Hello and welcome!
I’m Elena Lander, an international actress based in Milan, shaped by a multicultural background and a truly European identity. Fluent in English, Italian, Russian and Hebrew, I work naturally across languages and cultures, bringing depth, precision and versatility to every role.
I am drawn to strong, complex women with layered inner lives: career-driven professionals, doctors, journalists and intelligence operatives, as well as warm, emotionally grounded characters navigating transformation, motherhood and personal change. I also love the sharp edge of dark comedy, where emotional truth meets the absurd.
My screen work includes the award-winning feature The Best Century of My Life (dir. Alessandro Bardani), Per amore di una donna (dir. Guido Chiesa), Formiche (dir. Federico Spiazzi) and the lead role in Settimo Grado (dir. Massimo Cappelli), as well as the series I Fratelli Corsaro and Stucky.
On stage, I recently played Heather in The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm: a 90-minute two-hander performed in English, which premiered to a sold-out house at Factory32 in Milan.
Born in Moscow into a Jewish family, I graduated in acting, trained in the traditions of Stanislavski, Vakhtangov and Chekhov. Years in front of the camera as a host of Russia’s national morning show Utro Rossii (TEFI nomination) and as a news anchor on Channel 9 in Israel gave me thousands of hours of live on-air experience. I also hold a Master’s degree in Creative Production from NABA Milan, where I wrote and directed the short film Doppia Sfida, selected for eight international festivals.
Beyond the set, I am full of energy and curiosity: running half-marathons, dancing salsa and bachata, and, admittedly, indulging in far too much pistachio ice cream. Because every strong character needs at least one sweet flaw.
Ciao,
Elena