Following her breakthrough role as Camille Montes in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Olga Kurylenko has since been quietly becoming an accomplished actress. Here are four things to know about the very French, Ukrainian woman.
She lived through the fall of the Soviet Union
Born in Ukraine in 1979, Olga Kurylenko was 12 when the fall of the Berlin Wall led to the collapse of the Soviet Union. “My life fell apart with the Berlin Wall! My mother was a teacher; my grandmother, doctor. I didn't have a father, we ended up with no money. I had nothing left, neither food nor clothes." She confided to Paris Match in 2008. This complicated adolescence gave her the necessary strength to become a fighter and not to believe in fairy tales, even when luck comes her way. Rather than splurging on luxurious items, for example, she purchased a parka with her first paycheck to endure the harsh Russian winters.
She was spotted at 16
While visiting her mother's friend in Moscow, Olga Kurylenko was spotted on the metro by a headhunter at the age of 15. Tall, slender with cat eyes and a full mouth, she was quickly invited to join a French modeling agency in Paris. On the advice of her mother, the young Ukrainian left at 16 and never returned. In France, she learned the language, customs, and obtained nationality in 2001. Today, even though she lives in London and sometimes returns to Ukraine to see her family, she feels closer to French culture. During her modeling career, Olga Kurylenko was on the cover of numerous magazines including Vogue Ukraine, and was also the face of brands like Kenzo Parfums.
Her acting career
Tired of the lonely life of a model, Olga Kurylenko turned to act and comedy. She joined the Florent course and, through hard work, gained an international career. After having been propelled to an elite rank thanks to Quantum of Solace, the French-Ukrainian has had a series of roles in large-scale productions. Her filmography includes Seven Psychopaths by Martin McDonagh, The Man Who Killed Don Quixote by Terry Gilliam, and Johnny English Counterattack by David Kerr… exploring all genres. In October 2020, she completed shooting for Matin Calme, a French-Korean film directed by Denis Dercourt.
James Bond girl
In 2008, Olga Kurylenko joined Daniel Craig for the 22nd quintessential British spy adventure Quantum of Solace. This is the fifth film the model has starred in after appearing in The Ring Finger, Paris, je t'aime, The Serpent, and Hitman. In Marc Forster's film, she plays Camille, a Bond girl in search of revenge and who - surprisingly - will not end up in James Bond's bed. After having auditioned more than 400 young women, the director set his sights on the young French-Ukrainian actress, because she seemed to be the most confident. Yet the final stage of the audition, with Daniel Craig, terrified her. As the character of Camille Montes is of Bolivian origin, Olga Kurylenko took accent lessons with a dialect coach to be convincing in her role. Amazingly, she also performed some of her stunts herself.
Translated by Dawn Orlin
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