Ilya Shakunov studied in the studio of the famous actor Igor Gorbachev during his school years. After graduating from school, he entered the St. Petersburg Medical Institute, then transferred to the Faculty of Automation and Computer Engineering at the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute named after V.I. Ulyanov (Lenin). However, after some time he dropped out of the institute and passed the exams at the Leningrad State Institute of Theatre, Music and Cinematography.

At the theatre institute he studied in the course of Veniamin Filshtinsky. In 1996 he graduated from LGITMiK. At the invitation of the artistic director of the Leningrad Youth Theatre Andrei Andreev, he joined the troupe of this theatre. In addition to the Youth Theatre, he played in performances by Roman Viktyuk. Since 1993 he began acting in films. Since 2002 - president of the acting agency of the production center "Brat".