{{Short description|American actor and producer (born 1955)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2025}} {{Infobox person | name = Andrew Divoff | image = Andrew Divoff Photo Op Nightmare Weekend Richmond 2023.jpg | image_size = | caption = Divoff at Nightmare Weekend Richmond in 2023 | birth_name = Andrew Daniel Divoff | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1955|07|02}} | birth_place = San Tomé, Anzoátegui, Venezuela | occupation = {{hlist|Actor|producer}} | years_active = 1983–present | website = [https://andrewdivoff.net Official website] | spouse = <!--Spouse information needs reliable, third-party sources. Not IMDb--> }}
'''Andrew Daniel Divoff''' (born July 2, 1955) is an <!--Please discuss before changing nationality-->American actor and producer.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Divoff has played many villains in film and on television, including drug cartel leaders, terrorists, and organized crime bosses, though he is best known for playing the evil Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest in the first two ''Wishmaster'' films. Other noteworthy film and television roles include the villains Luis Cali in ''Toy Soldiers'', Cherry Ganz in ''Another 48 Hrs.'', Ernesto Mendoza in ''A Low Down Dirty Shame'', Boris Bazylev in ''Air Force One'', M (Mephistopheles) in ''Faust: Love of the Damned'', Ivan Sarnoff in ''CSI: Miami,'' Mikhail Bakunin in ''Lost'', and Karakurt in ''The Blacklist''.
==Early life and education== Divoff was born in San Tomé, Anzoátegui, Venezuela. His father was Russian. His parents worked as wildcatters for Exxon, and met because Divoff's maternal grandfather was his father's supervisor.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thecryptradioshow.com/2014/03/andrew-divoff-interview.html|title=Andrew Divoff Interview|website=www.thecryptradioshow.com|access-date=January 31, 2018|archive-date=September 15, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190915105140/http://www.thecryptradioshow.com/2014/03/andrew-divoff-interview.html|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Divoff describes himself as having been an introvert and an outsider during his childhood in Caracas, Venezuela, saying that he had experienced near-daily physical fights and bullying from other children.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=http://justinbeahm.com/the-justin-beahm-radio-hour-episode-6-andrew-divoff/|title=The Justin Beahm Radio Hour Episode 6: Andrew Divoff|date=November 27, 2016|work=Justin Beahm|access-date=January 31, 2018|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221093317/http://justinbeahm.com/the-justin-beahm-radio-hour-episode-6-andrew-divoff/|archive-date=December 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> Divoff's first language was Spanish, but he learned English in Venezuela.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" />
After Divoff's parents divorced, he emigrated with his sister and mother to northern California when he was 10 years old.<ref name=":0" /> He was supposed to enter the fifth grade, but was held back because of his heavy accent. Divoff said that this experience was a catalyst for his obsession with languages.<ref name=":1" /> When he was in the seventh grade, Divoff's school screened films in class, including ''Seven Days in May'', which he found inspiring. Divoff began envisioning himself as the hero in such films,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://landofthecreeps.blogspot.com/2014/04/land-of-creeps-episode-070-andrew.html|title=Land Of The Creeps: Land Of The Creeps Episode 070 : Andrew Divoff Says Make A Wish|last=Gregamortis|date=April 15, 2014|website=Land of the Creeps|access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> and told his friends that he wanted to become an actor who did his own stunts.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mumien-monster-mutationen.de/die-5-minuten-terrine-kurzinterviews/andrew-divoff/|title=Andrew Divoff|website=mumien-monster-mutationen|language=de-DE|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref>
Divoff's mother worked for the State Department, and he moved with her when she was transferred to Spain.<ref name=":0" /> Divoff lived five years in Vilassar de Mar (Catalonia), between 1973 and 1977, feeling himself to be Catalan too.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rac1.org/elmon/blog/em-sento-catala-fins-i-tot-he-cantat-havaneras-a-calella/|title="Em sento català, fins i tot he cantat Havaneres a Calella!"|date=May 21, 2010 |publisher=rac1.org|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> While in Spain, Divoff tutored English-speaking students in Spanish and attended the University of Barcelona, where he completed a research project on linguistics in ''The Canterbury Tales''.<ref name=":2" /> He transferred his credits to Georgetown University, where he continued his study of languages and linguistics, and has resided in the United States ever since.<ref name=":2" /> Divoff did not graduate from Georgetown University, instead deciding to take a year off to help his father settle in California for retirement.<ref name=":2" />
