Misha Collins

TV show connoisseurs know the American actor Misha Collins thanks to his roles in ER, The Venture Bros., Charmed, and of course in the role of the angel Castiel in Supernatural.

Collins’ true last name Krushnic. Some time ago, his ancestors lived in Kyiv oblast before emigrating to Canada.

The actor fervently and unequivocally supported Ukraine when the full-scale invasion started. On February 24th of 2023, at the request of UNITED24 he recorded a video address in Ukrainian: “Know that your courage, tenacity, strength and dignity in your fight with evil is an inspiration for the whole world.”

On the eve of Kyiv Day, Collins gave his good wishes to the city in an Instagram post, and then a few days later visited Kyiv personally.

The actor’s arrival coincided with a period of mass russian attacks, so he spent much of it hiding in shelters, watching deadly missiles fly through the skies, and hearing the anti-air forces at work. But at the same time, he felt the courage, sincerity, and true love we feel towards Ukraine. Collins shared those feelings with his millions of fans on social media.

Misha Collins was invited by President Zelenskyy to the UNITED24 team, becoming an ambassador for the Humanitarian Demining program. To better understand the needs of Ukrainian sappers and the scale of the catastrophe (as of today, Ukraine is the most mined country in the whole world), Collins has made multiple trips. Together with the first vice-prime minister Yuliia Svyrydenko, he visited the Irpin forest.

Then, he visited the Chernihiv region. Here he met sappers and divers, examined the area where explosives were neutralized, and familiarized himself with the demining training center.

In spring 2024, Misha visited Ukraine for the second time. Together with director Darius Marder, he spent a day in the Sumy region: they visited an area where humanitarian demining was taking place, observed the work of divers, and met search dogs.

After that, the actor launched a fundraiser for a demining vehicle and, thanks to donor support, raised $450,000. The demining vehicle significantly speeds up and makes the sappers’ work easier, while its armored cabin protects them during transport.

“Even if the war in Ukraine ends tomorrow, the legacy of the war will remain until the entire land is cleared of mines,” the actor said about his new mission.

Support the Humanitarian Demining program to help sappers clear Ukrainian land of russian munitions.