Things You Didn't Know About Irina Shayk
Model, actress, and mom (with Bradley Cooper's baby... did we mention that?), Irina Shayk is the total package. From simple beginnings, coming from a small town in Russia, Shayk was discovered, began modeling, and the rest is history. She has continued to grow in her career and expanded into the acting world as well. Even with all of the fame, she's never forgotten where she came from and continues to give back to her home community. Let's take a step back and look at a few things you didn't know about supermodel Irina Shayk.
She had a simple start
Now a superstar with a known name, Shayk came from a whole different world. She had simple beginnings back in Russia, where she was raised by a kindergarten teacher mother and a coal miner father. She described her upbringing to Esquire, saying, "Yemanzhelinsk is a very small coal-mining village. There's nothing there, only coal mining. It's not on any maps.We didn't even have a movie theater. We had one street. There was a garden that was 30 minutes away, by walk. I was taking care of the potatoes and the tomatoes and the cucumbers."
And Shayk saw her fair share of tough times. Her father passed away when she was 14 years old, which led to her mother needing to have three jobs to support the family. But Shayk has no regrets when it comes to her childhood. She now appreciates her life and accomplishments even more. She told the magazine, "Now I have success in my career and it is a nice warm memory: when getting something is very hard you start to appreciate things more than if you just wake up and you have success for nothing. It's easier, sure, but what's the point?" Excellent point, Shayk.
She's a musical pro
With the modeling and acting, you would think Shayk can't get any better. Guess again. She's actually a triple threat with some serious musical skills as well. She opened up to Esquire about her past and her background in music. "I started playing piano [at] age six. I was also singing in the choir, so my mum put me into music school. I went to study there for seven years, but it was not my passion. I quit because I wanted to study marketing." And marketing too? Shayk is officially a superstar.
And even though music may not be her passion, Shayk has not given up playing for fun. She told the magazine, "But I can still play piano. I like Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." You need a lot of practice to play that." Practice makes perfect, and Shayk is pure perfection. It all makes sense now.
Starting out in modeling was not easy
Shayk began her career in modeling at the age of 20. Her sister worked at a beauty school next door to a modeling school. While visiting her sister one day, Shayk was approached by an agent who wanted her to go model in Paris. After some months, she said yes. Shayk told The Telegraph, "I thought it might be a great opportunity to help my family."
And while it seems like a fairy tale how easily she got into the world of modeling, Shayk had a hard time at first. She said age 20 was a pretty late start in the modeling world. In Paris, she struggled with the language and lived with models who would make fun of her. During the interview, Shayk opened up about the struggles of being a model. "It's a difficult business, it's very competitive. People who don't know our life think, 'Oh, she's pretty, she's wearing a pretty dress and she smiles and she gets paid a lot of money for nothing,' but it's a hard job."
But Shayk is able to see the positives. She later said it just takes someone's "yes" to keep going. She said, "In modelling a hundred people are going to say no to you, but maybe 10 are going to say yes, and that's how you make it out there. Paris was a really difficult time for me, but I thought, 'I cannot go back to my hometown with nothing, I have to at least make some money.'" From Paris, Shayk moved on to Barcelona, where she ended up succeeding. It takes hard work to reach your goals, and Shayk's story tells just that.
Here comes...Miss Chelyabinsk
At the same time the scouting agent asked Shayk to consider modeling, he also asked her to be in the beauty competition for Miss Chelyabinsk, which she won in 2004. When asked if things were awkward with her sister because she won, Shayk set the record straight with Esquire. "It was not awkward with my sister, no. She didn't even go in for the competition 'cos she was busy doing the make-up and hair."
After she won, Shayk did not let it go to her head. She told the magazine, "When I won the [Miss Chelyabinsk] competition they told me, 'You go to Paris.' I say no, I would not. Because first of all I want to finish my education. But after a couple of months I decided to try it. It was a big decision to go from a tiny village to Paris. You don't even speak English and you have no friends, to start some job you don't think you can do. It's a big shock for the brains." She stuck it out and we're so glad she did.
