Anna Mezentseva

MIAMI BEACH, FL – A combination of beauty, talent and versatility, model/actress Anna Mezentseva is a name many in both the entertainment and modeling world need to keep on their radar in 2022. A professional voice over and film actress, as well as a fashion model, Mezentseva has put together an impressive list of achievements such as finishing in the Top 25 of “Germany’s Next Top Model”, being a semifinalist in Miss Earth 2008, and a contestant in beauty pageants such as Miss International, Queen of the World and Miss Russia 2005 to winning Miss Moscow Region 2005. In addition to appearing and walking for brands such as PUMA, L’Oreal, Givenchy and Wella, the St Petersburg-born, Moscow-educated and German-raised Mezentseva has walked in fashion shows for Diane Von Fuerstenberg, Egor Zaitsev and Julia Aali. When not modeling or walking the runway, Mezentseva has also appeared in TV and film with roles in Burn Notice, Magic City, Charlie’s Angeles (TV) and The Right Stuff. In addition to smaller roles in movies such as Jack and Jill and Rock of Ages, the blue-eyed stunner has also done voiceover work for audiobooks such Angel and Fairy, Voices of Angels and online platforms such as Living Planet. In an exclusive interview with Kristina Mironova for Russian online publication, MUZMAGAZINE, Mezentseva spoke about studying at Vyacheslav Zaitsev’s school, participating in beauty contests, the example of supermodel Cindy Crawford and the dream of every creative person – to work with Hollywood actors. (Editor’s Note: Original interview translated from Russian to English) MUZMAGAZINE: Anna, how did you choose the creative direction of your career? Anna: Like most children who are predisposed to creativity, I decided very early on my preferences: I remember how, instead of walking and “doing nothing”, I really liked to draw (my parents still have a whole folder of my drawings), play the piano, sing in choir, I could not live without cinema and old (classic) Disney cartoons, later I tried to write. As a child, it became clear to me that I would connect my life with a creative profession: moreover, I could succeed in absolutely any of the creative fields. I liked music, and visual arts, and cinema, and television, and creating images. Later, I realized that it was acting that united all my hobbies and hobbies and made it possible to travel the world, without this, I simply could not imagine my life. Back in the nineties, when I, a little girl, came across a thick German Quelle catalog with Cindy Crawford on the cover, I immediately knew what I would do when I grew up. MUZMAGAZINE: Were there moments when you doubted your choice? Anna: Inside myself, I clearly realized what I wanted. However, being a shy and often insecure person (such, you know, character), I wondered: can I get to the desired level in the profession? The surrounding people and social stereotypes poured fuel on the fire, talking about “poor” actors, “frivolous” models, eternally “hungry” artists… I am very glad that at one time I did not listen to anyone but believed only my inner instinct. At that moment, there was no time to doubt: the choice was simple. Either I try to do what I love most, or I will be content with being in the office for the rest of my life. The last one was unacceptable for me. That is why I ended up at Vyacheslav Zaitsev’s School of Models, and then it started spinning and spinning… MUZMAGAZINE: What are your future plans in this direction? Anna: To be honest, I have a lot of plans: I continue to do voiceovers for audio books, poems, and advertisements. If until recently I worked with American authors, then very soon – I can say – I will start working with Russian clients. The immediate plans include work in the film industry, not only with Hollywood, but also in Russian-language projects. As for the modeling business, this is my favorite creative “industry”: I don’t think that I will ever want to “do away” with filming, shows and advertising. MUZMAGAZINE: You have acted in several films. What are the emotions and impressions? How do you like acting, your own and colleagues in the films? Anna: My appearance in the film industry turned out to be the most unexpected turn in my life. At that time, it seemed like a dream: my very first film was filmed in Miami – at that time – on the largest cruise ship of the American company Royal Caribbean. Just imagine: a Russian model and an immigrant for the first time in her life gets on the set (in the ocean) to be shoulder to shoulder with Adam Sandler, Katie Holmes, Al Pacino, and to top it all, even get into the movie trailer! Very good debut! (smiles – ed. note) Filming is always exciting at the very beginning, but what turned out to be the most unexpected thing is that working with American actors is incredibly easy and pleasant. This is generally inherent in the American mentality: no one tries to stand out, present themselves in some special way, “show off” in front of colleagues, and so on. That is why the first filming experience turned out to be so positive: I realized that I “could” (although I have no acting education), and therefore did not stop at one film. In the future, I was lucky enough to act in several films and TV shows with such actors as Patrick Adams (Meghan Markle’s partner in Suits), Alec Baldwin, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jeffrey Morgan, Olga Kurylenko, Juliana