==Career== After returning to California, Divoff worked as a dispatcher for a limousine company, eventually becoming a limo driver in 1983.<ref name=":2" /> During his evenings off, Divoff took acting lessons; his teachers included Milton Katselas, director of ''Butterflies Are Free''. His first role was that of a Russian guard for a 1986 episode of ''Misfits of Science''. Divoff won the role via a telephone audition, in which was asked to scream, "Stop that truck!" in Russian and then in English with a Russian accent.<ref name=":2" /> His first film role was in the 1986 cult horror film ''Neon Maniacs'', in which he played a demonic surgeon. Divoff had a falling out with the filmmakers due to what he believed constituted animal abuse: real dead pigeons were used in one of the film's scenes.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paranormaleh/2016/10/29/the-ghostman-and-demon-hunter-show-the-wishmaster-andrew-divoff|title=The Ghostman and Demon Hunter Show "The WishMaster, Andrew Divoff "|website=BlogTalkRadio|access-date=February 6, 2018}}</ref> thumb|Andrew Divoff at Nightmare Weekend Richmond VA 2023 Divoff's subsequent TV appearances in the 1980s included bit parts and work as an extra in ''The A-Team'', ''The Twilight Zone'', ''MacGyver'', ''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'', and ''Matlock''. His multilingual skills and international background helped win him some of these early roles. When auditioning for a guest role as a limo driver for ''Thirtysomething'', Divoff pretended to be a Russian immigrant, and maintained the farce on set until the filming ended, dropping the Russian accent entirely.<ref name=":3" />
His breakthrough role came in 1990, when he was cast as the outlaw biker "Cherry Ganz" in ''Another 48 Hrs.'' He was vacationing in Berlin when he received the call that he won the role. He went out to celebrate at a nearby pub and then attended the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, grabbing a sledgehammer and participating in the Wall's destruction. Divoff marks ''Another 48 Hrs.'' as the film that allowed him to quit his limo driving job and focus on acting.<ref name=":2" /> Following ''Another 48 Hours'', Divoff landed antagonist roles in other significant projects, primarily in the action genre. These projects included ''Toy Soldiers'' and ''A Low Down Dirty Shame''. In rare instances, Divoff portrayed the protagonist or hero, such as in ''Running Cool'' and ''Interceptor''.{{citation needed|date=June 2020}}
In 1997 ''Air Force One'' and ''Wishmaster'' were released. In his portrayal of a Russian terrorist henchman in ''Air Force One'', as in other films, Divoff performed his own stunts. Divoff stated in an interview that he has performed his own stunts so frequently that it is often assumed that he used to be a professional stuntman; however, this is not the case.<ref name=":4">{{Cite news|url=https://www.belowthebeltshow.com/artists/andrew-divoff/|title=Andrew Divoff – Below the Belt Show|work=Below the Belt Show|access-date=March 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> He simply preferred to perform his own stunts because it gave him complete control over every aspect of his characters.<ref name=":4" />
Divoff played the nefarious "Djinn" in the first two films of the ''Wishmaster'' series. ''Wishmaster'' was directed by special effects artist Robert Kurtzman, and featured cameo appearances by several popular horror actors. Divoff reprised the role as the Djinn in ''Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies'', directed by Jack Sholder. In 1999, Divoff and a friend penned a script for a third film,<ref name=":1" /> ''Wishmaster: The Third Millennium'', which had a Y2K theme involving "American warship in Asia and it is hit by a missile, and all hell breaks loose. Incidentally, there is a meeting going on at the UN and monsters come to life right there and go through the crowd and start ripping it up."<ref name=":6">{{Cite news|url=http://www.geekadelphia.com/2017/04/04/a-chat-with-horror-icon-andrew-divoff-star-of-the-wishmaster-series-interview/|title=A Chat with Horror Icon Andrew Divoff Star of The Wishmaster Series [Interview]|date=April 4, 2017|work=Geekadelphia|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> Divoff's script also required lavish special effects, and featured "gargoyles on buildings coming to life and coming down into the street."<ref name=":6"/> Divoff's script wasn't optioned, and he ultimately did not return for ''Wishmaster 3'' or ''Wishmaster 4'', saying he believed those projects did not have the capacity for impressive special effects due to a significantly lower budget,<ref name=":3" /> and because he felt that these sequels didn't have the love for the franchise of the earlier entries.<ref name=":7">{{Citation|last=StrangeLand Oddities|title=Be Careful What You Wish For with Andrew Divoff 2018|date=March 6, 2018|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPvB2dv2tF4 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003094419/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPvB2dv2tF4&gl=US&hl=en |archive-date=October 3, 2019 |url-status=dead|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref>
Divoff later reunited with Robert Kurtzman for the "grindhouse"- inspired horror film ''The Rage'',<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.joblo.com/horror-movies/news/interview-andrew-divoff-03|title=INT: Andrew Divoff|access-date=March 30, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> and has since appeared in several other horror films, including the Midnight Syndicate's indie horror flick ''The Dead Matter'' as the lead villain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/37755/distribution-news-midnight-syndicates-the-dead-matter|title=Distribution News for Midnight Syndicate's The Dead Matter|work=Dread Central|access-date=September 6, 2015}}</ref> in ''The Hatred'' as a former Nazi, and in the Miles Doleac film ''Demons'' as a religious zealot.
