
He was born on March 3, 1928, in the village of Aksengir. He graduated from the acting department of the Almaty Theater and Arts College in 1950. In 1949, he made his film debut with the role of the Chukchi Ayye in the movie Alitet Leaves for the Mountains, directed by Mark Donskoy. Donskoy had also selected other future prominent actors, including Nurmukhan Zhanturin (who played the role of Tumatughe) and Gulfayrus Ismailova. From 1950 to 1967, he performed on the stage of the Kazakh Theater for Young Audiences (Kazakh TЮZ). From 1958, he was an actor at the Kazakhfilm studio, where a documentary film about him, The Return of Kenenbay, was made in 1975. In the late 1960s, during a fight with bandits, he sustained a severe injury and became disabled. For the rest of his life, Kozhabekov was confined to a wheelchair, but he continued to act, mainly in episodic roles and those where walking was not required. The film The Wolf's Pit highlighted his acting skills, even though he was confined to a wheelchair.

Sultan Beybars
MOVIE • 1989

Zhambyl
MOVIE • 1953

Lady Zhibek
MOVIE • 1972

One Night
MOVIE • 1960

An Unquiet Spring
MOVIE • 1956

Dzhigit Girl
MOVIE • 1955

We Are From Semirechye
MOVIE • 1959

The Messengers Hurry
MOVIE • 1980

A Parable of Love
MOVIE • 1975

Hey You, the Cowboys!
MOVIE • 1975

Alitet Leaves for the Hills
MOVIE • 1949

Trizna
MOVIE • 1972

The Last Crossing
MOVIE • 1981

Turksib
MOVIE • 1986

Wolf Trap
MOVIE • 1983

Keep Your Star
MOVIE • 1975

Nesibeli
MOVIE • 1986

If Each of Us
MOVIE • 1962