Alexander Viktorovich Korshunov, People's Artist of Russia, was born on February 11, 1954. In 1975 he graduated from the Moscow Art Theatre School and was invited to join the company of the New Drama Theater, where he worked until 1983 and performed a variety of roles in both the classical and contemporary repertoire, including Eremeev («Last summer in Chulimsk» by Alexamder Vampilov), Dudley Bostwick («The Time of Your Life» by William Saroyan), Kostya («Away and at Home» by Alexander Volodin), Freddy («My Fair Lady» by Frederick Loewe), etc. In each of these roles the actor demonstrates his gift for transformations, his bright and vivid imagination, coupled with creative vibrancy.

In 1981 Alexander Korshunov began his collaboration with the «Sphere» Moscow Drama Theater.Among his roles were the Pilot («The Little Prince» by Antoine de Saint Exupéry), Orpheus («Eurydice» by Jean Anouilh), Maksudov («Theatrical Novel» by Mikhail Bulgakov), Yuri Zhivago («Doctor Zhivago» by Boris Pasternak) and others.

In 1984 Alexander Korshunov became an actor of the Maly State Academic Theatre of Russia, where he has been faithfully serving for twenty years. Korshunov is a marvelously bright and multifaceted performer, who is especially good at delivering outstanding performances in comic roles - Mitrofanushka («The Minor» by Denis Fonvizin), Mozglyakov («Uncle's Dream» by Fyodor Dostoevsky), Elesya Migachev («There Was Not a Single Penny, and Suddenly There is a Dime» by Alexander Ostrovsky), etc.

Alexander is an actor, who is able to act in various acting styles for completely different audiences. His portrayal of Boris Godunov («The Death of Ivan the Terrible » by Aleksey Konstantinovich Tolstoy, directed by Vladimir Dragunov) stands apart in his acting career. His Godunov is a cautious and practical plotter, who is dreaming of the throne. The actor seems to be «muffling» his vivid temperament, with a few strokes creating a lively image of a man who betrays his own patron, and covers up the irrepressible lust for power with arguments about the welfare of the state.

Another prominent role embodied by Korshunov is locksmith Egor in «The Children of the Sun» by Maxim Gorky, directed by Adolf Shapiro, who is regarded by many theatre critics as one of his greatest achievements. Angry at life, at the whole world, blaming everyone else for his problems, Egor is on the brink of an emerging conflict. Korshunov demonstrates how the destructive beginnings step by step destroy the talent sprouts, thus turning his character into a meaninglessly cruel person.

Perhaps the major theme in Korshunov’s artistic biography is an image of a «little man» from the Russian literature - usually a minor official crushed by the administrative system. Among notable examples are Kiselnikov, Dosuzhev, Korpelov, Lyubim Tortsov, humiliated victims of an uncaring, rank and power-crazy Russian official society. However, they preserve good temper, faith in people and purity of thoughts.

In 1996 Korshunov tried himself as director and staged «Queer People» by Maxim Gorky, where he also played the leading role. Since then he staged 4 productions based on Ostrovsky’s little-known plays - «Hard-earned Bread», «The Deep», «All the Days Are Not Alike» and «Poverty is No Crime».

His directing style is very chamber, measured, «private», destined at establishing an exclusive dialogue with the audience. Another distinguishing feature of Korshunov's productions is the excellent co-ordination of the actor's ensemble. Korshunov is both director and a teacher (he has been teaching at Mikhail Shchepkin Higher Theatre School for over 20 years), who interacts equally well with yesterday's students, and with experienced masters of the stage.

Apart from acting on stage and directing, Alexander Korshunov also appeared in numerous TV series and feature films: «I Сan’t Say «Goodbye»», «Double Overtaking», Portrait of the Artist's Wife», «Greenhouse Effect», «Melusa», «Dove», «Lenin’s Will», «Return of Mukhtar-1», «Save Our Souls», «Black Wolves», «Yalta-45», «Beauty», «Chkalov», «Emergency Situation», «Two Winters and Three Summers», «World War III», etc.