Yuliya Snigir

Life and career

Snigir was born in Donskoy, Tula Oblast, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union. She graduated from high school number 20 Donskoy. Hoping to get a good education, Yuliya went to Moscow and entered the Faculty of Foreign Languages of the Moscow State Pedagogical University (English department, speciality "English Philology").

Snigir had to study and work at the same time to support herself financially. She was teaching English in the nursery school, when a friend showed photos of Yuliya to a representative a Moscow modelling agency. While continuing her study program in University, Snigir became a successful model. She was offered a contract with a leading French jewellery brand and was planning to move to France when a casting-director saw her at the modeling agency and invited for an audition. Her acting career started when she was accepted to the Vakhtangov Theatre Academy, and was cast in two independent films.

Her big break came when she was offered one of the leading roles in the Russian sci-fi blockbuster The Inhabited Island and the sequel The Inhabited island: Skirmish. Yulia became the face of L'Oreal, Mexx clothing and Mexx perfume.

She appeared in A Good Day to Die Hard alongside Bruce Willis. In the film, she played a Russian antagonist named Irina.