Mark Ivanir facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mark Ivanir
מארק איווניר
Ivanir in 2023
Born	Mark Alexandrovich Ivanir Chernivtsi, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union
Citizenship	Soviet Union (until 1972) Israel
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1988–present

Mark Ivanir is an Israeli actor. He is famous for playing many different kinds of characters in American movies and TV shows. Mark can speak six languages, which often helps him in his acting roles.

Early Life and Education

Mark Ivanir was born in Chernovtsi, which is now called Chernivtsi, in Ukraine. In 1972, when he was a child, his family moved to Israel. They made their home in a neighborhood called Pardes Katz.

His father, Alexander, taught English, and his mother, Malka, taught German. Mark's grandfather, Meshulem Surkis, was a writer, journalist, and actor. He was well-known for supporting Yiddish culture. Growing up, Mark learned Hebrew, Ukrainian, and Russian at home. He later learned English too.

Military Service and Circus Training

Mark served in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). He was part of a special mission called Operation Joshua. This operation helped bring Ethiopian Jews from refugee camps in Sudan to Israel. After his service, he decided not to join the Mossad, which is Israel's national intelligence agency.

He briefly studied medicine but then chose to pursue a career in the performing arts. Mark spent two years at a circus school. He traveled around Europe, performing as a clown on the streets. He even worked in a circus in Paris called Cirque Pawelles.

After leaving the circus, Mark began formal acting training. He studied with the famous Israeli director Nissan Nativ. He performed in plays at the Cameri Theater and the Israeli Opera.

Acting Career Highlights

Mark Ivanir got his first movie role in 1988. It was an action film called Iron Eagle II. This movie was made by Canada, Israel, and America together. Mark played a Soviet army soldier named Mikhail Balyonev.

Joining the Gesher Theater

After his studies, Mark joined the Gesher Theater in Tel Aviv. This theater company was made up of actors who had moved from the former Soviet Union. Within two years, Gesher became one of the best theater companies in Israel. The London Times even called it "one of the six best theatre companies in the world."

Because Mark knew many languages, he helped the company. He translated and changed eight plays from other languages into Hebrew for them. Later, he moved to London to study acting further.

Big Roles in Movies

Mark Ivanir's first major movie role was in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film, Schindler's List. This movie won an Oscar, and Mark played a character named Marcel Goldberg. He worked with Steven Spielberg two more times. He had a small role in The Terminal and later voiced characters in The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn.

In 2006, Mark had an important role in Robert De Niro's film, The Good Shepherd. For this role, he won the Silver Bear Award at the Berlin Film Festival. He later acted alongside Robert De Niro again in the 2008 movie What Just Happened.

In 2011, Mark appeared in several movies. These included Johnny English Reborn, Big Miracle, and 360.

One of his biggest roles was in the 2012 film A Late Quartet. This movie was chosen as one of the top 10 films of the year by the New York Daily News. Mark played Daniel Lerner, the first violin player in a string quartet. Other famous actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman and Christopher Walken were also in the film.

In 2018, he co-starred in Entebbe, a film directed by José Padilha. He also appeared in Bill Hader's HBO comedy Barry, playing three Chechen brothers. Mark was also in The Red Sea Diving Resort, where he played the head of the Mossad. He acted alongside stars like Sir Ben Kingsley and Chris Evans.

In 2024, Mark Ivanir was in Jacques Audiard's film Emilia Pérez. He and his co-stars won an award for Outstanding Ensemble Performance at the Mill Valley Film Festival.

Television Appearances

Mark Ivanir has been a guest star or guest lead in over 60 TV shows. Some of these include 24, Monk, CSI: NY, Law & Order, Fringe, CSI: Miami, and Nikita.

In 2016, he had a recurring role on Homeland. He played Ivan Krupin, a Russian intelligence agent. The show was nominated for awards like the SAG Awards and the Emmys.

In 2017, he played a Holocaust survivor in the German film "Bye Bye Germany." He also appeared in Amazon's Transparent. As of 2019, the Israeli show "The Beauty and the Baker" was airing worldwide on Amazon Prime, with Mark playing Zvika Granot.

Personal Life

Mark Ivanir is married to Maya Raz, who used to be a broadcaster for the IDF. His sister-in-law is the actress Romi Aboulafia. Mark and Maya have two daughters. They live with their family in Los Angeles.

Mark is fluent in Hebrew, Russian, English, Ukrainian, French, and Yiddish. He also knows some German and Arabic. His ability to speak many languages is often used in the roles he plays.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video Games

See also

In Spanish: Mark Ivanir para niños