Young Vasili Livanov was born on July 19, 1935, in Moscow, to a family of renowned Russian actors. His grandfather, Nikolai Livanov, was a notable theatre actor in Moscow, while his father, Boris Livanov, was a leading actor of the Moscow Art Theatre and a close friend of notable cultural figures.
Growing up in a highly intellectual environment, Livanov was an avid reader and demonstrated his artistic talent through numerous drawings and portraits. He studied art at the Moscow Art School at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1950 to 1954, before deciding to pursue a career in acting like his father.
Livanov went on to study acting under Boris Zakhava at Shchukin Theatrical School, graduating with honors in 1958. He joined the Vakhtangov Theatre for two seasons before becoming a permanent member of the Moscow Theatre-Studio of Film Actors from 1960 to 1964.
Livanov made his film debut in 1959 in a supporting role in 'Neotpravlennoe pismo' (The Unmailed Letter 1959),directed by Mikhail Kalatozov. His breakthrough role came in 'Kollegi' (Colleagues 1962),an adaptation of the eponymous novel by Vasiliy Aksyonov.
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