Divoff had a recurring role on ''Lost'' (Seasons 3 and 6, 2006–07 and 2010 respectively) as Mikhail Bakunin, a Russian member of the Others who lived in the Flame station of the DHARMA Initiative (in the episodes "The Cost of Living", "Enter 77" and "Par Avion") and later appeared, in flashback (in "One of Us"), and then reappeared (in the episodes "D.O.C.", "The Man Behind the Curtain", "Through the Looking Glass", and "The Package").
In 2008–09, on Season 7 of ''CSI: Miami'', Divoff played "Ivan Sarnoff" in four episodes ("Seeing Red", "Target Specific", "And They're Offed", and "Raging Cannibal"). In 2015–16, Divoff had a recurring role as Karakurt in six episodes of Season 3 of ''The Blacklist'' (episodes "The Djinn", "Sir Crispin Crandall", "Zal Bin Hasaan", "Kings of the Highway", "The Director", and "The Director: Conclusion"). Other television guest appearances include roles on ''The A-Team'', ''JAG,'' ''Highlander: The Series, Walker, Texas Ranger, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Burn Notice, Alias, Nikita'', ''The Strain'', and ''Colony''.<ref>{{IMDb name|id=0228678|name=Andrew Divoff}}</ref>
==Business ventures and philanthropy== Divoff has pursued a number of other business ventures in addition to professional acting, and uses many of these businesses as a springboard for philanthropic and environmentalist efforts. In the early 1990s, he was a co-owner of the blues bar and restaurant Sunset Social Club.<ref name=":2" />
Divoff is passionate about environmental issues and water rights,<ref name=":1" /> and believes that the best form of activism is simply to help people in need.<ref name=":2" /> Several years after his move from actor William Boyd's former home in Hollywood to the Lake Arrowhead region of the San Bernardino Mountains in 1992,<ref name=":0" /> Divoff formed a logging crew during a time when he described acting opportunities as scarce. Divoff and his crew focused on removing trees that were dead or dying due to a pine beetle infestation. Divoff later became a partner in Verdant Resource and in Alpine Village Water Company that serves a nearby mountain community. Verdant Resource holds a patent for a wind-powered water pump. With the help of a government grant, Divoff and the other partners at the water company provided running water to a small community using Verdant's pump technology.<ref name=":2" />
In 2014, Divoff developed his own craft beer, the Djinn's Hellabrew, which he has sold to benefit charities, including Smile Train,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/73488/andrew-divoff-talks-djinn-hellabrew-rock-shock-raising-money-smile-train/|title=Andrew Divoff Talks Djinn HellaBrew, Rock and Shock, and Raising Money for Smile Train – Dread Central|website=www.dreadcentral.com|date=October 17, 2014 |language=en-US|access-date=April 12, 2018}}</ref> Operation Provider,<ref name=":0" /> and the Hollywood Police Activities League.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://hollywoodpal.org/2016-celebrity-bowling-tournament-raises-10k-for-hollywood-pal/|title=2016 Celebrity Bowling Tournament Raises $10K for Hollywood PAL – Hollywood Police Activities League|date=March 25, 2016|work=Hollywood Police Activities League|access-date=April 12, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> In 2017, Divoff formed his own brewing company, Three Marm Brewing, a "marm" being the part of a tree trunk that forks into two or more trunks.<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|url=http://www.notesfromthesanitarium.com/portfolio.html|title=Hollywood Villain, Local Good Guy to Open Crestline Brewery|last=Wilson|first=Kelly|date=October 9, 2017|website=Oh, So Cal!|access-date=April 14, 2018}}</ref> The partners of Three Marm Brewing are predominantly members of Divoff's former logging crew.<ref name=":7" /> Divoff and his partners are planning to open a taproom in Crestline, California,<ref name=":8" /> and have other new beer flavors in development, including the Logger Lager and Mystic Mast Stout.<ref name=":7" />
==Personal life== Divoff can speak eight languages: English, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, French, Italian, German, and Russian.<ref name=":0">{{cite magazine|last=Lanyon|first=Mary-Justine|date=Winter 2015–2016|title=A 'Bad Guy' with a Heart of Gold|url=https://threemarmbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ExcerptLakeArrowheadMagazine.pdf|magazine=Lake Arrowhead Magazine|pages=41–43|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180207123129/https://threemarmbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/ExcerptLakeArrowheadMagazine.pdf|archive-date=February 7, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> At one time he also knew Romanian, but forgot it through lack of use.<ref>{{cite web|title=Toxic Shock TV – Actor Andrew Divoff Interview|url=http://www.shockya.com/interviews/andrew_divoff.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208003312/http://www.shockya.com/interviews/andrew_divoff.htm|archive-date=December 8, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Divoff's multilingual skills are showcased in many of his film and television roles.
