Akim Tamiroff
Born
Oct. 29, 1899
in Tbilisi, Georgia, Russian Federation
Died
Sept. 17, 1972
in Palm Springs, CA
Akim Tamiroff was a veteran Russian character actor. His career began on the Russian stage and spanned nearly 35 years of Hollywood films. Tamiroff made his debut shortly after the Russian revolution, came to the U.S. with a Moscow Art Theater group in 1923 and appeared in a series of Chekhov plays. When the troupe returned to Russia, he stayed behind and soon found a well-placed niche with New York's prestigious Guild Theater, where he met and married actress Tamara Shayne. The two arrived in Hollywood simultaneously with the 1929 stock market crash and there ensued a long hiatus in his career, broken finally by his well-remembered 1934 appearance in "The Lives of a Bengal Lancer." After heeding an agent's advice not to to work on his English but to maintain his thick Russian accent, his credits as a character actor became legion. They included "Anthony Adverse" in 1936, "For Whom the Bell Tolls" in 1942, "The Bridge of San Luis Rey" and "Dragon Seed" in 1944 and "Funeral in Berlin" in 1966. Tamiroff was a former president of the Russian-American Mutual Aid Society, an organization formed in 1943 to aid needy Russian actors. He died at age 72. |
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Academy Awards
| Year | Category | Work | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1936 | Best Supporting Actor | The General Died at Dawn | Nomination |
| 1943 | Best Supporting Actor | For Whom the Bell Tolls | Nomination |
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Two thoughts about Akim Tamiroff
Your home page ("About Hollywood Star Walk") says you were unable to locate this star -- yet here, you say it's on the 1600 block of Vine. Which is correct? Just askin'...
His star was returned to the Walk of Fame this year, apparently after repairs, and we were able to add its location in this database. We haven't updated the "About" section to reflect this but will do so soon. Thanks for pointing out the discrepancy.
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