Isidora Goreshter (born October 24, 1981) is an American actress. She is best known for portraying

Svetlana Svetlana () is a common Orthodox Slavic languages, Slavic feminine given name, deriving from the East Slavic languages, East and South Slavic languages, South Slavic root ''svet'' (), meaning "light", "shining", "luminescent", "pure", "blessed", ...

on the American TV series '' Shameless'' from seasons 3 to 8.

Early life

Goreshter was born and raised in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

, where she began performing on stage at age three. She studied

classical ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as en pointe, pointe work, turnout (ballet), turnout of the legs, ...

. Goreshter competed in

gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...

as a child. She earned first place in beam, second place in vault and

floor A floor is the bottom surface of a room or vehicle. Floors vary from wikt:hovel, simple dirt in a cave to many layered surfaces made with modern technology. Floors may be stone, wood, bamboo, metal or any other material that can support the ex ...

, and third place all-around in her age group at the California State Cup Championship in 1992. Also in 1992, she came in second place overall in her age group at the Central Pacific Championships. She graduated from

Long Beach State California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), also known in athletics as Long Beach State University (LBSU), is a public teaching-focused institution in Long Beach, California, United States. The 322-acre campus is the second largest in the ...

with degrees in Art History and Theatre.

Personal life

Goreshter was the first member of her family born in the United States. Goreshter's family is from the former Soviet Union. Two of Goreshter's grandparents are from Orhei,

Moldova Moldova, officially the Republic of Moldova, is a Landlocked country, landlocked country in Eastern Europe, with an area of and population of 2.42 million. Moldova is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. ...

. Goreshter studied acting at the

Stella Adler Stella Adler (February 10, 1901 – December 21, 1992) was an American actress and acting teacher. A member of Yiddish Theater's Adler dynasty, Adler began acting at a young age. She shifted to producing, directing, and teaching, founding the ...

acting conservatory. She appeared in such stage shows productions as ''Beirut'', ''The Smell of the Kill'', ''Waiting for Lefty'', ''Laundry and Bourbon'', and ''

Waiting for Godot ''Waiting for Godot'' ( or ) is a 1953 play by Irish writer and playwright Samuel Beckett, in which the two main characters, Vladimir (Waiting for Godot), Vladimir (Didi) and Estragon (Gogo), engage in a variety of discussions and encounters w ...

''. She has degrees in theatre and art history.

Career

Goreshter made her film debut with a small role in the motion picture ''

Paranoia Paranoia is an instinct or thought process that is believed to be heavily influenced by anxiety, suspicion, or fear, often to the point of delusion and irrationality. Paranoid thinking typically includes persecutory beliefs, or beliefs of co ...

'', starring

Harrison Ford Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. Regarded as a cinematic cultural icon, he has starred in Harrison Ford filmography, many notable films over seven decades, and is one of List of highest-grossing actors, the highest-gr ...

Gary Oldman Sir Gary Leonard Oldman (born 21 March 1958) is an English actor and filmmaker. Known for his versatility and intense acting style, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Gary Oldman, various accolades, including an Academ ...

and

Liam Hemsworth Liam Hemsworth (born 13 January 1990) is an Australian actor. He played the roles of Josh Taylor (Neighbours), Josh Taylor in the soap opera ''Neighbours'' and Marcus in the children's television series ''The Elephant Princess''. In American fi ...

. She then took supporting roles in the films ''T is for Twig'', '' A Leading Man'' and the award-winning short ''

Wonder Girl Wonder Girl is the alias of multiple list of superheroines, superheroines featured in comic books published by DC Comics. They are associated with the superheroine Wonder Woman and possess Amazons (DC Comics), Amazonian powers. The Wonder Girl a ...

s''. In 2013, Goreshter guest starred in the television series '' Shameless'' as the prostitute Svetlana. At first meant to be a short-term character, Goreshter became a series regular in 2016. She left after season 8. Goreshter went on to a lead role in the film ''Petal Pushers'' and had a major role opposite

Noël Wells Noël Kristi Wells (born December 23, 1986) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and writer. She is known for her television roles as Rachel Silva in the Netflix comedy-drama ''Master of None'' (20152017), as the voice of Kelsey Pokoly in th ...

and

Joe Pantoliano Joseph Peter Pantoliano (born September 12, 1951) is an American actor who has played over 150 roles across film, television, and theater. He is best known for portraying Francis Fratelli in '' The Goonies'' (1985), Captain Conrad Howard in th ...

in '' Happy Anniversary''.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Goreshter, Isidora American television actresses Living people Actresses from Long Beach, California American film actresses 21st-century American actresses American people of Moldovan-Jewish descent 1981 births