Andrey Ivchenko is a Ukrainian TV and film actor, who rose to stardom for his performance in the film “The Way of the West.” He’s probably best known for his appearance in the acclaimed TV series “Stranger Things.”.
Age, Early Life, and Education Background
Andrey Ivchenko is a native of Kharkiv, Ukraine, who was born under the Cancer zodiac sign on 1 July 1971, which makes him 52 years old as of early 2024. He’s the son of the businessman and artist, Anatolii Ivchenko, but hasn’t disclosed the name of his mother, who was a librarian. In addition to watching films, Andrey grew up very passionate about reading books.
Ivchenko has always been very passionate about acting, and enrolled in theater programs when he joined high school. It was soon discovered that he was very talented in memorizing the script quickly, and he shortly afterwards began appearing in the school’s theatrical projects. Ivchenko is a well-educated person – he has a Master’s degree in Kinesiology, the study of anatomy and principles of mechanics in relation to human movement.
Hobbies and Interesting Facts
Ivchenko is trilingual – he speaks Russian, Ukrainian and English.
It’s reported that he served in the Soviet Army for two years before he began his career as an actor.
He’s a well-traveled person who’s toured numerous international destinations including Canada, the UK, and the US, both for work and leisure.
Ivchenko is a fitness enthusiast, who often posts his bodybuilding photos and videos on Instagram and other social media platforms.
He’s a huge lover of animals, and often flaunts his pet dog on Instagram.
He’s a huge fan of American films starring his greatest inspirations, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Ivchenko’s character in the Netflix TV series “Stranger Things” was inspired by the title character Terminator, from the Schwarzenegger-starred film series.
Ivchenko is also into novels, photography, golf, and surfing.
Career Beginnings: Modeling
Ivchenko left Ukraine in 1999, and traveled to London to pursue modeling and acting careers. His first agency did commercials, modeling and acting. In an interview, he revealed the reason why his modeling career was short-lived, stating ‘They wanted me to get skinnier and skinnier and skinnier. It wasn’t for me. This is how I am. I can’t starve myself to death. I was also too old.’
Acting Career
In the 2000s, Ivchenko relocated to Canada, where he secured another agent and started working as an Extra (Background Performer). This helped him build experience on set and in the film industry. Ivchenko is always cast as the bad guy because of his looks and deep Russian accent. He made his film debut in the 2009 Rodger Edralin-directed short “Scratched Out,” in which he portrayed Butcher’s bodyguard. In 2020, he landed a minor role in the TV film “Who Is Clark Rockefeller?” and in the year that followed, he caught the public’s attention with his portrayal of Pachek in the Western movie “The Way of the West”
In 2011, Ivchenko briefly portrayed an armed fighter named Schlatter in the first season of the sci-fi post-apocalyptic drama series, “Falling Skies.” He didn’t appear in the second season, and when he contacted the director of the show (Greg Beeman) asking if he could fly to Vancouver, Canada, to shoot for the third season, Greg said ‘With loyalty like that who would say no.’ The series starred the likes of Noah Wayne, Maxim Knight, Moon Bloodgood and Drew Roy.
Ivchenko appeared in single episodes of at least five TV series, including “Nikita” and “The Transporter” in the early 2010s. In 2017, he shared the screen with the likes of Vin Diesel, Donnie Yen, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ice Cube in the Golden Trailer Award-winning action-adventure film “xXx: Return of Xander Cage.” In 2018 and 2019, Ivchenko portrayed Karl in two episodes of the STARZ TV thriller series, “Counterpart.”
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Ivchenko’s fame skyrocketed when he was cast to play Grigori in the third season of the acclaimed Netflix original TV series “Stranger Things.” Very little is known about Grigori’s personality – he seems extremely no-nonsense and performs his tasks with machine-like focus. “Stranger Things” was created by The Duffer Brothers and follows a series of extraordinary mysteries that unfold when a group of young friends in ‘80s Indiana begin searching for answers after witnessing supernatural forces resulting from a series of secret government exploits; Ivchenko was nominated for a joint Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance in a Drama Series for his performance in seven episodes of the TV show.
Ivchenko then appeared in an episode of the acclaimed TV series “Lucifer” in 2021, and most recently in 2023, he portrayed Viktor in the film “The Best Man.”
Social Media Presence
Ivchenko is active on Instagram (@theandreyivchenko) with over 120,000 followers. He shares a glimpse of his passions and lifestyle on the account, which is populated with travel and modeling photos. Moreover, he’s fond of sharing his latest and upcoming career endeavors on his account.
Personal Life
Ivchenko is dating his long-term girlfriend, Becky Poliakoff, who’s a rising social media personality and Instagram star. The duo often posts their romantic travel and adventure photos on their respective social media accounts. They accompany each other to celebrity events and award ceremonies. In June 2019, they were spotted holding hands at the Los Angeles premiere of “Stranger Things 3” at Santa Monica High School, and on 18 January 2020, the duo posed for the camera at the “Entertainment Weekly” Pre-SAG Awards Celebration at Chateau Marmont.
Height, Weight, and Physical Appearance
Andrey is of White ethnicity and has a pair of brown eyes and dark brown hair. He’s muscular, weighs around 185lbs (84kgs), and his height is 6ft 3ins (1.91m). The actor has inked a tattoo on one of his shoulders. Some of Andrey’s distinctive features include a diamond face type and towering height. He trains hard for his muscular physique, disclosing that he hits the gym for at least two hours a day, six days per week, and his diet is mostly comprised of proteins (5,000-6,000 calories per day). Moreover, Andrey watches his salt, sugar and fat intake.
Net Worth
Andrey has accumulated most of his wealth through his successful acting career. He’s also posed for various brands, which has increased his net worth significantly. The Ukrainian actor’s net worth is approximately $1 million, as of 2024.
