Andrei Zayats

Last updated
Andrei Zayats
Andrei Zayats-7683.jpg
Zayats at the 2025 Venice Film Festival
Born
Andrei Zajac

(1984-04-27) 27 April 1984 (age 41)
Rostov-on-Don, RSFSR, USSR (now Russia)
NationalityRussian / Latvian (EU)
Occupation(s)Actor, stage combat instructor
Years active2008–present

Andrei Zayats (born April 27, 1984) is a Russian actor and stage combat instructor. Based in London, he has appeared in a variety of international film and television productions, often portraying Russian characters. His screen work includes roles in X-Men: First Class (2011), Frankenstein's Army (2013), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Killing Eve (2018).

Early life

Zayats was born in Rostov-on-Don, RSFSR, in what was then the Soviet Union. During his childhood, his family relocated to Riga, Latvia, where he later obtained citizenship of the European Union. He also spent several years studying in France before moving to the United Kingdom. In 2008, he graduated from the Birmingham School of Acting. [1]

Career

Following his graduation, Zayats began working in British television and independent films. He began his acting career with the short film The Morning After (2009), directed by Alex Sufit. [1] He also made one of his earliest appearances as Viktor Viktorious, a Russian chess champion, in the CBBC series Dani's House (2010). [2]

In 2011, he was cast in X-Men: First Class as a Russian soldier, followed by the role of Officer Dimitri in Mercenaries (2011). He played Kovanski, a supporting lead in the period drama Madame Solario (2012), produced by CANAL+. [2]

Zayats gained wider exposure in the Dutch-Czech horror film Frankenstein's Army (2013), portraying Vassili, one of the Soviet soldiers. [3] The film premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

He subsequently appeared in high-profile international projects, including Fast & Furious 6 (2013), the war horror Soldiers of the Damned (2015), the thriller Monochrome (2016), Netflix's Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020), and the action-fantasy The Old Guard (2020). [4]

Outside of screen acting, Zayats is a certified stage combat instructor with the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat and a member of the Society of American Fight Directors. [5]

In 2025, Zayats appeared at the Venice Film Festival for the premiere of The Wizard of the Kremlin , where he plays a supporting role. The film, starring Jude Law and Alicia Vikander. [6]

Selected filmography

Film

Television

References

  1. 1 2 "Zayats Andrei". Ciné Passion 34 (in French). Retrieved 2025-09-15.
  2. 1 2 "Andrei Zayats". Peliplat. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  3. ↑ Webster, Andy (2013-07-26). "Something Unpleasant Behind Enemy Lines (Published 2013)". The New York Times . Retrieved 2025-09-18.
  4. ↑ Hough, Quinn (2020-07-10). "The Old Guard Cast Guide: Where You've Seen Each Actor Before". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  5. ↑ "Member Profile: Andrei Zayats". Society of American Fight Directors. Retrieved 2025-09-13.
  6. ↑ Garner, Glenn (2025-08-31). "'The Wizard of the Kremlin' Red Carpet: Jude Law, Alicia Vikander & More — Venice Film Festival". Deadline . Retrieved 2025-09-13.
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