== Filmography ==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1986 |''Neon Maniacs'' |Doc | |- |1988 |''Mac and Me'' |Police Officer | |- | rowspan="4" |1990 |''The Hunt for Red October'' |Andrei Amalric | |- |''An American Summer'' |Dode | |- |''Another 48 Hrs.'' |Cherry Ganz | |- |''Graveyard Shift'' |Danson | |- |1991 |''Toy Soldiers'' |Luis Cali | |- | rowspan="2" |1992 |''Back in the U.S.S.R.'' |Dimitro | |- |''Interceptor'' |Capt. Winfield | |- | rowspan="2" |1993 |''Running Cool'' |Bone | |- |''Extreme Justice'' |Angel | |- | rowspan="4" |1994 |''A Low Down Dirty Shame'' |Mendoza | |- |''Dangerous Touch'' |Johnnie | |- |''Oblivion'' |Red Eye / Einstein | |- |''Hong Kong 97'' |Malcolm Goodchild | |- | rowspan="4" |1995 |''The Random Factor'' |Jake Anders | |- |''The Stranger'' |Angel | |- |''Xtro 3: Watch the Skies'' |Captain Fetterman | |- |''Magic Island'' |Blackbeard | |- | rowspan="4" |1996 |''Oblivion 2: Backlash'' |Jaggar / Einstein | |- |''For Which He Stands'' |Paulo | |- |''Adrenalin: Fear the Rush'' |Sterns | |- |''Nemesis 4: Death Angel'' |Bernardo | |- | rowspan="4" |1997 |''Blast'' |Omodo | |- |''Air Force One'' |Boris Bazylev | |- |''Touch Me'' |Dr. Vachenko |Credited as Andy Divoff |- |''Wishmaster'' |The Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest | |- | rowspan="2" |1998 |''Crossfire'' |Dekova | |- |''Captured'' |Robert Breed | |- | rowspan="2" |1999 |''Stealth Fighter'' |Roberto Menendez | |- |''Wishmaster 2: Evil Never Dies'' |The Djinn/Nathaniel Demerest | |- | rowspan="3" |2000 |''Down 'n Dirty'' |Jimmy | |- |''Lockdown'' |Perez |Uncredited |- |''Faust: Love of the Damned'' |M | |- | rowspan="3" |2001 |''The Rage Within'' |Shane | |- |''Knight Club'' |Grigori Krukov | |- |''Blue Hill Avenue'' |Detective Tyler | |- | 2003 |''The Librarians'' |Marcos | |- | rowspan="2" |2004 |''Forbidden Warrior'' |Ujis-Aka | |- |''Moscow Heat'' |Secretary Weston | |- | rowspan="2" |2005 |''Dr. Rage'' |Timothy Straun | |- |''Sharkskin 6'' |Eddie | |- |2006 |''American Dreamz'' |Chinese Translator | |- | rowspan="3" |2007 |''Chicago Massacre: Richard Speck'' |Jack Whitaker | |- |''Treasure Raiders'' |Cronin | |- |''The Rage'' |Dr. Viktor Vasilienko | |- | rowspan="2" |2008 |''Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull'' |Russian Soldier Grant | |- |''Boston Strangler: The Untold Story'' |Det. John Marsden | |- | rowspan="2" |2009 |''Ballistica'' |Dragomir | |- |''Magic Man'' |Rudolph Treadwell | |- | rowspan="2" |2010 |''Shadows in Paradise'' |Lt. Stronach | |- |''The Dead Matter'' |Vellich | |- |2011 |''Slip and Fall'' |Dean Dickman | |- |2012 |''Night of the Living Dead 3D: Re-Animation'' |Gerald Tovar, Jr | |- |2013 |''The Immigrant'' |Tolik | |- | rowspan="2" |2014 |''Bad Asses'' |Leandro Herrera | |- |''Pretty Fine Things'' |Dr. Murray | |- | rowspan="2" |2017 |''The Hatred'' |Samuel Sears | |- |''Demons'' |Jasper Grant | |- |2019 |''Vault'' |Buddy Woonsocket | |- |2024 |''Camp Pleasant Lake'' |Evil Man | |}
