ABOUT
Dan was born in Romania, graduated from the University of Theatre and Film in Bucharest, moved to the United States in 1998, and lives in Los Angeles.
He has performed at the National Theatre in Bucharest, the Jewish Theatre, and "Radu Stanca" Theatre in Sibiu. He played the lead role in the Romanian feature film, Double Ecstasy, directed by Iulian Mihu before he moved to the United States in 2001. Dan performed for many theaters on the East Coast, including the Shakespeare Theatre Company (DC), Arena Stage (DC), Studio Theatre (DC), Theatre J (DC), The Players Theater (NY), and has been a company member of Synetic Theatre (VA) for ten years. He has also performed internationally in Bucharest (Romania), Tbilisi (Georgia), Izmir (Turkey), Bratislava (Slovakia), Paris (France) and Seoul (South Korea). As a dancer and musician he has collaborated with Sharna Fabiano Tango Company and baredances in Washington DC, and independent dance artists in Los Angeles.
Dan has appeared in many TV shows, feature films, and short films, and music videos: "Start Up" on Netflix, "Great News" on NBC,"S.W.A.T." on CBS, and "Alias" on ABC, " Dinner With The Alchemist," directed by Kevin Good. He also co-produced and starred in the feature film "Her Tango," directed by Jason Mullis inspired by his own passion for Argentinian Tango. Dan has recently co-produced, co-directed, and starred in the art-house film "Golani", a raw and heart-wrenching portrayal of life during Communism in the late 1980's in Romania. All three feature films are available on Amazon Prime. He portrays Enzo, a lovable strip club owner, in the comedy series "Sexpectations", created by Jenna St. John.
Dan has been part of the Synetic Motion Pictures streaming platform from its inception in 2020. He directed and starred in the short film "Leeks, Onions, and Pork Fat", as part of Synetic Theater's adaptation of the Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio. He starred in the award winning "Put The Devil Back in Hell" by Francesca Jandasek, and "Orpheia" by Ben Cunis. He is currently working as a producer, director, and actor on "The Journey," a new mini-series scheduled to premiere in 2024.
INTERVIEWS
Quantum Leap Podcast (2022)
Creative Relationship Dynamics in Live Theater
Lead & Follow Podcast
"Dan Istrate guides us through the Mad Forest of Romania"
DC Theater Scene
REVIEWS
"Dan Istrate gave an endearing and powerful performance as the knight errant Don Quixote de la Mancha.... Istrate’s performance imbued his every movement with the emotion of the scene, but he also developed an exceptional accent that pulled his character together nicely. It’s easy to empathize with Istrate’s Quixote in the course of his various trials, and he uses that empathy to pull you in to the story."
"Dan Istrate plays Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, with a razor-sharp sense of injustice. The forceful integrity of his character overwhelms many of the typical criticisms leveled against the play. When he arrives at court with a knife and demands the legal right to carve a pound of flesh from Antonio's chest, you'll almost hope that he gets it."
"Dan Istrate performs with...relish as the dastardly, power-grabbing Cardinal Richelieu. The red leather robes and kinky black corset by designer Anastasia R. Simes...gives Istrate something wicked to live up to, and the actor responds with a creepy turn that pushes the show toward a pulpy edge."
"Istrate...performs at his elfin best as Ariel. Looking like a cross between one of the Wicked Witch of the West’s flying monkeys and Chris Kattan in his “Saturday Night Live” guise of Mango, Istrate delivers a cheeky performance that borders deliciously on kitsch."
