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Irina PantaevaAmerican model and actress of Russian origin
Date of Birth: 12.10.1972
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Irina Pantaeva
Irina Pantaeva (Irina Pantaeva, 12.10.1972) is an American model and actress of Russian descent. She was born in Ulan-Ude, Buryatia, Russia. Standing at 180 cm tall, she is of Buryat ethnicity.
After winning a beauty contest in Moscow, Pantaeva moved to Paris. It took her three years to obtain a work visa for the United States, which significantly slowed down her modeling and acting career. Finally, in 1994, Irina moved to the States. Since then, she has appeared in a number of successful films, including her role as Jade in 'Mortal Kombat: Annihilation', as well as 'Celebrity', 'Zoolander', and 'People I Know'. She also made a guest appearance on the television series '3rd Rock from the Sun' in 1998. Additionally, she played a role in the off-Broadway production of 'Jewtopia'.
Personal Life
Irina is married to Latvian photographer Roland Levin, and they have two children together. Their first child, Ruslan, was born in 1989, while their second child, Solongo, was born in 2003. Irina met Levin in 1988 when she was sixteen years old, long before her modeling career took off.
In 1989, Irina appeared in the Russian film 'The Return of Khoja Nasreddin', which marked the beginning of her acting career. In 1998, Pantaeva became the first Asian model to be featured in the 'Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue', a subsidiary project of the popular sports magazine 'Sports Illustrated'.
On September 7, 1999, the actress published her autobiographical work titled 'Siberian Dream'. The book had a limited edition release and is currently unavailable for purchase. On September 16, 2005, Irina participated in the 'Fashion for Relief' show alongside Nicole Richie, Beyoncé Knowles, Veronica Webb, Kelly Osbourne, Angie Everhart, Alexandra Richards, Marisa Miller, Wyclef Jean, Rachel Hunter, Naomi Campbell, Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, and Janice Dickinson. The show was organized by the charity organization 'AmeriCares' to support the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Irina has also developed her own line of jewelry, named after herself, 'Irina'. The line is currently available for purchase in stores in New York.
