Vera Cherny was born Vera Chernysheva in Primorsky Krai, Russia, to Vasily, an Army officer, and Lyubov, a teacher. Because of her father’s profession, the family moved a lot. The first time they relocated, Vera was less than two months old and her parents carried her onto a military truck in an open suitcase, instead of a bassinet.
She began performing at three years old at a local ballet school in Altengrabow, in the former East Germany. At 16, Vera came to the United States on a full tuition scholarship from the Freedom Support Act. She continued her undergraduate and graduate studies in the U.S., while acting in regional theatre productions and taking dance lessons. She graduated with an M.F.A. in Acting from the Actors Studio Drama School in New York City.
Vera appears on the FX series “The Americans” as a recurring character of Tatiana (Seasons 3 through 6) and as a recurring character of Irina Markova on Season 2 of “Counterpart” (Starz!). She also plays Vera on “StartUp” (Sony’s Crackle, Seasons 1 and 2) and Oksana Volkova on “Queen of the South” (USA, Season 4).
