Mark Ivanir has been a professional film and television actor in Los Angeles since 2001, after a circuitous journey that took him from the communist Ukraine to Israel, and eventually to Hollywood.
Born in Ukraine, Ivanir immigrated to Israel with his family in 1972, where he served in the Israeli Army and participated in a clandestine mission to bring Ethiopian Jews to Israel. His military experience and expertise have been tapped for various TV and film roles.
After completing his military service, Ivanir turned down job offers from Israel's Secret Service and gave up studying medicine to pursue a career in clowning. He completed two years in a Circus school, traveled throughout Europe performing on the streets, and even worked in a Parisian Circus - Cirque Pawelles.
Ivanir then entered formal theatrical training, studying at Israel's top acting school Nissan Nativ, and later co-founded a theatre company made up of actors from the former USSR called Gesher Theatre. Within two years, Gesher became Israel's top theatrical outfit and was hailed by the London Times as "one of the six best theatre companies in the world."
Ivanir performed many different roles, translated and adapted eight plays for the company, and performed everywhere from Lincoln Center to the National Theatre in London, as well as major stages in Paris, Rome, and Berlin.
After being cast by Steven Spielberg in Schindler's List, Ivanir moved to London to study with Philippe Gaulier and the actors of the Theater De Complicite. During this stint, he landed roles in The Man Who Cried with Johnny Depp and Secret Affair, which encouraged him to relocate to Hollywood.
Tapping his command of Russian, English, French, Arabic, German, and Hebrew, Ivanir has been working consistently in major studio film and television projects in eclectic roles spanning from a Russian spy to an Israeli producer to a German elephant trainer. He lives in LA with his wife and two daughters.
Ivanir's extensive list of guest star and guest lead roles on television shows includes 24, Monk, CSI NY, Law and Order, Fringe, CSI Miami, Nikita, and many others. He has also worked with renowned directors such as Robert De Niro and Barry Levinson, and has appeared in films like Terminal and Tintin.
