Ilia Volok

Biography

Ilia Volok is a Soviet-born actor. He has appeared in over 150 films, television shows, and video games. He was born in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Ukraine. He is known for his work on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull; Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol; and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Ilia was born in Kiev and for his education, he studied and graduated from Moscow Art Theatre School, where he took the acting class of Russian actor Aleksandr Kalyagin. Volok has appeared in more than 150 films and television programs. He starred as Vladimir Krasin in Air Force One and portrayed Master Org in Power Rangers Wild Force. Additionally, he has had recurring roles in General Hospital and The Young and the Restless. He guest starred in an episode of Friends in which reference was made to the Air Force One without mentioning him as one of its actors. The character Vladimir Kamarivsky in the Electronic Arts video game Battlefield 3 is modeled after and voiced by Volok. His life took an unexpected turn when after being a professional athlete (3rd place at the world championship in rowing with the Soviet Union team in Italy), and on his way to become a rowing coach, he left his native Kiev (Ukraine) to audition for one of the most prestigious acting colleges-the famous Moscow Art Theatre School. To the complete surprise of his friends and relatives, he passed a rigorous competition (200 hundred contestants per one spot) and was accepted to study under the direction of one of the top stars of Russian theatre and cinema – Alexander Kalyagin. Upon graduation he was invited to work in several top theatre companies the Moscow Art Theatre being one of them. But once again he changed the direction of his life, and with $300.00 in his pocket, without any knowledge of English, he came to America to pursue his dream of being a working Hollywood actor. The first jobs that came along had little to do with acting. He was cutting sandwiches and flipping chicken at a restaurant, and working at a cemetery as a funeral service attendant where he enjoyed quiet surroundings and fresh air (later he was promoted to selling cemetery plots). But finally he got his acting break in the movie Hail Ceaser, playing opposite Samuel Jackson, Robert Downey Jr. and Michael Anthony Hall. To this date, Ilia has appeared in over 150 films and television shows. Select Films: Air Force One, Oliver Stone’s U-Turn, Indiana Jones 4, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Soloist, Water for Elephants, Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol, Abduction, GI Joe 2, The Immigrant,Pawn Sacrifice and soon to be released Hunter Killer. Recent television includes “Swedish Dicks”, “Counterpart”,” Stitchers”, “Criminal Minds”, “Baskets” “Shameless”, “The Americans”, “NCIS” & “NCIS New Orleans”, “Hawaii 5.0”, “Two Broke Girls”, “Clipped”, and recurring roles on the Michael Bay series “The Last Ship” and “Scandal”. Ilia often performs on stage. He is a graduate of Moscow Art Theatre School and Lifetime Member of The Actors Studio. His Theater credits include: The Awful Grace of God(The Actors Company), The Revisionist(Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing arts) co-starring opposite Tony award winner Deanna Dunagan,written by The Oscar nominee Jesse Eisenberg, Who Killed Comrade Rabbit? (Blank Theater)-co writer&producer, Vivien (Actor’s Circle)co-producer, Diary of a Madman, Just a Song at Twilight (Write Act Repertory) Cat’s Paw(Actor’s Studio), Ferdinand(Promanade Playhouse), Cassat & Degas (The Hudson Theater), Destiny’s Calling (Stella Adler Theater), Chekhov in Yalta (Theater 40) and Fakov in America(American Renegade Theater)co-writer&co-producer. His one-man show Diary of A Madman won the LA Weekly Theater Award for Best Solo Performance. Ilia is a Faculty of the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute in Los Angeles.