Vladimir Aleksandrovich Sokoloff was a renowned character actor, whose illustrious career spanned both the stage and film. Born on December 26, 1889, in Moscow, Russia, he was a product of the esteemed Moscow Art Theatre, where he honed his craft as an actor and assistant director.
As the Nazi regime rose to power in Germany, Sokoloff, being Jewish, made the wise decision to emigrate to Berlin in 1923. However, with the rise of Nazism, he relocated once more, this time to Paris in 1932, and subsequently to the United States in 1937.
Sokoloff's versatility as an actor was unmatched, as he effortlessly took on characters of diverse nationalities, estimated to be around 35. Some of his notable roles include Anselmo, a Spanish guerrilla in the 1943 film For Whom the Bell Tolls, and the Mexican Old Man in The Magnificent Seven.
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Sokoloff also made a mark on television, appearing in several episodes of CBS's The Twilight Zone, as well as Lawman and The Untouchables.
Despite being a pupil of the renowned Konstantin Stanislavski, Sokoloff surprisingly rejected Method acting and all other acting theories in a 1960 newspaper article.
Sokoloff's long and storied career eventually came to a close with his passing on February 15, 1962, due to a stroke, in Hollywood, California.
