Ukrainian in Hollywood Ivanna Sakhno breaks contract with Netflix to avoid playing Russian

Ivanna Sakhno, an American actress of Ukrainian descent who stars in Hollywood, says that she refuses to play a Russian even in promising projects

She said this in an interview with TSN.

Hollywood actress Ivanna Sakhno, who was born in Kyiv and moved to the United States at the age of 13, said that she refuses offers to play a Russian in movies and TV shows.

"It's not even a question. There are some moral values and concepts," the actress said.

She noted that in recent years, Russia has been represented less and less in Hollywood.

"My team even knows and immediately says no. I had my moments when I was involved in a Netflix series, it was during the Covid. It was the role of a Russian woman. It was the role of an American woman, but she had a background in the Soviet Union. I was already attached to this project, and at that time it was one of my first major roles in a major Netflix series. But we didn't start filming, we immediately closed because of the COVID. And I realized that I simply could not play a person even from the Soviet Union. I canceled my contract with Netflix, and I had some problems [because of this]," Sakhno admitted.

The actress clarified that she could not officially voice the amount she now owes the American company, but noted that she is still paying it.

"The next job I do with Netflix, I owe them 50% of my salary. Because I broke that contract," Sakhno added.

In 2016, Ivanna Sakhno starred in the sequel to Guillermo del Toro's blockbuster film Pacific Rim. From the first days of the full-scale invasion, the actress supported Ukraine. She has repeatedly visited Ukrainian cities and is an ambassador for United24.