Alexander Alexandrovich Kalyagin was born on 25 May 1942 in the city of Malmyzh, Kirov Oblast. He studied at the B. Shchukin Theatre School (1965). He worked as an actor at the Moscow Drama Theatre, at the Yermolova Theatre, and at the A. Chekhov Moscow Art Theatre (MKhAT, 1971), and served as artistic director of the "Et Cetera" Moscow Theatre (1993); alongside this he has also worked as a film actor and film director. He was awarded the USSR State Prize for his role in the film "The Investigation" (1981). He is a People's Artist of Russia (1983).
