Trained for the stage at the Moscow Art Theater drama school, he arrived in the US in 1923 on a tour with a troupe of actors and decided to stay. He appeared on stage in several New York Theatre Guild productions and from the early 30s played character parts in numerous Hollywood productions. A flamboyant actor with a strong screen presence, he played some character leads, as in THE WAY OF ALL FLESH (1940), in which he portrayed an Emil Jannings type of tragic role, but for the most part he was cast in villainous or eccentric, supporting parts, often as an unsavoury, mysterious foreigner with a heavy Slavic accent. He was equally effective in broad comedy roles and in the late 50s he appeared mostly in European films. He played Sancho Panza in Orson Welles' unfinished DON QUIXOTE (1955) and played the lead in the 1959 Broadway adaptation of Rashomon. He was nominated for Oscars for his performances in THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN (1936) and FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS (1943).

1933   QUEEN CHRISTINA   
1933   STORM AT DAYBREAK        
1934   THE CAPTAIN HATES THE SEA      
1934   CHAINED      
1934   THE GREAT FLIRTATION     
1934   HERE IS MY HEART  
1934   THE MERRY WIDOW 
1934   NOW AND FOREVER  
1934   SADIE MCKEE
1934   WHOM THE GODS DESTROY
1935   THE BIG BROADCAST OF 1936      
1935   BLACK FURY  
1935   CHINA SEAS  
1935   THE GAY DECEPTION
1935   GO INTO YOUR DANCE       
1935   THE LAST OUTPOST
1935   THE LIVES OF A BENGAL LANCER   
1935   NAUGHTY MARIETTA
1935   RUMBA
1936   ANTHONY ADVERSE 
1936   DESIRE        
1936   THE GENERAL DIED AT DAWN (titel rol)
1936   THE JUNGLE PRINCESS       
1936   THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR    
1936   WOMAN TRAP
1937   THE GREAT GAMBINI (titel rol)
1937   HIGH, WIDE, AND HANDSOME       
1937   KING OF GAMBLERS  
1937   THE SOLDIER AND THE LADY/MICHAEL STROGOFF        
1937   THIS WAY PLEASE   
1938   THE BUCCANEER      
1938   DANGEROUS TO KNOW                
1938   RIDE A CROOKED MILE                 
1938   SPAWN OF THE NORTH                
1939   DISPUTED PASSAGE                    
1939   HONEYMOON IN BALI/MY LOVE FOR YOURS                 
1939   KING OF CHINATOWN                  
1939   THE MAGNIFICENT FRAUD            
1939   PARIS HONEYMOON           
1939   UNION PACIFIC                 
1940   THE GREAT MCGINTY                  
1940   NORTH WEST MOUNTED POLICE             
1940   TEXAS RANGERS RIDE AGAIN                 
1940   UNTAMED              
1940   THE WAY OF ALL FLESH                                 
1941   THE CORSICAN BROTHERS/FRÈRES CORSES        
1941   NEW YORK TOWN             
1942   TORTILLA FLAT                                            
1943   FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO               
1943   FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS                           
1943   HIS BUTLER'S SISTER                  
1944   THE BRIDGE OF SAN LUIS REY                         
1944   CAN'T HELP SINGING         
1944   DRAGON SEED                                              
1944   THE MIRACLE OF MORGAN'S CREEK         
1945   PARDON MY PAST             
1946   THIEVES' HOLIDAY/SCANDAL IN PARIS              
1947   FIESTA                  
1947   THE GANGSTER                
1948   MY GIRL TISA         
1948   RELENTLESS           
1949   BLACK MAGIC/CAGLIOSTRO          
1949   OUTPOST IN MOROCO               
1953   DESERT LEGION                
1953   THEY WHO DARE              
1954   YOU KNOW WHAT SAILORS ARE             
1955   DON QUIXOTE/DON KIKHOT (als Sancho Panza)
1955   MR. ARKADIN/CONFIDENTIAL REPORT                
1955   THE WIDOW           
1956   ANASTASIA            
1956   THE BLACK SLEEP             
1957   BATTLE HELL/YANGTSE INCIDENT           
1958   ME AND THE COLONEL                 

1958   TOUCH OF EVIL
              

1962   THE RELUCTANT SAINT               
1963   THE TRIAL                                                   
1964   PANIC BUTTON                 
1964   TOPKAPI                
1965   ALPHAVILLE            
1965   BAMBOLE!/THE DOLLS/FOUR KINDS OF LOVE                
1965   LORD JIM               
1965   MARCO THE MAGNIFICENT/LA FABULEUSE AVENTURE DE MARCO POLO       
1965   A ROSE FOR EVERYONE/UNA ROSA PER TUTTI    
1966   AFTER THE FOX/CACCIA ALLA VOLPE      
1966   HOTEL PARADISO    
1966   THE LIQUIDATOR     
1966   LT. ROBIN CRUSOE, USN    
1967   THE VULTURE   
1968   GREAT CATHERINE   
1969   THE GREAT BANK ROBBERY 
1969   THEN CAME BRONSON        
1970   THE GIRL WHO COULDN'T SAY NO/TENDERLY      
1970   SABRA/DEATH OF A JEW