Irina Pantaeva was born on October 31, 1967 in Ulan-Ude, Buryat ASSR, USSR [now Buryatia, Russia]. She is an actress, known for Mortal Kombat: Annihilation (1997), Zoolander (2001) and As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me (2001). She was previously married to Roland Levin.
Pantaeva walked runways for renowned designers and fashion houses, such as: Christian Dior, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler, Issey Miyake, John Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent, Anna Sui, Chloé, Kenzo, appeared in fashion campaigns for Calvin Klein, GAP, Kenzo, Missoni, Levi's Jeans, and was presented on covers of the fashion magazines: Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, etc. In the second half of the 1990s, she was one of the favorite models of English fashion designer Vivienne Westwood. In 1998, she wrote her autobiography Siberian Dream: A Memoir, and it was published by Avon/Bard.
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Pantaeva moved to New York City to further her career, and later appeared in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, as Jade, As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me and bit parts in Celebrity, Zoolander and People I Know, in addition to filming a guest appearance on 3rd Rock from the Sun. She also featured in the off-Broadway play Jewtopia. [1994]
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She moved to Paris to pursue her modeling career. She succeeded in getting an appointment with Karl Lagerfeld, that allowed her to join in his fashion show and the world of haute couture. Pantaeva signed a contract with "The Marilyn Agency". [1992]
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She took part in the first major fashion show of her life, the Moscow show of Pierre Cardin. [1991]
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She won the first-ever beauty contest in Buryatia, "Miss Ulan-Ude". Later that same year she went to Moscow to the audition for Vozvrashhenie Xodzhi Nasreddina movie, and filming afterwards. Then she joined Avant-garde Theatre of fashion run by designer Irina Molchanova. [1989]
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Pantaeva started working as a model with designer Larisa Dagdanova in Ulan-Ude. [1988]
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Has two sons Ruslan, b. 1989 and Solongo b. December 21, 2003.