Stefanko, Oleg Stepanovich

Born on September 7, 1959 in the city of Torez, Donetsk region of the Ukrainian SSR.

After graduating from high school in 1976 he entered the theater school. Shchepkina in Moscow. As a 2nd year student, he played two roles on the stage of the Maly Theater. Since 1979, began a television and film career. After graduating from the theater school in 1980, he was accepted into the troupe of the Academic Maly Theater of the USSR, where he played with such actors as Smoktunovsky, Tsarev, Ilyinsky, Zharov, the brothers Solomins, Martsevich. He worked on radio, television, in the cinema. With his solo concert program he traveled to many cities of the Soviet Union.

In 1985-1986 he served in the ranks of the Armed Forces of the USSR in the Moscow Region in the engineering troops. On the stage of the Maly Theater he played in more than 20 plays. Some of them: “A long day goes into the night”, “Agony”, “Cyrano de Bergerac”, “Beach”.

In early 1992, Stefanko emigrated to the United States . While living in New York , he mastered new professions: waiter, taxi driver, bartender, car dealer, security guard, kickboxer, insurance agent. At the same time he worked in the modeling business, theater, and played on the stage of the Theater of New York City. In New York, Oleg starred in his first American film. ^{[ specify ]} In 1994 he moved to Los Angeles , worked on television and in films. He was admitted to two American acting guilds: SAG - Guild of Film Actors and AFTRA - American Federation of Television and Radio Artists.

In Los Angeles, continued his education at the LA Actors Circle Theater School. Having received American citizenship, he changed his name to Oleg Stefan. Under this name, he starred in Hollywood in 14 films, working with actors such as Robert De Niro, Michael York, Gene Hackman, Sigourney Weaver, Jude Law, James Belushi, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Alec Baldwin, Vincent Perez, Julia Roberts, Clive Owen, Paul Giamatti, Tom Wilkinson, Denise O'Hea et al.

He later returned to Russia, where he continued to act in films. Oleg Shtefanko gained wide fame for the role of Leonid Zubov in the series "Forester".

In total, Stefanko has 76 film and television works, in 54 of which he played the main roles ^[1] .

• First wife - Larisa Stefanko
  • Daughter - Christina
  • Son - John (Ivan), born in the late 1990s. It was decided to call him Ivan. But after a while his name was changed to John, as it is more consonant with the Americans.
• Second wife - Anna Stefanko

Theater Roles

• 1977 - " Spring Love " by K. A. Trenev . Director: Pyotr Fomenko - Junker ( Maly Theater ) ^[2]
• “A long day goes into the night”
• "Agony"
• Cyrano de Bergerac
• "Coast"
• “AS the Freud’s congress.” Stage Director: Eugene Gerchakov - Professor Moriarty

Movie Roles

• 2003 - VII International Euro-Asian Teleforum, awarded the Grand Prix for playing the main role in the film "Gentlemen Officers";
• 2005 - Nomination at the 45th International Television Festival in Monte Carlo for the Golden Nymph Award for Best Actor;
• 2007 - Berlin International Festival, awarded the Silver Berlin Bear.

• Official website (unopened) (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment July 4, 2019. Archived January 1, 2017.
• From Donetsk to Hollywood
• Oleg Shtefanko (neopr.) .
• Oleg Shtefanko (unopened) (inaccessible link) . Date of treatment July 16, 2007. Archived on September 28, 2007.