From a bomb shelter in Kyiv to 170 million views: the American dream of Ukrainian Daniil Bonk
16 February 19:03
A story about how a classic Ukrainian theater school becomes the foundation for conquering Hollywood, even if the path to a dream begins to the sound of sirens
When Daniil Bonk went down into a bomb shelter in Kyiv in early 2022, he wasn’t thinking about the red carpets of Los Angeles, but about how to continue rehearsals. At the time, he was part of Italian director Matteo Spiazzi’s international project The Ball. Work on the play did not stop even during the first, most difficult months of the full-scale invasion, recalls the young Ukrainian actor, adding that “this episode became indicative of his entire future career.” Komersant tells the story of the young Ukrainian’s journey and his role in front of an audience of 120 million people.
The foundation of “Karpenko”
Daniil’s success overseas was not a coincidence or the result of a viral video on TikTok. Behind him is an elite Ukrainian education. A graduate of the I. K. Karpenko-Karyi Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television, he underwent rigorous training in Bogdan Strutynsky’s workshop. It was a school where they taught not just how to act, but how to live on stage, recalls Daniil, which later allowed him to receive the Kyiv Pectoral Award for his participation in the play Reset to Factory Settings and to perform in collaboration with the National Opera of Ukraine.
The language barrier as a challenge
Moving to the United States was a leap into the unknown, recalls the young actor. And the biggest challenge was the language: Daniil arrived in the US knowing virtually no English. For an actor whose main tool is the spoken word, this could have been a “death sentence.” However, thanks to the same perseverance that kept him in the profession during the war, he not only learned the language, but achieved fluency with an authentic American accent. So today, he competes for English-speaking roles on an equal footing with native speakers.
Working with ReelShort and ShortMax
The American entertainment industry is changing rapidly, and Daniil Bonk is riding the crest of this wave. He has found his niche in vertical drama series, a format that is currently experiencing a real boom on platforms such as ReelShort and ShortMax.
The combined audience for projects in which he has participated has exceeded 170 million viewers worldwide.
His role in the hit series How to Break a DILF was seen by 120 million people. And in the project Blood & Silver: Rise of the Alpha’s Rejected Mate (50 million views), he played the key antagonist, whose actions drove the plot for several episodes. It is worth noting that these are not episodic appearances, but full-fledged, dramatically charged roles that require a deep understanding of the character’s psychology.
In addition to TV series, the actor appeared in the music video Business by Gur Sidhu, which has garnered over 23 million views on YouTube, cementing his recognition in pop culture.
Victory at the Golden Short Film Festival
However, Daniil emphasizes that he is not limited to commercial success. Acting depth and participation in festival cinema are among his priorities. The film Don’t Waste It brought him victory at the Golden Short Film Festival 2025, and the film My Project Life made him a finalist at the prestigious Oniros Film Awards and Indie Short Fest.
Today, Daniil Bonk works exclusively on professional contracts, confirming that the Ukrainian acting school is a mark of quality even thousands of kilometers away from Kyiv.
