Театральный институт имени Бориса Щукина
Smolyakov was born in Podolsk, Moscow Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union as Andrey Igorevich Smolyakov. For three years he studied at Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute, but switched. In 1980 he graduated from the State Institute of Theatre Arts in a workshop under supervision of Oleg Tabakov. After graduation, he started working as actor on the stage of the Moscow Art Theatre. In 1984-1986 he was associated with the theater "Satirikon". In 1987 he joined the Moscow Studio Theatre Oleg Tabakov.