Huff, Tom Cruise, Diego Bonet and many others. Watching the acting of professional and eminent actors is the best acting school. This is more productive than any courses and training, I am one hundred percent sure of this. As for my own acting, I would probably answer with the words of my psychologist friend: “A real actress lives in you; unleash your potential… Time will tell if she was right … (smiles – ed.). MUZMAGAZINE: Are you more of a model or an actress? Anna: I love it when people ask me this question (smiles again – ed.). In fact, even the professionals themselves do not always understand that both are “of the same field”. That is why so often models become actresses, and actresses, on the contrary, act as models for famous brands. Once upon a time, back in the early 2000s, I Studied at Vyacheslav Zaitsev Model School (Moscow). Vyacheslav Mikhailovich called the staff of his models “The Theater of Fashion”. And for good reason! The shows were organized like real productions: our directors did not skimp on the abundance of complex schemes, ornate choreography, and the couturier himself demanded emotional truthfulness from us. After all, it was Vyacheslav Mikhailovich who taught us that every costume, every look is a separate story, life and original image. It was necessary to beat each costume, and without acting skills in this matter – nowhere. Most likely, I am both a model and an actress in equal measure. MUZMAGAZINE: You have an incredibly beautiful appearance. It is not surprising that you have taken part in many beauty contests. What was special for you? In general, what does the competition look like from the inside through the eyes of the model? Anna: Thank you very much for the appearance! Behind my back, indeed, there is more than one beauty contest – among them were both national and international ones. Each of them, of course, is unique in its own way. Of course, I remember the very first one – “Miss Muscovy”, where I won my very first victory and got the opportunity to represent the Moscow region at the national contest “Miss Russia” in 2005. Endless workouts, a sea of ​​excitement, the collapse of stereotypes that the contestants cannot stand each other (it was the participants in beauty contests who later became my best friends); the fact that I hid my participation in the competition from the closest people until the last moment. When many of them already learned about my victory on TV, they will never forget all this. However, the most vivid memories remained after international competitions. Miss Earth was one of them. At that time, I was the only and, perhaps, the first representative of Russia who was fluent in three languages ​​and did not resort to the help of an interpreter at any of the competitions. I was extremely proud of this, I prepared for all international competitions, studied their history in order to adequately represent my country. The education I received at Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov, as well as life and travels abroad (and as a result, fluency in foreign languages), of course, helped me in this. It was in those years that an extraordinary love for travel and other cultures woke up in me. I must say that the modeling industry and beauty contests are two sisters. And although many models will say that beauty contests have nothing to do with modeling at all, they will still turn out to be wrong. The winners of beauty contests are still models most often. Of course, the very requirements for models and participants in beauty contests differ, but this only applies to the very requirements for appearance, types, the presence of certain talents and skills (at some beauty contests there are talent contests). At first glance, much more is required from the contestants than from the model. However, these industries are united by common unspoken requirements for girls: good health, punctuality, responsibility, easiness, the ability to survive in far from always “royal” conditions, the ability to perform several tasks at once, goodwill, and, of course, stress resistance. As a model, I was very comfortable at beauty pageants. Like acting, all competitive practice includes modeling skills. And I am such a person by nature – I like to combine, combine different types of activities into one, special, my own… MUZMAGAZINE: You have amazing pictures from different photo sessions. Every shoot has its own story. Tell me one or two and what photos are associated with them? Anna: Thanks! I really love filming. Each of the photo sessions is associated with special memories … I must say that many of them were directed by me. Many ideas are taken, including from the cinema. Perhaps one of the most technically unusual photo sessions was made by a photographer friend of mine many years ago. He, as a physicist and mathematician by education, created his own technology for creating 3D photographs. I remember how I became his first model, who was not required to pose statically, but on the contrary, to move very slowly in a given direction, fixing in a certain position. At first glance, this may not seem like something special, but physically the process turned out to be so difficult that serious physical preparation was required from me. The slightest movement to the side – and the frame had to be re-shot again. The result was 3d photographs, the likes of which I have not seen to this day.