Zinovi Gerdt was born om September 21, 1916 in poor Jewish family in Sebezh, Vitebsk governorate, The Russian Empire (now Sebezh, Sebezhsky District, Pskov Oblast, Russian federation). He was the youngest (fourth) child in the family of Efroim Yakovlevich Khrapinovich and his wife Rakhil Isaakovna.
In 1937-1941 was an actor of the Puppet Theater at the Moscow Youth Centre. In 1945-1982 was an actor of the Central Puppet Theatre under the leadership of Obraztsov Sergei Vladimirovich. Since 1982, the actor of Moscow M. Ermolova Theatre.
He voiced cartoons. He worked on stage and television.
Gerdt's filmography includes more than 80 films: «Gray Robber» (1958), «Nine Days of One Year» (1961), «The Golden Calf» (1968), «The Carnival» (Карнавал) (1970), «Straw Hat» (1974), «Can't Change the Meeting Place» or «Mesto vstrechi izmenit nelzya» (1979), «The Government Inspector», also known as «The Inspector General» (1996).
