Meet the Cast of 'The Woman Starts the War' — Plus the Funniest Behind-the-Scenes Moments from Set

“The Woman Starts the War” delivers dark romance and mafia drama on screen, but the cast shared a much lighter side behind the scenes. Here’s a closer look at the actors, their characters, and the funniest BTS moments from set.

“The Woman Starts the War” combines dark romance, mafia tension, and emotional conflict in a fast-paced mini-series led by a cast with growing experience in the vertical drama space.

The 60-episode series follows Cynthia, a nurse who becomes trapped in the dangerous world of mafia boss Allan D’Angelo after getting caught in a violent crossfire.

Along with the intense romance and crime-family rivalry, the cast also shared several behind-the-scenes moments from filming — and some of them were far more chaotic and funny than viewers might expect from a dark mafia story.

Tetiana Zlova as Cynthia

Tetiana Zlova plays Cynthia, a hospital nurse who is strong, independent, and determined. Although Cynthia begins the story in a stable but passionless relationship with her fiancé Harry, everything changes after she crosses paths with Allan D’Angelo.

Speaking about her character in a Q&A video, Zlova explained why Cynthia’s emotional journey stood out to her:

Zlova also described Cynthia as "a strong woman with her own desires, wishes," but also someone who is "soft and feminine" allowing that vulnerability to show once she meets someone who truly sees her for who she really is.

Outside of “The Woman Starts the War,” Zlova has appeared in several vertical dramas including “Love in Oblivion,” “No Escape from the Mafia King's Embrace,” “Hidden Detective Falls for Criminal,” “Desired by Two: The Vampire and the Hunter,” “Contracted Love,” and “The Mafia Beast Won Me in a Gamble.”

One of the funniest behind-the-scenes stories from the set also came from Zlova. Recalling the first night shoot involving two mafia clans meeting in a restaurant, she said:

She also joked about Yehor Kozlov hiding under the table during filming.

Fans also got to see a lighter side of Zlova through clips of her singing on set and interacting with the cast between scenes.

Serhiy Strelnikov as Allan D’Angelo

Serhiy Strelnikov plays Allan D’Angelo, the powerful head of the D’Angelo crime family. Allan is controlling, strategic, and dangerous, but Cynthia slowly becomes his emotional weakness.

Strelnikov comes from a family of doctors and studied at the Kyiv National University of Theatre, Cinema and Television. He has built a strong screen presence through both traditional television and vertical dramas.

In addition to “The Woman Starts the War,” he has appeared in projects including “My Family Sold Me to Criminal Boss,” “Legends of Charmswood,” “The NBR Case,” “I Seduced My Older Therapist,” “Killhouse,” and “My Only Secret Desire.”

Allan fits squarely into the dark-romance archetype the series leans into: a ruthless mafia leader whose softer side only appears around one person. Much of the tension in the story comes from Cynthia trying to resist him while also being pulled deeper into his world.

Serhiy Strelnikov as Allan D’Angelo in "The Woman Starts the War" | Source: youtube/reelshortapp

Yehor Kozlov as Harry

Yehor Kozlov plays Harry, Cynthia’s fiancé. At first, Harry appears to represent stability and safety, but the story gradually reveals his cowardly and self-preserving side once he’s faced with danger.

In one promotional video, Kozlov described his character this way:

Kozlov has become familiar to vertical drama viewers through titles such as “The Bodyguard I Cant Escape,” “Desired by Two: The Vampire and the Hunter,” “No Escape from the Mafia King's Embrace,” “A Queen for the Mafia Kings,” “Professor's Pet,” and “Rejecting My Lycan Mate.”

Several of the show’s funniest promotional clips also featured him. A “day in the life” edit showed his routine during filming, from preparing scripts in the morning to workouts after shooting wrapped.

Another video showed him dancing foolishly on set with the caption:

“When your character is a devil, but you’re just a vibe.”

There was also a clip of him working out captioned:

“Physique prep before a new film project is so real”

These clips gave fans a peek at Koslov’s lighter side compared to Harry’s more frustrating on-screen behavior.

Hennadii Popenko as Vito Romano

Popenko is a Ukrainian theater, television, and film actor who has also worked as a TV host and showman.

His previous vertical drama appearances include “No Escape from the Mafia King's Embrace,” “Engaged to the Enemy,” “Contracted Love,” “One Night Stand with My Boyfriend's Brother,” “The Alpha's Mate Who Cried Wolf,” and “Waking Up Married to My Crush.”

Hennadii Popenko as Vito Romano in "The Woman Starts the War" | Source: youtube/reelshortapp

A Dark Romance With a Playful Cast Dynamic

While “The Woman Starts the War” centers on mafia violence, dangerous attraction, and emotional conflict, many of the cast’s behind-the-scenes clips revealed a much more playful atmosphere during filming.

Between prop gun mishaps, dancing videos, gym clips, candid cast moments, and on-set singing, the actors brought plenty of humor to a story built around tension and betrayal.

“The Woman Starts the War” premiered on ReelShort on August 6, 2025.