Martin Ivanov

Martin Ivanov (born March 18, 1977) is a stunt driver and performer. Born in Moscow, then part of the RSFSR in the USSR. His full name is Martin Viktorovich Ivanov. He is the son of the veteran Russian stunt coordinator, actor, and director Viktor Ivanov.

Raised initially in Moscow, Ivanov later moved with his mother to Lithuania following his parents’ divorce. In his teens, he developed a passion for motorsport—by age 19, he had earned national titles in hippodrome and ring racing in Lithuania, and he continued to compete in rally championships in the region afterwards.

His entry into stunt performance came via his father’s invitation to work on the Russian film White Gold (2000), which sparked his interest in filmmaking and stunt work. A pivotal moment came in 2003 when director Paul Greengrass was filming The Bourne Supremacy (2004). There was a casting call in Moscow for a stunt double. Martin, whose physical resemblance to Matt Damon was striking, was selected to perform many of the dangerous action sequences without CGI. This daring work won praise—though the Taurus Award for that sequence went to his father because Martin was unable to secure a U.S. visa at the time.