Elya Baskin

Elya Baskin, born Ilya Zalmanovich Baskin on August 11, 1950, is a Latvian-American character actor. He gained recognition for his role as Robin Williams' character's best friend in the film Moscow on the Hudson (1984). Baskin is also well-known for portraying Mr. Ditkovich, Peter Parker's landlord, in the films Spider-Man 2 (2004) and Spider-Man 3 (2007). Additionally, he played cosmonaut Max Brailovsky in 2010: The Year We Make Contact (1984). Baskin was born in Riga, Latvian SSR, and attended Moscow's Theatre and Variety Arts College. He defected to the United States in 1976 and has since built a successful career in film and television, often portraying Eastern European characters.