# Ivan Sergei
**Ivan Sergei** (full name Ivan Sergei Gaudio) is an American actor whose career has been centered on television, with best-known roles as Matt Mateo in the independent film *The Opposite of Sex* (1998), David 'Jill' Jillefsky on the WB romantic comedy *Jack & Jill* (1999–2001), Dr. Peter Winslow on *Crossing Jordan*, and Henry Mitchell on *Charmed*.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/) He was born in 1971 in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and is of Dutch and Italian descent.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [3](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/13259/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Ivan Sergei Gaudio; he dropped the surname Gaudio for brevity when he began performing[3](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/13259/) • [4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) |
| Born | 1971, Hawthorne, New Jersey, USA; height 1.92 m (6′ 3½″)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/bio/) |
| Breakthrough | Huero in *Dangerous Minds* (1995), won through an open casting call; lead in John Woo's *Once a Thief* (1996) and its 1997 series[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/) • [6](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/) |
| Signature TV roles | David 'Jill' Jillefsky on *Jack & Jill* (1999–2001, 33 episodes); Dr. Peter Winslow on *Crossing Jordan* (2003–2004); Henry Mitchell on *Charmed* (2005–2006, 11 episodes)[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [7](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ivan-sergei/filmografie) |
| Behind the camera | Directed and co-wrote the film *Rebellion* (2002), his only directing and writing credit[4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) |
| Career volume | About 66 acting credits from 1990 to 2025, plus one directing, one writing, and one producing credit[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [3](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/13259/) |
| Personal life | Married Tanya Gaudio in August 2003; the marriage ended in divorce in 2009[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/bio/) |
## Early life and start in acting
Sergei grew up in Hawthorne, New Jersey, and played football at a competitive level in his youth, quarterbacking the Hawthorne Cubs in high school; he also performed in school plays and took acting courses after graduating in 1989.[4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) • [8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/bio/3030032345/) He started his acting career in [Off-Broadway](https://www.edgepedia.org/off-broadway) productions in New York City before moving into television.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/bio/3030032345/)
His first screen appearance was in the 1994 television film *Bionic Ever After?*, and in 1995 he played a leading role in the family drama *If Someone Had Known*.[4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) His big-screen debut came the same year with *Dangerous Minds*, the high-school drama starring [Michelle Pfeiffer](https://www.edgepedia.org/michelle-pfeiffer); Sergei won the role of the troubled student Huero through an open casting call and worked alongside real-life gang members as well as actors.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/)
## 1990s: breakthrough and television leads
The role that first gained him significant notice was in [John Woo](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-woo)'s 1996 action film *Once a Thief*, in which he played Mac Ramsey; he received martial arts training for the part and returned to the character for a 1997 television series that ran a single season.[8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/bio/3030032345/) • [5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/bio/) • [9](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ivan-sergei) Through the mid-1990s he also accumulated guest roles on shows including *Touched by an Angel*, *Cybill*, and *Party of Five*, and parts in television movies such as *Mother, May I Sleep with Danger?* (1996).[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/)
In 1998 he played Matt Mateo, the slow-witted hunk seduced by [Christina Ricci](https://www.edgepedia.org/christina-ricci)'s character, in Don Roos's independent black comedy *The Opposite of Sex*; the film holds an 81% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes and remains his highest-rated credit there.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/) • [10](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ivan_sergei) Beginning in 1999 he reached a wider audience starring opposite [Amanda Peet](https://www.edgepedia.org/amanda-peet) on *Jack & Jill* as David 'Jill' Jillefsky, an awkward but charming toy designer in New York City; the series ran from 1999 to 2001.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/) • [1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/)