She's a low-key lady
Even with fame and fortune, Shayk has kept a level head. She remembers her simpler beginnings and doesn't need all of the glam and glory. Speaking with The Telegraph, she described her day-to-day style and living. First off, she hates to waste money on clothes. And getting all dolled-up? She'd rather not. She said, "I prefer to buy classic pieces that you can have in your closet for years. My style is very simple; I try to be low-key. I can spend my day in sweat pants or gym clothes. When I'm not working I don't like to dress up; I hate [doing my] hair and make-up – it's kind of boring."
Those are not answers we'd expect from a style guru, but we can't help but respect her for it. She keeps that same level-head when it comes to the attention that fame brings. During the interview she said, "The thing you realize as a public person is that press attention is part of your job. Of course, sometimes you want to hide and don't want the attention, but it doesn't matter what people are saying. My friends and family know who I am. I'm not mad at anybody; they're writing something because it's their job. I'm just doing my job." She makes taking the high road even classier.
She's not interested in Playboy
There is one publication that Shayk is confident to say she will not work with: Playboy. The model, actress and overall fabulous human being was totally comfortable letting Esquire know how she felt about working with the well-known magazine. "I get so many requests: 'Do this magazine. Do this campaign,' But you have to be smart. I would never do Playboy. Yes, I am a lingerie model, but I have class. Playboy offered me so much money last year. I was like: No. Way."
She knows her stuff and understands that other top-class models have posed for Playboy before, but she continues to stand her ground. She told Esquire, "Alright, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer did it. But they did it at the end of their career and it was classy. I think of myself as a cover girl. But I would never do some kind of cheesy magazine."
She wants to keep acting and modeling
Aside from a starring role in Kanye West's 2010 music video for the song "Power," and hosting Russia's version of Next Top Model, Top-Model po-russki in 2012, Shayk's first big acting opportunity came in the 2014 film Hercules, starring Dwayne Johnson. She spoke about her role with Glamour and said how fun the change of pace was from modeling. "I had a very small role in a big movie (Hercules) but I enjoyed it so much! It's so different to modelling as modelling is one image and all about your best angle, whereas on a movie set it's a completely different environment and you have to play your character."
Shayk is still focused on modeling but wants to keep going with acting if the right opportunities present themselves. She told Vogue, "I love fashion, and I love to be a model, but definitely I enjoyed making this movie and I would like to act again...If something different or something great comes along I'll give it a try. You can never plan, it's like a lottery. Modelling opens so many doors — television hosting, acting, designing – so you can never plan. Let's see." We're sure the opportunities will keep lining up for the woman who it seems can do no wrong. And even though she's going with the flow, Glamour asked the star what her ideal film role would be. She said, "Maybe as a Russian spy!" Yes, we can see it. Hollywood, make this movie ASAP and we have your star!
She gives back to Russia through charity work
Time and time again we've touched on Shayk's humble beginnings in Russia, and her great attitude when it comes to being thankful for the opportunities she has been given. Another great example of this is the charity work she has done throughout the years for her home country. She spoke about her giving back to her community with Women Fitness, saying, "I have several charity projects in Russia – in my hometown together with my sister we are helping a maternity hospital." She continued on to say, "Also I am closely working with Pomogi.org – a Russian charity organization helping to collect money for operations for kids that cannot afford it."
She also has attended events to raise money, including the Cannes Film Festival's Annual AmfAR Gala, which raises money and awareness towards a cure for AIDS. It's always refreshing to see a star take time to give back. Bravo, Shayk
She keeps her relationships private
Shayk's relationship with Bradley Cooper has constantly been in the gossip magazines since the two were first paired together back in April of 2015. From false break-ups to talk of marriage, it was hard to tell what was true or false. However, big news came in December of 2016 when Shayk was seen rocking more than some fabulous lingerie at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Paris. Multiple sources, including People, reported spotting the model showcasing what they said was a baby bump — on the runway!
Although Cooper and Shayk have been very quiet about their romance, they have the baby on the way and have continued to have other celebrations together, including a joint birthday party in January of 2017. Shayk has also met Cooper's mom, and the couple seems to be going strong. This note of secrecy isn't new for Shayk, who was always very quiet when interviewed by press regarding her past boyfriend, footballer-superstar Cristiano Ronaldo. Good for Shayk for keeping this part of her life private. Though, we do love Cooper and her together, and cannot wait to see the baby these two gorgeous human beings create!