Getty Dimitri Diatchenko
Dimitri Diatchenko, an actor best known for his role in Chernobyl Diaries, has died at the age of 52. TMZ first reported the actor’s death on Friday after speaking to the star’s brother. Diatchenko’s family called the police on Wednesday, April 22, for a wellness check at his home, since they hadn’t heard from him in a few days. The police discovered his body at his home in Daytona Beach, Florida.
His family told TMZ that they believe he died late Monday night or early Tuesday morning. There is not yet a cause of death as a medical examination will take place. TMZ reported that the cause of death is not believed to be from COVID-19. His family told TMZ they were “blindsided” by his death since the actor was healthy and in good physical shape.
Heavy obtained the incident report from the Daytona Beach Police Department. It states that on April 22, at 4:19 p.m., officers arrived at Diatchenko’s residence. They found his body in his residence, and “did not observe any signs of foul play.” According to the police investigation, they learned that Diatchenko was electrocuted during a workplace injury on April 13. He went to see a doctor for the injury, and on April 20, he shared with his boss that he was still not feeling well. It is unknown at this time if this injury was a contributing factor to his death. The police report did not indicate a cause of death.
Heavy reached out to the coroner’s office for more information but has not yet heard back.
Diatchenko Appeared in Many Television & Film Roles & Also Worked as a Voice Actor
The actor began his acting career in the 1990s but was perhaps better known for his 2008 roles in Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls and Get Smart. He also received praise for his portrayal of Ukrainian tour guide Yuri in the 2012 movie Chernobyl Diaries. He has appeared in many smaller roles in TV shows in the last 20 years, including How I Met Your Mother, Sons of Anarchy and 2 Broke Girls.
Diatchenko also worked as a voice actor, primarily appearing in video games. He started that work in 2005, providing different voices on Medal of Honor: European Assault. He provided additional voices on a lot of different games after that, including Call of Duty: Black Ops and Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Tomb Raider and Rise of the Tomb Raider and Fallout 4.
The Actor Was Also a Talented Musician & Had a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do
According to his website bio, Diatchenko was 6’2″ and a “powerful presence both on screen and off” with an “unmatched talent for dialects.” He was a first-generation American with a Ukrainian father, and his ability to put on a flawless Russian accent helped him with many of his roles.
He was born in San Francisco and attended Newton North High School in Newton, Massachusetts. After high school, he went to Stetson University in Deland, Florida as a scholarship music student studying classical guitar. He then obtained a masters degree from Florida State University, studying music and acting. He’s released four solo guitar albums and continued performing after pursuing his acting career.
Diatchenko studied martial arts from the age of 7, receiving a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and Kenpo Karate. He competed as a heavyweight in national championships and is described in his bio as a “former national Tae Kwon Do heavyweight champion.”
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