Dimitri Diatchenko, ‘Sons of Anarchy’ and ‘Chernobyl Diaries’ Actor, Dead at 52

Actor Dimitri Diatchenko has passed away at the age of 52. The news was confirmed by Diatchenko’s agent, Roger Paul, as reported by Deadline.

Diatchenko apparently died suddenly on April 21 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Paul has said that it could have to do with an electric shock he got while working days earlier or a possible been a heart attack. The official autopsy reports are still pending. A San Francisco native, Diatchenko managed to land a number of high-profile roles on shows ranging from How I Met Your Mother, Bones and Criminal Minds. Though, he managed to make one of his biggest impressions as the head Russian back in Season 4 of Sons of Anarchy.

Although Kurt Sutter’s beloved biker drama wasn’t the only chance Diatchenko got at a role of that sort. A first-generation American whose mother was Greek and Swedish but whose father came from Ukraine, the actor had a natural talent for playing Russian characters, and did so in projects like Get Smart, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and Chernobyl Diaries. His performance in the latter ended up earning him significant praise from critics, as well.

Born in 1968, Diatchenko started studying classical guitar at the age of 7, and eventually earned his Masters Degree in Music from Florida State University in 1996. The following year, he landed his first big-screen role as a trainee in director Ridley Scott’s military drama G.I. Jane, which starred Demi Moore. After moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting, he continued to teach classical guitar, as well as play both solo and band gigs around the area.

He also did a fair amount of voicework, which can be heard in everything from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to Family Guy and The Wild Thornberries. This also extended to videogames, starting with the voice of Sledge in Quake 4. His work can also be heard in Call of Duty: World at War, Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions and Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception.

Diatchenko’s final film role was in the 2016 found-footage horror flick They’re Watching. On the small screen, he last appeared on camera in an episode of the crime procedural Murder in the First. Though the actor is survived by siblings, nieces and nephews, his family has asked that anyone wishing to send flowers instead make a donation to Love Thy Neighbor International.