Ken Davitian

Kenneth Davitian (Armenian: Քենեթ Դավիթյան; born June 19, 1953) is an American actor, best known for his role as Borat's producer Azamat Bagatov in the 2006 comedy film Borat,[1] and for his role as Shtarker in the 2008 action-comedy film Get Smart.

Ken Davitian
Davitian attending the "Night of 100 Stars" for the 82nd Academy Awards viewing party at the Beverly Hills Hotel on March 7, 2010
Born
Kenneth Davitian

(1953-06-19) 19 June 1953
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Actor
  • comedian
  • restaurateur
Years active1975–present

Early life and education

Kenneth Davitian was born in Los Angeles on June 19, 1953, to an Armenian American family from Montebello, California.[2] His maternal grandparents were survivors of the Armenian genocide.[3] His father, a Red Army soldier during World War II, was captured by Wehrmacht forces and placed at an Armenian Legion camp in Stuttgart. After the end of the war, he immigrated to the United States through the efforts of George Mardikian. Davitian worked in his father's waste management company.[4][5] He graduated from Garfield High School in East Los Angeles and Whittier College.[6][7]

His teenage idol was Burt Reynolds, who greatly influenced his choice of becoming an actor.[8] Davitian would go on to perform in the film Pocket Listing, which also featured Reynolds.[9]

Davitian is fluent in Armenian; he speaks in Armenian as Azamat in Borat.[10]

Restaurant ventures

Davitian founded a restaurant in 2003 called The Dip, which was located in Los Angeles.[11] His son Robert used to run his baseball-themed hot dog restaurant The Infield in Sherman Oaks, which boasted a hot dog, conceived by Charlie Sheen, called the "Charlie Sheen Dog with Tiger Blood".[12]

Filmography

Film
Year Title Role Notes
1975 Sons of Sassoun Freedom Fighter
1977 American Raspberry Fat Bartender
1991 Talkin' Dirty After Dark Seat Mate
1991 Bikini Summer Max
1992 Tuesday Never Comes Greenberg
1992 Maximum Force Fat Man
1992 Return to Frogtown Bud
1993 Sexual Intent Topless Bar Owner Direct-to-video
1993 Private Wars Bartender Direct-to-video
1994 The Silence of the Hams Luciano Pavarotti
1994 Red Sun Rising Cab driver
1995 Lord of Illusions Swann Audience Member Uncredited
1996 The Garbage Man Uncle Herbert
2000 Virgins of Sherwood Forest Manny / Friar Tuck Direct-to-video
2000 Our Lips Are Sealed Thug No. 1
2001 Bukas, Babaha ng Dugo Raul
2002 May Foreign Doctor
2002 Boris Pawn-Shop Dealer Short film
2002 After Freedom Jacob
2003 A Man Apart Ramon Cadena
2003 Holes Igor Barkov
2003 S.W.A.T. Uncle Martin Gascoigne
2004 L.A. Twister Walter
2006 Borat Azamat Bagatov
2007 Lucky You Poker Player Uncredited
2007 South of Pico Nick
2007 On Bloody Sunday Grandpa
2008 Get Smart Shtarker
2008 Stone & Ed Senor Gordo
2008 Meet the Spartans Xerxes
2008 Julia Taxi Driver
2008 Lonely Street Raj (Motel Owner)
2008 Float Vahig Manoogian
2008 Soul Men Ardesh Kezian
2009 Not Forgotten Father Salinas
2010 Let the Game Begin Eric Banks
2010 The Prankster Stavros Karas
2011 You May Not Kiss the Bride Vlatko 'Vadik' Nikitin
2011 The Artist Pawnbroker
2011 The Ballerino Sergey 'Sam' Belyakova / Homeless Bob Short film
2012 Sharkproof Yuri
2012 Melvin Smarty
2013 Abstraction Jacob Sarian
2014 Small Time Wexler
2014 Walk of Shame Cab Driver
2015 Pocket Listing Mr. Mousian
2015 Big Baby Underbrunter
2015 Burn Off
2016 Nina Club Owner
2016 Paint It Black Masha The Baker
2016 The Hollywouldn'ts Frankie 'The Method' DeSayse
2017 The Sex Addict Ken Davitian
2017 The President's Sun Khoren Short film
2017 Once Upon a Time in Venice Yuri
2017 Price for Freedom Sheik Omar
2017 Five Star Fouad Fouad Short film
2018 Diverted Eden Scotty
2018 The Samuel Project Vartan
2020 Roe v. Wade Papa Potemkin
2021 Habit Gus

