Biographie
Pavel Massalsky was a Russian actor associated with the Moscow Art Theatre.
Born Pavel Vladimirovich Massalsky on September 4, 1904, in Moscow, Russia, he studied acting from 1922 to 1924 at Yuri Zavadsky's studio, graduating in 1924.
From 1925 until 1979, Massalsky was a permanent member of the Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT) troupe. His stage partners included renowned Russian actors such as Ivan Moskvin, Nikolay Khmelyov, Nikolai Sosnin, Alla Tarasova, Anatoli Ktorov, Olga Androvskaya, Angelina Stepanova, Anastasiya Georgievskaya, Mikhail Yanshin, Aleksey Gribov, Boris Livanov, Mikhail Kedrov, Viktor Stanitsyn, Vasili Toporkov, Mark Prudkin, Mikhail Bolduman, as well as the next generation of MKhAT actors like Oleg Efremov, Innokentiy Smoktunovskiy, Oleg Tabakov, Kira Golovko, Nina Gulyaeva, Tatyana Lavrova, Iya Savvina, Olga Barnet, Irina Miroshnichenko, Anastasiya Voznesenskaya, Andrey Myagkov, Vladimir Kashpur, Vladlen Davydov, Viktor Sergachyov, Vyacheslav Nevinnyy, Stanislav Lyubshin, Sergey Sazontev, Avangard Leontev, Igor Vasilev, among others.
Massalsky delivered acclaimed performances in classic plays by Anton Chekhov, including the role of Tuzenbakh in "Tri sestry" (The Three Sisters) and Gayev in "Vishnevy sad" (The Cherry Orchard). He also excelled as Vronsky opposite Alla Tarasova in "Anna Karenina," the celebrated adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel by directors Konstantin Stanislavski and Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenko. His acting career spanned over six decades, during which he also served on the board of the Moscow Art Theatre.
Recognized as a People's Actor of the USSR, Pavel Massalsky taught acting at the Moscow Art Theatre's Acting School. He passed away from natural causes on December 15, 1979, in Moscow, Soviet Union.
