Elya Baskin is a Soviet Latvia-born American actor, best-known for his work on Spider-Man 2 (2004),The Name of the Rose (1986),and Spider-Man 3 (2007). Born on August 11, 1950, in Riga, USSR (now Latvia),as Elya Zalmanovich Baskin, he attended and graduated from Moscow's prestigious Theatre and Variety Arts College.
Baskin was virtually assured of a successful career in the Soviet Union, but he chose to build a reputation on the European stage instead. He immigrated to the United States in 1976, when pre-perestroika emigration rules were relaxed, and came to Hollywood, despite speaking no English.
Initially, Baskin worked in television and film, finding the language barrier to be a significant challenge. However, he eventually lost interest in theatre and became fascinated with the process of building characters on screen. He worked for 20 years, and although he still struggles with his English, he has become comfortable with the language and is often cast as characters with an accent.
Baskin's ethnic background and amiable demeanor made him a popular choice for Hollywood's ethnic character portrayals, particularly those with a Slavic background. Although he has been stereotyped in some roles, he views this as a challenge to be overcome through his acting.
He achieved international recognition with his role as Anatoly in Moscow on the Hudson (1984),opposite Robin Williams, and went on to work with director Paul Mazursky on several projects, including Enemies: A Love Story (1989) and The Pickle (1993).
Baskin continued to work throughout the 2000s, with notable roles in Spider-Man 3 and The Dukes (both 2007),as well as guest appearances on TV series such as The West Wing, Alias, The Closer, Criminal Minds, Heroes, and Cold Case.
In addition to his acting career, Baskin is also a proud United States citizen, having become one in 1985. He has been married to his wife Marina since 1995 and has a daughter, Michelle.
