Born in Bucharest, his parents were Matei Fotino, an officer, and his wife Profira, descended from the Crețulescu family.
After attending primary and high school in his native city, Fotino studied at the Institute of Dramatic Art, where Constantin I. Nottara was his professor.
He made his stage debut while a student, at Târgoviște as an old man in the play Telefonul, with the troupe of Eliza Popescu-Tomulescu and Cuzinschi.
Among his signature roles were in Hagi Tudose (Barbu Ștefănescu Delavrancea), Suflete tari (Camil Petrescu), Ieremia Movilă (Nicolae Iorga), The Frock Coat (Gábor Drégely) and Păianjenul (A. de Herz).
The elder Fotino soon separated from the child's young mother, raising him alone and guiding him onto the stage.