Mark Ivanir

Mark Ivanir’s Hollywood journey is anything but typical. Born in the old Soviet Ukraine, he moved to Israel as a kid and wound up in the Israeli Army, even taking part in a secret operation to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel. The guy then turned down gigs with Israel’s Secret Service (yep, really) and ditched med school for clown training. Two years at circus school, street performing, a stint in a Paris circus—his early resume reads more like a novel than a LinkedIn page. After leaving the circus world behind, Ivanir dove into acting, studying at Israel’s prestigious Nissan Nativ school. He co-founded the Gesher Theatre with other Soviet expats—two years later, the London Times was calling them one of the world’s best theatre companies. Ivanir wore a bunch of hats there, acting, translating, adapting scripts, and touring worldwide. Spielberg cast him in Schindler’s List, and that was a game-changer. He moved to London to train with Philippe Gaulier, snagged roles in The Man Who Cried and Secret Affair, then made the jump to LA. Since then, he’s been popping up everywhere—over 35 guest spots on shows like 24, Monk, CSI, Fringe, and Law & Order. He’s worked with Spielberg a couple more times, plus big names like De Niro and Barry Levinson. Ivanir’s the guy who can play anything from a Russian spy to a German elephant trainer, thanks to his six languages. Now he’s living the LA life with his family, still booking roles and keeping things interesting.