Elena Stejko is a Ukrainian-born New Zealand actress and theatre director.

Biography

Stejko was born and raised in

Kyiv Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...

when Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. In the 1990s she moved to Brazil, where she spent four years, then migrated again to New Zealand, settling in

Auckland Auckland ( ; ) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. It has an urban population of about It is located in the greater Auckland Region, the area governed by Auckland Council, which includes outlying rural areas and ...

. Stejko worked to establish herself as an actor, beginning with small roles, such as television advertisements and in the television drama ''

Mercy Peak ''Mercy Peak'' was a New Zealand television series that ran for three seasons on local network TV One, between 2001 and 2004. The series rated well in New Zealand (especially in its second series) and won multiple awards for its cast. Though an ...

.'' In 2010 she starred in ''

Russian Snark ''Russian Snark'' is a 2010 New Zealand film directed and written by Stephen Sinclair and produced by Liz DiFiore. The film features Stephen Papps, Elena Stejko, Stephanie Tauevihi and Te Waimarie Kessell. It is the story of Misha, a Russian ...

'', a film written and directed by

Stephen Sinclair Stephen Sinclair is a New Zealand playwright, screenwriter and novelist. He is the co-author of stage comedy '' Ladies Night''. In 2001, the French version won the Molière Award for stage comedy of the year. Other plays include ''The Bellbird'' a ...

. For this role, she was nominated for a Qantas Film and Television Award for best actress. In 2014 she appeared in

Taika Waititi Taika David Cohen (born 16 August 1975), known professionally as Taika Waititi ( ), is a New Zealand filmmaker, actor, and comedian. Known for quirky comedy films and expanding his career as a voice actor and producer on numerous projects, he ...

's film ''

What We Do in the Shadows ''What We Do in the Shadows'' is a 2014 New Zealand mockumentary comedy horror film written and directed by Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi and the first installment in the ''What We Do in the Shadows'' franchise. The film also stars Cleme ...

''. Stejko has also acted in and directed stage productions in Auckland and established an acting school, Actors Studio.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stejko, Elena 21st-century New Zealand actresses Russian emigrants to New Zealand Living people 20th-century births Year of birth missing (living people) Actresses from Kyiv