Russian character actor and patriarch of a three-generation theatrical family. He is regarded as the greatest interpreter of Aleksandr Ostrovsky's plays and was responsible, in part, for securing Ostrovsky's reputation.

Sadovsky was reared and trained by his maternal uncles, who were provincial actors. He took their name, Sadovsky, as his own and made his debut on the stage in Tula at the age of 14. In 1839 he was invited by Mikhail Shchepkin to join the Maly (Little) Theatre in Moscow. Sadovsky's natural talent was perfectly suited to the realistic acting style used there, and although he had some success in other works, he was brilliant in Ostrovsky's plays. His promotion of them brought the playwright to national attention.

Sadovsky's son, Mikhail Sadovsky (1847–1910), joined the Maly in 1869 and was successful but never achieved his father's importance. Mikhail's wife, Olga Osipovna Sadovskaya (1850–1919), daughter Elizaveta (1870–1934), and son Prov (1874–1947) carried the family's connection with the Maly and reputation for skillful, realistic acting well into the 20th century.