Source: VoyageLA
Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrey Ivchenko.
Hi Andrey, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
**My name is Andrey Ivchenko, and I’m an actor best known for playing GRIGORI—the Terminator-like villain—in season 3 of Netflix’s global phenomenon *Stranger Things*. That role earned me a SAG Award nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble Cast. Over the years, I’ve also appeared in hit shows like *Lucifer*, *Jane The Virgin*, and had a recurring role on Starz’s *Counterpart* opposite J.K. Simmons. You might also recognize me from *xXx: Return of Xander Cage*, where I starred opposite Vin Diesel as the villain Red Erik, or as PERSEUS in the globally popular video game *Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War*.**
Standing at 6’3″, my size and strength helped open doors in action-heavy roles, eventually leading to a feature in *Muscle & Fitness Magazine*—a surreal full-circle moment for me, as I grew up reading that magazine for inspiration.
I was born and raised in Kharkiv, Ukraine. After serving in the army at 18, I left Ukraine for London, then spent time in Israel before finally settling in Toronto to pursue acting. Canada is where my career really began. I landed early roles in shows like *Falling Skies*, *Nikita*, and *Transporter: The Series*. My first lead role came in the Lionsgate feature *The Way of the West* (2011), followed by *Freezer*, where I starred opposite Dylan McDermott.
In 2013, I moved to Los Angeles, where I’ve continued to build my career with a wide range of film and TV credits. Since *Stranger Things*, my work has gained international reach and I’ve been fortunate to develop a loyal social media following. Some of my recent projects include starring opposite Jean-Claude Van Damme in *Darkness of Man*, opposite Luke Wilson and Dolph Lundgren in *The Best Man*, and a currently unannounced feature with Ron Perlman, Stephen Dorff, and Kelsey Grammer. I also recently completed a lead role in the short feature *Coalescence*, directed by multi-Emmy winner Neville Page and filmed at Orbital Virtual Studios in LA. I have a few more exciting projects in development that I’ll be able to share soon.
But 2025 has brought me the greatest challenge of my life—physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
In December 2024, I was diagnosed with stage 2 chondrosarcoma, a rare bone cancer that affects about 1 in 200,000 people. It started with what I thought was a minor hip issue. After physical therapy made things worse, I was referred to Dr. Michael Duran, a very brilliant orthopedic surgeon specializing in musculoskeletal oncology. Dr. Duran refused to accept surface-level answers and kept digging—even after the first biopsy came back benign. Trusting his instincts, he ordered a deeper biopsy that required a two-month recovery. That second test confirmed what we feared: I had a malignant tumor in my pelvis.
