We often hear stories of actors plucked from obscurity and propelled to stardom on the big screen. But perhaps no rise has been as meteoric as Mark Eidelstein. The 22-year-old actor was discovered via Zoom in his home in western Russia, to land one of the lead roles in Anora, the Palme d’or-winning film that premiered late this year. In fact, his performance was so convincing that Eidelstein is now being hailed as the next Timothée Chalamet – and not just for his playful personality and mop of brown hair. Below, get to know the star-in-the-making. 

Who is Mark Eidelstein?

If you've already seen Anora, you'll recognise Eidelstein as his character, Ivan: the goofy young son of a Russian oligarch, who falls in love with the film's protagonist, a sex worker, played by Mikey Madison. But beyond the character, Eidelstein originally hails from the western Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod, where he was raised by non-famous parents: a sports journalist and a teacher.

As a teenager, Eidelstein left home in secret to travel to Moscow, where he was accepted into the Moscow Art Theatre School. While studying there, he began acting in short films and television shows, before landing a part a Russian film, The Land of Sasha, which premiered at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival. It was this role that caught the attention of Anora director Sean Baker, who asked Eidelstein to record a self-tape for the role of Ivan. Knowing that Ivan would have a wardrobe full of expensive clothes (and that he, himself, did not), Eidelstein made the choice to record the scenes topless – a decision that ultimately worked in his favour. Before long, he was on a plane to America and well on the path to stardom. 

He's been compared to Timothée Chalamet

It should come as no surprise that, on social media, Eidelstein is being compared to Timothée Chalamet. The two actors bear more than a striking resemblance, with their thick brown hair and lean statures. On and off screen, Eidelstein has the boyish, energetic charm Chalamet is so loved for in spades. As for how the up-and-coming actor feels about the comparison, he told Variety he's made peace with it: “It did become a little annoying, but then I watched Dune, and now I think he’s probably one of the best actors of my generation. Him and Barry Keoghan.”

Feature image: IMDb