Television
Year Title Role Notes
1996 Saved by the Bell: The New Class Gus Episode: "Trash TV"
1997 C-16: FBI Professor David Amir Episode: "The Sandman"
1997 Players Big Oscar Episode: "Contact Sport"
1998 Soldier of Fortune, Inc. Russian Captain Episode: "Double-Edged Sword"
1999 Oh, Grow Up Taxi Driver Episode: "President of the House"
1999 Becker Cab Driver Episode: "Hate Thy Neighbor"
2000 Missing Pieces Jorge Television film
2000, 2007 ER Zakar Papazian 2 episodes
2000 L.A. 7 Alphonse Episode: "House Sitting"
2000 Strong Medicine Cabbie Episode: "Drug Interactions"
2001 Arliss Episode: "As Others See Us"
2002 The Shield Older Armenian Episode: "Blowback"
2002 Gilmore Girls Jesus Episode: "Take the Deviled Eggs..."
2003 Six Feet Under Krikor Hovanessian Episode: "I'm Sorry, I'm Lost"
2003 The Division Archimedes Episode: "Hearts & Minds"
2003 Boomtown Jewelry Store Owner Episode: "Wannabe"
2004 Line of Fire Zach Episode: "I'm Your Boogie Man"
2005 Mind of Mencia Gardner Episode: #1.2
2006 Boston Legal Mr. Kahanov Episode: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang"
2006 The Closer Mr. Sarcasian Episode: "To Protect & to Serve"
2006 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross Azamat Bagatov Episode: #11.8
2006 Saturday Night Live Episode: "Hugh Laurie/Beck"
2007 Ghost Whisperer Jake Rose Episode: "The Collector"
2008 Starting Under Ken Television film
2009 Chuck 'Uncle' Bernie Episode: "Chuck Versus the First Kill"
2011 The Cape Store Owner Episode: "Tarot"
2011 Big Time Rush King of Kerplankistan Episode: "Big Time Wedding"
2012 Chasing the Hill Arnold Sarca Episode: "Awesomeness Is a Warm Gun"
2012 Natasha Mail Order Bride Escape to America Boris the Butcher Television film
2013 It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia Snyder Episode: "The Gang Broke Dee"
2014 Two and a Half Men Mr. Mardirosian Episode: "Lotta Delis in Little Armenia"
2015 Hawaii Five-0 Omar Sadek Episode: "A Make Kaua"
2015 Ray Donovan Vartan 3 episodes
2017 Small Shots Amir 2 episodes
2017 All Wrong Kourosh Television miniseries
2018 3rd Eye Zoran Fashard
2018–2021 Cobra Kai Armand Zarkarian 3 episodes
2018 BBZ Good Morning Horizon: The Royal Wedding LIVE Coverage Hank Markle Television film
2018 Actress: Another Word for Waitress Giagni Mustavo Episode: "SHOWTIME"
2019 NCIS: Los Angeles Narek Episode: "Human Resources"

Video games
Year Title Role Notes
1996 The Adventures of Pinocchio Grande

Music videos
Year Title Director Label Role Notes
1999 Stand Inside Your Love W.I.Z. Virgin Records Throne figure

References
  1. Dargis, Manohla (November 3, 2016). "Borat". The New York Times.
  2. Abcarian, Robin (February 25, 2007). "Less recognizable with clothes". Los Angeles Times.
  3. "Actor Ken Davitian Transitions into New Genres". January 4, 2019.
  4. "Ken Davitian Interview" (in Armenian). Shant TV. July 5, 2012. Archived from the original on December 18, 2021.
  5. Abrams, Tamar (November 29, 2011). "Borat Catapulted Him to Fame, but Ken Davitian Is Not Azamat". HuffPost. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  6. Abcarian, Robin (February 25, 2007). "Less recognizable with clothes". Los Angeles Times.
  7. "America's Best Colleges No. 253 Whittier College". Forbes. May 8, 2009. Notable Alumni Ken Davitian, actor, Borat
  8. Abrams, Tamar (November 29, 2011). "Borat Catapulted Him to Fame, but Ken Davitian Is Not Azamat". HuffPost. Retrieved July 10, 2012.
  9. Busch, Anita (November 4, 2016). "Orion Pictures Picks up 'Pocket Listing' For Limited Theatrical Release". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved November 26, 2016.
  10. joe.piasecki@latimes.com, Joe Piasecki (October 4, 2013). "Video: Armenian media thrives in Glendale, Burbank area". Los Angeles Times.
  11. Abcarian, Robin (January 7, 2011). "Ken Davitian is enjoying, very much, his Hollywood high five". The San Francisco Chronicle.
  12. Bellantoni, Cassandra M. (March 6, 2011). "Hot Dog With Tiger Blood Heats Up Sherman Oaks Restaurant". Patch. Retrieved July 11, 2011.
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