The brother of actress Tamara Shayne, he was to join the Moscow Arts Theatre, but World War I intervened, and then he fought with General Wrangell and the White Armies. Although he received few significant roles, he was outstanding in None But the Lonely Heart (1944) as Ike Weber and in The Stranger (1946) as Gen. Meinike, where his character dominates the first 15 minutes of the film. His performance in Danny Kaye's The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) is also highly regarded. His performance in For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943) was considered outstanding, but was cut from the release print. Not an ambitious actor, Shayne was dedicated to his family, including his second wife, Marjorie.