Mikhail Alexandrovich was born in 1891 in St. Petersburg and was the nephew of the famous writer. Anton Pavlovich noted his talent and predicted a brilliant future for him, which came true.

Before emigrating, M. A. Chekhov's creative career was closely linked to the Moscow Art Theatre, where he worked as an actor in the 1st Studio of the MAT under the direction of L. A. Sulerzhitsky and E. B. Vakhtangov. In 1924, he headed the renamed MAT 2. His roles left a vivid impression, and critics noted that for the first time in the 80-year history of "The Government Inspector," the image of Khlestakov was embodied exactly as Gogol intended.

Mikhail Alexandrovich also engaged in teaching and developed his own method, outlined in the book "On the Technique of the Actor." This work is based on the Stanislavsky school, with which Chekhov collaborated and was a student.

Contemporaries noted that alongside his talent, the actor developed nervousness and instability of the psyche. His mental illness progressed and could lead to a loss of reason. The reasons for this trace back to Chekhov's childhood and the influence of his father. Alexander Pavlovich was a strong and eccentric man, suffered from alcoholism, and introduced his son to drinking and gambling. His mother, Natalia Golden, did not find happiness in marriage and after her husband's death demanded attention and love from her son. This greatly affected Mikhail's already fragile nerves. He found solace in work, teaching, and treatment, but episodes haunted him throughout his life.

In July 1928, Chekhov and his wife Ksenia Karlovna went on vacation to Germany and did not return to Russia. He lived and worked in France, toured the USA, created his own theater in England, was interested in cinema, tried his hand in Hollywood, and continued to teach. Among his students was Marilyn Monroe. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role in the film "The Enchanted."

In October 1955, the great actor passed away in Beverly Hills.