Andrei Strasser

Andrei Strasser is the main antagonist from Disney's 1998 film, Mighty Joe Young. He was played by Rade Šerbedžija.

Role in the film
Strasser is a ruthless Romanian poacher who lost his right thumb and trigger finger one night when baby Joe bit them off after killing his mother and before killing Jill Young's mother, Dr. Ruth Young.

12 years later, Strasser, who is now running a fake animal preserve in Raja while really selling animal organs off on the black market - is seen talking on the phone with one of his men, Pindi; refusing to believe there is a 2,200 pound gorilla until he hears the news about Joe and Jill Young on the Television. Strasser wants to get revenge on Joe for biting his fingers off, with the help of his main henchman; Garth.

At first, Jill fails to recognize Strasser as the poacher who killed both her mother and Joe's, since Strasser hides his right hand in his coat pocket. Strasser tries to persuade Jill that Joe would be better off in his wildlife refuge back in Africa.

Later, during a gala, Garth, uses a poacher's noisemaker to scare Joe into a frenzy. Joe trashes the gala, recognizes Strasser and tries to attack him. Joe is then tranquilized and placed in a concrete bunker. When Jill learns that Joe may be euthanized, she decides to take Strasser's offer. Strasser uses the truck to get Joe inside with Jill Young's help.

Meanwhile, the refuge director Gregg O'Hara has realized that Strasser is a poacher and goes after both Jill and Joe. On the way to the airport, Jill notices the half-glove covering Strasser's missing fingers, and finally realizes who he really is. Just then, Strasser notices Greg pursuing them and pulls out his revolver, but Jill punches him in the chest, then leaps out of the truck and into the street. Joe sees her and rocks the truck over onto its side and escapes. Greg finds Jill, who reveals to him that Strasser killed her mother and plans to kill Joe and they rush off to find him.

Strasser arrives at the carnival and attempts to shoot Jill. But Garth turns against him when he realizes his true nature as a murderer by pushing Strasser's gun away from Jill, causing him to fire at a spotlight, which starts a fire and causes the Ferris wheel to break down and telling him that he quits but Strasser manages to knock him out unconscious with his gun before confronting Jill.

Strasser eventually confronts Jill and attempts to shoot her, but Joe manages to sneak up behind them and grabs him, roaring in the evil poacher's face, before flinging him onto some electrical wires over a transformer. Short two fingers on the hand holding the wire, Strasser's grip fails and he falls into the transformer, electrocuting him to death and leaving only the half-glove hanging from the wiring.