIK (the All-Russian State Institute of Cinematography).  

 

Mikhail Gluzsky was the People’s Artiste of the USSR, the winner of numerous awards, and holder of medals and orders.  Till his last days he kept on actively working in theater, cinema, and on television. 

 

Mikhail Andriyovych Gluzsky died on June 15, 2001 in Moscow.