In an exclusive Q&A with Renée Ward, Russian-born supermodel turned actress and stand-up comedian Eugenia Kuzmina shares how she landed modeling jobs in her early teens and how working early in life shapes who she is today. http://www.
Eugenia Kuzmina
Kuzmina’s modeling career took off when she started working with Ford Models Europe.
She was the cover girl for the August 2004 edition of Glamour and has been featured in advertisements for Armani Jeans, Dior sunglasses, GAP, Arden B, Express, Kenzi, Replay Jeans, Sephora, and L’Oreal. She has also been featured in magazines, such as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Japanese and Russian Vogue, GQ, Self, Shape, as well as catalogs for Hermès and Cartier.
In 2015 Kuzmina portrays Gulla opposite Danny McBride , Scott Caan and Bill Murray in the film, Rock The Kasbah, appears in a scene with Christopher Walken in a Jason Bateman film, The Family Fang and another feature, Dirty Grandpa directed by Dan Mazer , where she portrays a judgmental hippie Cathy, opposite Zac Efron.
Kuzmina is passionate about comedy and can frequently be seen doing stand-up at The Comedy Store and Flappers.
This is another in a series of articles about the “first jobs” of successful people, their advice for today’s teens, and reflects the value of work early in life. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Ward: What was your first paying job?
Kuzmina: I started modeling for pay when I was 14 years old. It was a time when several American companies came to Russia to scout young models. I was featured in national commercials for RC Cola and M&M’s. I was obsessed with all the products. It was a great opportunity for me to make some money for my family because we were poor even though my father worked for the government he wasn’t paid well. We grew up in food lines. Then, my father passed away when I was 15 and it was just my mom, little sister and me.
I had been approached by several people to go to France to model but up until then my mom was afraid that I would be sold and end up in Turkey to dance on tables or worse. It was like the Wild West. At that time it was a huge thing in Russia. Even now I try to advise young women to be aware of this situation especially if someone just comes up to them on the street.
A scout came to my school and asked to meet with me and my mom. He had all the contract papers from the agency and we checked it out and found it was all legitimate. It was a big step because I had to go by myself and stay in my first apartment. I was 15 and in Paris when I landed my first big paying job. The agency started sending me out to a lot of fashion shows. I remember that I didn’t have any fashion sense whatsoever.
They sent me to audition for Yves Saint Laurent. But before I could meet with him I had to buy something special to wear because they told me he was very visual and particular. I bought these expensive shoes and dress which for me was a lot of money. I went into this beautiful house which was like a palace. It was a real Cinderella moment for me. I had not yet learned how to walk in high heels. The casting director looked me over and gave me the go ahead to audition before Laurent. It was shortly before his death and one of his last fashion shows.
I had to go through full hair and makeup first. Backstage there were all these skinny models that were gorgeous creatures. They transformed me completely. I remember red lips and dark eyes. As a 15 year old, I was like oh my God, who is that. I was really shocked with what they could do.
The room he was in was full of smoke because he smoked a lot. The French smoke a lot and still live to be 100. I don’t know how they can do that. I earned the right to be on the catwalk alongside fashion icons like Naomi Campbell and Carla Bruni. It was crazy because I never thought about it.
Ward: Why do you feel you earned that opportunity? What made you stand out?
Kuzmina: At that point I was not aware of anything. As a teenager, I was just learning about myself. I would definitely say it was more for my look. I was not this wise creature. I would say I was just a normal teenager.
Ward: Did anything go wrong? If so, how did you overcome the challenges?
Kuzmina: I definitely went through insecurities. I would go to places where people didn’t speak English very well or my English wasn’t good enough and I would feel like an outcast as if it was my fault that people wouldn’t speak to me. The good thing is I learned French.
As a teenager, it was hard for me to say no. I still hadn’t learned the boundaries yet. There were times when the photographers would push to make me do a shoot that was really uncomfortable. At the time I was not okay with saying, no, I’m not going to do that. I really needed the money for my family, so I went through shoots that I regret.
As a model you live with everybody watching you. I went through stages fighting with food. I had to go to doctors to learn how to be healthy. There were periods where I would not eat anything because people would tell me I had to lose weight. I remember my hair falling out and having no energy. A lot of things were thrown at me that affected my self-esteem. I remember crying after casting calls when I wasn’t chosen.
It took me a long time to realize that it wasn’t about me, it was about their vision.
Thank God I had a feeling of hope always. I knew at some point that I had to leave Paris and go to London which changed my life completely. I started trusting myself more and building better friendships. I always felt that I had to do things besides modeling. In the U.S. I think there are better laws and they are much more civilized in a way. Modeling is not such a crazy industry today like it was back then.
Ward: Was there anyone in your life as a teen that you would consider a mentor?
Kuzmina: Well, you know, there were people like in and out of my life and different kinds of experiences but I’m a Capricorn and I think I had the strength of character to just move forward and trust my instincts. I would listen to people but at the end of the day think how does this make me feel. I jumped into a relationship when I was 18, a quasi-mentorship with an older man that became controlling and I knew I had to get out of it. I knew it wasn’t normal. I would never just follow somebody’s lead just because they said so.
Ward: What have you learned from your teen work experiences that have prepared you for what you are doing now?
Kuzmina: I learned that I am a strong person. I can trust myself. That I can achieve anything I want to and I do not have to depend on anyone to be happy.
Ward: What advice do you have for teens today seeking their first jobs?
Kuzmina: Pursue what you love to do. Don’t necessarily listen to others. Ask yourself, what are you passionate about? It doesn’t matter about the amount of money involved. You can start from a small position.
Don’t have an ego that you have to be at the top straight away.
Reach out to the people that are in the business that you like and talk to them.
Start from a place of service. It’s about what can you contribute to the job and in that way… things will change over time.