=== Video games === {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |2008 |''Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3'' |General Nikolai Krukov | |- |2008 |''Lost: Via Domus'' |Mikhail Bakunin | |- |2010 |''Call of Duty: Black Ops'' | rowspan="3" |Lev Kravchenko | |- |2012 |''Call of Duty: Black Ops II'' | |- |2020 |''Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War'' | |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1986 |''Misfits of Science'' |Guard |Episode: "Grand Elusion" |- |1986 |''The Twilight Zone'' |Vladimir |Episode: "Need to Know/Red Snow" |- |1986 |''The A-Team'' | |Episodes: "Firing Line" and "Dishpan Man" |- |1987 |''MacGyver'' |Russian Guard |Episode: "Soft Touch" |- |1987 |''Matlock'' |Federal Agent |Episode: "The Reporter" |- |1986–87 |''Scarecrow and Mrs. King'' |Edgar Russian Guard Russian Soldier |3 episodes |- |1987 |''Hooperman'' |Foreign Suspect |Episode:"John Doe, We Hardly Knew Ye" |- |1989 |''Thirtysomething'' |Limo Driver |Episode: "Success" |- |1989 |''Heartbeat'' |Yuri |Episode: "From Russia with Love" |- |1989 |''Out on the Edge'' |Luke | rowspan="4" |Television film |- |1989 |''Breaking Point'' |Aide |- |1989 |''Fear Stalk'' |Man |- |1990 |''By Dawn's Early Light'' |Russian Premier's Assistant (voice only) |- |1993 |''The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.'' |Blackbeard LaCutte |Episode: "Pirates!" |- |1996 |''Deadly Voyage'' |Romachenko |Television film |- |1996 |''Tarzan: The Epic Adventures'' |Nicholai Rockoff |2 episodes |- |1992, 1996 |''Highlander: The Series'' |Bryan Slade, Gavriel Larca |2 episodes |- |1996– 1997 |''EZ Streets'' |Andre 'Frenchie' Desormeaux |3 episodes |- |1998 |''Acapulco H.E.A.T.'' |The Raven |2 episodes |- |1998 |''Killers in the House'' |Delaney Breckett |Television film |- |1997, 2000 |''Nash Bridges'' |Carl Dugan Blackbeard |2 episodes |- |1995–2000 |''Walker, Texas Ranger'' |Carlos Darius, Rudy Mendoza, Alberto Cardoza |3 episodes |- |2001 |''UC: Undercover'' |Martin Ritger |Episode "Of Fathers and Sons" |- |2001 |''The Agency'' |Colonel Grachev |Episode "Deadline" |- |2002 |''Dracula'' |Doctor |Miniseries |- |2002, 2005 |''JAG'' |Russian Captain Col. Fadil Najjar |2 episodes |- |2005 |''Alias'' |Lucien Nisard |2 episodes |- |2006 |''The Unit'' |The Major |Episode: "True Believers" |- |2008 |''Burn Notice'' |Ivan |Episode: "Comrades" |- |2008 |''Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' |Andre Bushido |Episode: "Wildlife" |- |2008 |''Leverage'' |Sergei |Episode: "The Marriage Job" |- |2009 |''Criminal Minds'' |Dad |Episode: "Bloodline" |- |2008–09 |''CSI: Miami'' |Ivan Sarnoff |Recurring; Season 7 |- |2006–07, 2010 |''Lost'' |Mikhail Bakunin |Recurring; Seasons 3–6 |- |2010 |''The Good Guys'' |Pedro |Episode: "Pilot" |- |2013 |''Nikita'' |Krieg |Episode: "Reunion" |- |2014 |''The Strain'' |Peter Bishop |Episode: "Night Zero" |- |2015–16 |''The Blacklist'' |Karakurt |Recurring; Season 3 |- |2017 |''Colony'' |Ambassador King |Episode: "Lost Boy" |- |2020 |''Perry Mason'' |Al Howard |''Upcoming'' |- |2020 |''Primitive'' |Detective Carlsen |Episode 1 |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://andrewdivoff.net Official website] *{{IMDb name|id=0228678|name=Andrew Divoff}} *[https://threemarmbrewing.com Three Marm Brewing]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Divoff, Andrew}} Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:People from Anzoátegui Category:American people of Russian descent Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:Actors who have performed their own stunts