Acting
Lera Abova
Valeria Smirnova, professionally recognized as Lera Abova, was born on November 4, 1992, and is a talented model and actress with Russian and German roots. She is represented by several prestigious modeling agencies, including Select Model Management, Oui Management, and Fabbrica Milano Management. Lera gained wider recognition for her role as Thea in the Pitch Perfect spin-off, *Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin*, and she is set to portray Nico Robin in Netflix’s much-anticipated adaptation of *One Piece*.
Raised in the small village of Slavgorod in Siberia, Lera's early life was marked by her move to Germany at the age of 13. Faced with the challenge of a language barrier, she initially struggled to fit in but eventually overcame these obstacles, making friends after mastering German. Despite her unconventional start, including dropping out of school before her final exams, Lera's passion for modeling led her to success.
Her modeling career took off in 2016 when she caught the eye of renowned photographer David Sims, which opened doors to collaborations with other industry luminaries like Colin Dodgson and Mariano Vivanco. Within her first two years, she was featured in numerous advertising campaigns. Lera's breakout role in 2017 came when director Luc Besson cast her as Maude in the film *Anna*, starring alongside Sasha Luss, solidifying her status in the entertainment industry.
