Sergei Smirnov was born on March 12, 1941 in Moscow.
In 1962 he completed his studies at the VGIK (National Institute of Cinematography), chair of directing, under the direction of Mikhail Romm.
His film The Belorussian Station, 1971, was a great success.
From 1980, Andrei Smirnov worked mainly as a screenwriter and playwright.
During perestroika, he took an active part, alongside Elem Klimov, in the reorganization of Soviet cinema and the rehabilitation of censored films. From 1986 to 1989, he was president of the Union of Cinematographers.
In the 90s, he staged many shows for television and resumed a career as an actor that made him famous to a wide audience.