Elya Baskin | |
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Born | Ilya Zalmanovich Baskin 11 August 1950 |
Occupation | Actor |
Years active | 1971–present |
Ilya Zalmanovich Baskin ( Russian: Илья Залманович Баскин; born 11 August 1950), known professionally as Elya Baskin, is a Russian-American character actor. [1] He first gained attention for his role in Moscow on the Hudson (1984), as Robin Williams' character's best friend. [2] He is also known for playing Peter Parker's landlord, Mr. Ditkovich, in Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007) and cosmonaut Max Brailovsky in 1984's 2010: The Year We Make Contact.
Baskin was born to a Jewish family in Riga, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union, the son of Frieda and Zalman Baskin. [3] He attended the Theatre and Variety Arts College in Moscow and won a Festival of Young Actors Award at the Moscow Comedy Theatre. [3]
He defected to the United States in 1976. [3] He is often cast as Eastern European characters. [2]