## 2000s: series work and the Hawaii move
In 2002 he returned to series television with the ABC midseason replacement sitcom *Wednesday 9:30 (8:30 Central)*, set in the world of network television.[2](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/) That year he also made his only attempt at filmmaking from the other side of the camera, directing and co-writing the film *Rebellion*; he did not return to directing afterward.[4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej)
He joined *Crossing Jordan* as Dr. Peter Winslow, appearing as a series regular in 2003–2004.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) In 2004 he left that show to take the lead role of Detective Danny Edwards in the NBC police drama *Hawaii*, telling the *Honolulu Star-Bulletin* that he had been underused on *Crossing Jordan*, working three days a week or less, and that he had asked its producers to release him from his contract.[11](https://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/08/23/features/story1.html) • [12](https://www.tvguide.com/news/ivan-sergei-charmed-40925/) *Hawaii* premiered on NBC on September 1, 2004, with Sergei partnered on screen with [Eric Balfour](https://www.edgepedia.org/eric-balfour).[11](https://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/08/23/features/story1.html)
From 2005 to 2006 he played Henry Mitchell, a mortal lawman and the husband of Paige ([Rose McGowan](https://www.edgepedia.org/rose-mcgowan)), on *Charmed*.[7](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ivan-sergei/filmografie) • [6](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/) In a 2006 interview he said he was happy on *Charmed* but wished he had stayed on *Crossing Jordan*.[12](https://www.tvguide.com/news/ivan-sergei-charmed-40925/) His film work in the decade included *Scorched* (2002), *Playing Mona Lisa* (2000), *[The Break-Up](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-break-up)* (2006), and the holiday television movie *Santa Baby* (2006).[9](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ivan-sergei)
## Later career
Sergei led the adventure miniseries *Jack Hunter and the Lost Treasure of Ugarit* (2008) and made guest appearances through the 2000s and 2010s on shows including *CSI: Miami*, *Warehouse 13*, *The Mentalist*, *Castle*, *Body of Proof*, *NCIS: New Orleans*, and *Twisted*.[6](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/) • [7](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ivan-sergei/filmografie) In 2010 he played a main role in the series *Gravity*, about suicide survivors given a second chance at life.[4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) His television-movie and independent-film work in the 2010s included *Hidden Away* (2013), *Jewtopia* (2012), and *Broken Memories* (2017), on which he also served as associate producer.[13](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/credits/3030032345/)
More recent credits include *BH90210* (2019, as Nate), *Magic Max* (2020, as Max Hart), and *Night Train* (2023, as Agent Connolly), with a role as Trevor Bowie in *The Butterfly Guard* listed for 2025.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/) • [6](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/)
## Personal life and interests
Sergei married Tanya Gaudio in August 2003; the marriage lasted about six years and ended in divorce in 2009.[5](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/bio/) • [4](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej) He pursues photography as a hobby and has built a darkroom in his house where he develops his own prints.[3](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/13259/) • [8](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/bio/3030032345/) He has remained active with fans of *Charmed*, participating in video chats and a live-stream question-and-answer session with cast members.[6](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/)
## References
1. [Ivan Sergei, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/)
2. [Ivan Sergei, TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ivan-sergei/)
3. [Иван Сергей (Ivan Sergei), Кинопоиск](https://www.kinopoisk.ru/name/13259/)
4. [Иван Сергей, 24ТВ](https://24h.tv/persons/ivan-sergej)
5. [Ivan Sergei Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001720/bio/)
6. [Ivan Sergei, MN2S talent roster](https://mn2s.com/booking-agency/talent-roster/ivan-sergei/)
7. [Filmografie Ivan Sergei, fernsehserien.de](https://www.fernsehserien.de/ivan-sergei/filmografie)
8. [Ivan Sergei Biography, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/bio/3030032345/)
9. [Ivan Sergei Movies on Netflix, NetflixMovies.com](https://www.netflixmovies.com/s/actor/ivan-sergei)
10. [Ivan Sergei, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/ivan_sergei)
11. [Modern-day McGarretts, Honolulu Star-Bulletin (August 23, 2004)](https://archives.starbulletin.com/2004/08/23/features/story1.html)
12. [Will Charmed's Cop Learn the Truth?, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/news/ivan-sergei-charmed-40925/)
13. [Ivan Sergei List of Movies and TV Shows, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/ivan-sergei/credits/3030032345/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 1970s to 1990s › Surnames Sc to Sl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license