Maria Semkina
RussiaBiography of Maria Semkina
Maria Semkina was born in Rostov-on-Don, Russia. Her father was a mathematician and her mother was an engineer. In her childhood, Maria did not receive much attention from boys. She recalls, "I was a homebody, with short hair, very skinny. Boys in my Rostov-on-Don liked long-haired blondes with curves. Boys didn't dance with me. It was a big problem for me until I turned 16. I focused on my studies..."
After graduating from school, Maria enrolled in the Economics Faculty of the Rostov Agricultural Institute. At the age of 18, she started living independently and at 20, she got married to a student. However, the marriage was not a stable one and they separated after three years, leaving Maria alone with her son.
In 1998, Maria sent her photos to a modeling contest organized by the agency "Image-Elite" in collaboration with the newspaper "KP-on-Don". Little did she know that she would become the winner! She received a set of "Cepter" pots and was driven home in a limousine. This caused a sensation in her neighborhood, and her parents were horrified. They constantly tried to convince her to pursue a "normal" profession.
Soon, more successes followed - she won the title of "Lady Charm-98" and became the best model of the year according to Playboy magazine in 2000. She also participated in the Miss Charm competition in 2001.
Maria's modeling career took her to Germany, Japan, Greece, France, Italy, and South Korea. She appeared in the Russian edition of Playboy multiple times and was named "Girl of the Month" in October 2000, July 2001, and April 2006. In 2000, she was named the model of the year.
Despite her modeling success, Maria felt shy about calling herself an actress, knowing that she still had much to learn in this profession. She is grateful to the professionals who helped her on set, especially Galina Aleksandrovna Polskikh, Regina Myannik, and Anatoly Pashinin, with whom she collaborated in the series "All Inclusive". Recognizing the importance of a proper acting education, Maria enrolled at the Boris Shchukin Theatre Institute in 2006, while continuing to act in films and TV shows.
Maria gained popularity with the series "Papiny Dochki" (Daddy's Daughters). Her character, Oksana Fedotova, the wife of an oligarch, was glamorous yet very touching. The series premiered in September 2007 and lasted for several years. During this time, Maria's character went through various ups and downs in her marriage, eventually giving birth to a daughter.
In addition to "Papiny Dochki," Maria appeared in other films and series, including "Krem" (2009), where she played the role of Clara, a modern Cinderella. In this series, Maria, a natural brunette, portrayed a blonde as required by the script. She developed a strong friendship with actress Ekaterina Kopanova during the filming.
Maria also participated in the popular dance competition "Dancing with the Stars" with her partner Andrei Karpov. She admitted that she underestimated the difficulty of the competition and realized that learning the basics of choreography was challenging.
Despite her busy schedule, Maria considers herself a homebody who enjoys reading and cherishing moments of peace. She also loves traveling, which she had the opportunity to do during her modeling career. When asked if she plans to return to modeling, Maria states that it is now in the past and she finds acting much more interesting.
As for her son, Mikhail, it's unclear what profession he will pursue, but he has already made his debut in the series "Ne Rodis' Krasivoy" (Don't Be Born Beautiful), playing the imaginary son of Alexander Voropaev.
Maria Semkina has had a successful career in both modeling and acting and continues to explore new opportunities in the industry.
