Who Is Olga Kurylenko, Anyway?

Who is this new Bond Girl, Olga Kurylenko? Well, she can tell you herself! For a model with English as her second language, the smarty-pants knows many polysyllabic words. In interviews, Olga seems like a cool chick who isn’t afraid to break up the action movie boys club! So we did a little spying ourselves and here’s what we found out about the lean, mean, fighting machine, who will be appearing alongside super dreamy Daniel Craig in tonight’s big release, “Quantum Of Solace.”

BACKGROUND: Kurylenko was born in Berdyansk, Ukraine when it was still part of the Soviet Union. She grew up poor, always patching up her clothing. Olga’s parents divorced when she was three, and sadly, she’s had little contact with her father since. On a trip to Moscow, she was discovered, while riding public transportation, by a talent agent.

LOVES: At 28, Olga is freshly divorced, for the second time.  She first married a photographer, Cedric Van Mol back in 2000.  They divorced after four years together, but according to her mother, it was more a marriage for a passport to let her international career take flight.  Then, in 2006, she got hitched to an American businessman dealing in cell phone accessories (sexy!), Damian Gabriel Neufeld. However, their relationship was short-lived and they had legally split by the end of 2007. But now, Bond is her main man. And in “Quantum of Solace,” her character is dealing with a broken heart, something Olga can definitely empathize with.

CAREER: After moving to Paris at the bold age of 13, the Ukrainian model was on her way. By 18, she had already been on the cover of Elle and Vogue. In her spare time, she took acting classes, so from there, the crafty model spun her career into starring in a French television mini-series and indie films like “Paris, Je T’aime,“ “Hitman,” and “L’Annulaire,” for which she won a Certificate of Excellence from the Brooklyn International Film Festival.  Although her role in the new Bond flick appears to be her big break, she has been criticized by some of her countrymen for cozying up to James Bond, a character who considers himself an enemy of the Soviet people. However, she does have fans back home, and the Mayor of Berdyansk has suggested naming a street after her. The name is Olga, Olga Kurylenko Ave., perhaps?

BOND: Olga was chosen to play the first Bond girl as tough and stylish as the man himself. You won’t see this beauty sitting in the sidelines. Olga got her hands dirty in six months of action movie training, where she learned how to play with guns, deep sea diving, skydiving, and how to kick some serious butt. The infamous lady-killer has finally met his match! For once, Bond doesn’t get in the girl’s pants.

RANDOM FACTS:

[Chickipedia]
[Fox]
[What’s On Kiev]
[Ask Men]
[Wikipedia]