Alec Utgoff

Alec Utgoff was born Oleg Vladimirovich Utgoff on March 1, 1986, in Kyiv, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union. His mother, Roza, is a musical conductor, and his father, Volodymyr, is a heart surgeon. At the age of 10, in 1996, Utgoff moved to London, England. He later pursued an acting career and attended the Drama Centre London, a prestigious institution where he obtained both his BA and MA degrees. His professional acting journey began with a role in the film ‘The Tourist’ in 2010, which he secured while still completing his final year of studies. He is classically trained and initially focused on theater performances before expanding into film and television.

Utgoff gained recognition for his portrayal of Aleksandr Borovsky in ‘Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit’ (2014) and, more prominently, as Dr. Alexei in the hit Netflix series ‘Stranger Things’ in 2019. His filmography also includes roles such as Alexi in ‘San Andreas’ (2015) and an A400 Crewman in ‘Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation’ (2015). In 2020, he took on a lead role as Zhenia in the film ‘Never Gonna Snow Again’, which premiered at the 77th Venice International Film Festival and was selected as Poland’s entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. This marked a significant milestone in his career, showcasing his versatility and ability to lead international productions.

His career progression continues with roles such as Arkady Pashkin in the TV series ‘Slow Horses’ (2022), Rudy in ‘The Lazarus Project’ (2022), Abramoff in ‘Dracula’ (2020), and Darius in the Ridley Scott epic ‘Gladiator II’ (2024). Utgoff maintains a balance between independent cinema and major Hollywood productions, fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, and English, which has broadened his scope for diverse roles. He continues to build a body of work that demonstrates consistent engagement across different genres and platforms.