Olga Fonda
Birth nameOlga Tchakova
Birth dateOctober 1, 1982 (age 44)
Birth placeUkhta, Komi ASSR, RSFSR, USSR
CitizenshipRussia · United States
Alma materUniversity of Maine at Augusta
OccupationActress, model
Years active2005–Present
Notable works

Olga Tchakova (Russian: Ольга Чакова; known professionally as Olga Fonda; born October 1, 1982) is a Russian-American[1] film and television actress and model. She is also known for her role as Nadia Petrova in The Vampire Diaries (2013–2014).

Early life

Olga Tchakova[2][3] was born in the Siberian region of Russia and then lived in Ukhta, Komi ASSR, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union,[2] in the country's Komi Republic. Her father, she said, "had grocery stores in one of the Russian villages that I grew up in".[4] She has an older brother.[5]

She moved to Maine in the United States for a year at age 14, as an exchange student living with the Auclair family in East Winthrop, Maine, while attending Winthrop High School from 1996 to 1997.[2] She returned to attend the University of Maine at Augusta, majoring in financial management.[2]

Career

While vacationing in Los Angeles, California, Fonda was scouted by agent Paul Fisher to pursue modeling,[6][7] her longtime ambition.[2] After acting in TV commercials, she played a Russian ballerina in the 2009 independent film Love Hurts.[6]

Fonda, who has modeled since at least 2007[8] in Japan, Italy and the United States,[2] went on to appear in television series including How I Met Your Mother, Nip/Tuck, Melrose Place, and Entourage,[2][8] and played Owen Wilson's girlfriend in a nonspeaking role in Little Fockers.[citation needed] She was cast in the 2011 romantic-comedy Crazy, Stupid, Love, though her scene did not make the final cut; she does appear in the film's trailer.[6]

In 2010, Fonda was cast in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn. She had a supporting role in 2011's Real Steel.[8][9] She played Nadia in The Vampire Diaries. In 2018, she was cast in the role of Sarah in the Netflix series Altered Carbon.[10]

In 2012, Fonda appeared in television commercials for the related companies TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods.[11][12] In 2015, she was cast as Olga Petrovka in Agent X, appearing opposite Sharon Stone.[13]

She is unrelated to the Fonda acting family and has said her reason for adopting that stage name "started as a mystery, [and so] I'm going to keep it a mystery. There’s really nothing to it but maybe one day I'll tell the story of how I got my name."[4]

Philanthropy

Fonda supports the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital after being introduced to the charity by Jason Thomas Gordon, who started a campaign for the hospital called, Music Gives to St. Jude Kids.[14]

She is also a supporter of The Heroes Project, which was founded by Tim Medvetz to help wounded veterans.[15]

Filmography

Film
YearTitleRoleNotes
2009The BreakdownChloeTV-movie[citation needed]
2009Love HurtsValeriya
2010Little FockersSvetlana[citation needed]
2011LoveRussian girlUncredited[citation needed]
2011Captain ForkSamanthaShort film[citation needed]
2011Crazy, Stupid, Love.DanielleUncredited[citation needed]
2011Real SteelFarra Lemkova
2011The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1Valentina (Volturi Assistant)Deleted scene[citation needed]
2013OlvidadosLisa[citation needed]
2017XibalbaEli[citation needed]
20179/11Tina
Television
YearTitleRoleNotes
2006Nip/TuckElenaEpisode: "Liz Cruz"
2007Ugly BettyModel #3Episode: "I'm Coming Out", uncredited[citation needed]
2009EntourageSales girlEpisode: "Give a Little Bit"
2009How I Met Your MotherCandyEpisode: "Robin 101"
2009Melrose PlaceParty girlEpisode: "Gower", uncredited[citation needed]
2010SvetlanaOlgaEpisode: "Yellowcake"
2013–2014The Vampire DiariesNadia PetrovaRecurring role (season 5)
2013NikitaLarissaEpisode: "The Life We've Chosen"
2015Agent XOlga PetrovkaRecurring Role
2016Hawaii Five-0Anna NovickEpisode: "Waiwai"
2018Altered CarbonSarahEpisode: "Out of the Past"
2018My Dead Ex[citation needed]Madame Fortuna
2019The DetourNatalia2 episodes
2026For All MankindNatalya 'Tasha' PolivanovaRecurring role (season 5); 4 episodes
Video games
YearTitleRoleNotes
2005True Crime: New York City[16]

References

  1. ^ "'Agent X' beauty Fonda learned ballet, martial arts for acting career". The Washington Times. 19 November 2015. Archived April 28, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 18 January 2018.
  2. ^ Adams, Betty (February 20, 2010). "Former Winthrop exchange student takes on Hollywood". Morning Sentinel. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  3. ^ Lane, Laura (2011). "Esquire Presents Me in My Place with Olga Fonda". Esquire. p. 2. Archived October 7, 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  4. ^ Fonda in "Olga Fonda [interview]". Rogue. December 29, 2015. Archived August 17, 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 14, 2019. I got married this summer.
  5. ^ "The Overhead Compartment with Olga Fonda [interview]". Pursuitist. November 2015. Archived January 8, 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ^ Hyland, Veronique (August 8, 2011). "Olga Fonda Talks Real Steel and Her Russian Roots". Harper's Bazaar. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011. Then I came to LA for vacation and I was scouted to pursue modeling. Eventually, I started doing commercial work, and here and there, appearances for TV shows, and then I got approached to do an independent film, Love Hurts, where I played a Russian ballerina.
  7. ^ Gottschalk, Shelby (November 23, 2015). "10 Things — Olga Fonda [interview]". Regard. Archived February 22, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Ditzian, Eric (October 28, 2010). "'Breaking Dawn' Cast: Meet The New Faces". MTV. Archived from the original on November 7, 2017. Retrieved December 13, 2010.
  9. ^ McClintock, Pamela (June 1, 2010). "Hope Davis joins Real Steel'". Variety. Archived June 28, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Two other additions to the lineup are James Rebhorn and Olga Fonda.
  10. ^ Ahern, Sarah (March 3, 2017). "TV News Roundup: Allison Miller Joins ABC Pilot 'Salamander,' Olga Fonda to Appear on to Netflix's 'Altered Carbon'". Variety. Archived February 17, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  11. ^ "TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods TV Commercial, 'Gifting' Featuring Olga Fonda". iSpot. 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  12. ^ "TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods TV Commercial, 'The Gifter' Featuring Olga Fonda". iSpot. 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  13. ^ "'Agent X' star Olga Fonda won't say how she got her famous last name". Fox News. November 5, 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  14. ^ "On the Rise: Olga Fonda on her career break out role on 'Agent X' and more!". Icon Vision. November 30, 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  15. ^ "Olga Fonda Interview". Naluda Magazine. December 11, 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  16. ^ True Crime: New York City. Activision. 2005.

Audio/video