MARS is an award-winning Russian-Ukrainian-Jewish actor.

Margarita "MARS" Zhitnikova is a blend of passion, style, and discipline, known for their body of work in the NY indie film world. They play dynamic and believable characters, breaking societal norms and creating representation along the way. Born in Stalingrad and fluent in Russian, MARS came to America with their family as Jewish refugees when they were six, settling in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. It was hard for MARS to get used to a new country, a new language, and a new culture. They found comfort and acceptance while taking an acting class. MARS' acting credits include Jeanine on Apple TV's Presumed Innocent, Katjia Polski on NBC's New Amsterdam, leading roles in the short films Appetite, Jones, 2 Weeks, and the feature Triple Threat from Besties Make Movies, MARS’ production company.  Currently, MARS is working on the audio comedy The Register, and Test Kitchen, an award-winning short horror film about veganism and cannibalism. Test Kitchen is being developed into a feature, with MARS attached as the lead and was a finalist in Sundance's Development Lab. They are filming the role of Wanda, a pornstar dominatrix with a big heart, in Deathless.