M. was born on 25 December 1899 in Retshitsa, Minsk Gubernia., White Russia. His father was an employee, his mother a midwife.

He learned in a cheder, then for four years in the Libovitsher yeshiva. In Moscow, where his parents later had settled, M. completed a middle school and through his brother, the film director Arkatov, came into contact with the theatre, which he wanted to dedicate himself to, but in 1918 he was mobilized into the Red Army, where he served until 1921.

In 1923 M. went into Rafalski's "White Russia State Institute for the Theatrical Arts" in Moscow, and he debuted in 1925 as "Sender" in Sholem Aleichem's "Mentshn", continuing since then as a member in "Vim't".

M.'s brother -- is the film director Arkatov in Hollywood and his sister's son, Sashka (Rapaport), is a director and actor from the Ukrainian troupe in America.
 

Sh. E.