Chaliapin was the son and namesake of the great operatic bass Feodor Chaliapin. He was born in Moscow, Russian Empire, and had a distinguished career in acting throughout Europe, mainly in Italy. His mother was Iola Tornaghi, a ballerina who abandoned a promising ballet career to care for Feodor and his five siblings. When the Russian Revolution occurred in October 1917, the Chaliapins attempted to continue living in Russia, but this became impossible, especially after the Bolsheviks reputedly confiscated his wealthy father's money and property. Along with many other Russian émigrés, part of the family emigrated to Paris in 1924, via Finland. The senior Chaliapin used this as his world base, like other emigres and members of their families who often ended up living in the United States such as Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff and, for a while, Sergei Prokofiev.
Chaliapin grew up in a family who spoke three languages. He received an excellent education in Moscow and lived there until 1924, when he immigrated to Paris to be with his father, leaving behind his mother and the rest of the family. Chaliapin knew some of the greatest composers and conductors of the 20th century, particularly Rachmaninoff, a personal family friend and teacher of his father. Tired of living in his father's shadow in Paris, Chaliapin struck out on his own, moving to Hollywood to begin his film career — first in silent movies, in which his then-heavy accent would not be heard in the small bit parts he played. In his later years, Chaliapin achieved international stardom in more major roles.
Chaliapin is perhaps most remembered by modern audiences for the film The Name of the Rose (1986), in which he played the venerable Jorge de Burgos. He had a major role in Inferno (1980). One of his most memorable roles was as the perplexed grandfather in Moonstruck (1987), starring Cher. The producers, in deciding whether to hire him for the role, sought the advice of Sean Connery, who is reputed to have said, "He's great, but he will steal the show."[citation needed] Chaliapin also played the role of Leonides Cox, Robert De Niro's father in Stanley & Iris (1990). His last notable film role was as Professor Bartnev in The Inner Circle (1991), a true story about Soviet Russia under the dictatorship of Joseph Stalin.

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