Irina Pantaeva is a former model

Model (person)

A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

 and actress.

Pantaeva was born in Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude

Ulan-Ude is the capital city of the Republic of Buryatia, Russia, located about southeast of Lake Baikal on the Uda River at its confluence with the Selenga...

, Buryatia, Russian SFSR. She is an ethnic Buryat

Buryats

The Buryats or Buriyads , numbering approximately 436,000, are the largest ethnic minority group in Siberia and are mainly concentrated in their homeland, the Buryat Republic, a federal subject of Russia...

. In 1992, she moved to Paris to become a model. In 1994, Irina moved to New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 to pursue a modeling career, and later appeared in Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation

Mortal Kombat: Annihilation is a 1997 American martial arts action film that was the sequel to 1995's Mortal Kombat, and was directed by John R. Leonetti, who had served as the cinematographer for the previous film...

, As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me

As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me

As Far as My Feet Will Carry Me is a 2001 film about German World War II prisoner of war Clemens Forell's escape from a Siberian Gulag in Russia back to Germany. It is based on the eponymous book written by Josef Martin Bauer...

 and bit parts in Celebrity

Celebrity (film)

Celebrity is a 1998 comedy-drama film written and directed by Woody Allen. The screenplay focuses on the divergent paths a couple takes following their divorce.-Plot:...

, Zoolander

Zoolander

Zoolander is a 2001 American satirical comedy film directed by and starring Ben Stiller. The film contains elements from a pair of short films directed by Russell Bates and written by Drake Sather and Stiller for the VH1 Fashion Awards television specials in 1996 and 1997. The short films and the...

and People I Know

People I Know

People I Know is a 2002 crime drama film directed by Daniel Algrant and stars Al Pacino, Kim Basinger, and Téa Leoni.-Plot:Eli Wurman is a Jewish publicist on the out, but all he knows is how to hustle and cajole, threaten and persuade. The hazy mania of his everyday life is fuelled by a steady...

, in addition to filming a guest appearance on 3rd Rock from the Sun

3rd Rock from the Sun

3rd Rock from the Sun is an American sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2001 on NBC. The show is about four extraterrestrials who are on an expedition to Earth, which they consider to be a very insignificant planet...

. She also featured in the off-Broadway play Jewtopia

Jewtopia

Jewtopia is a comedic play by Bryan Fogel and Sam Wolfson.It focuses on two friends, Chris O'Connell and Adam Lipschitz, both approaching their 30th birthdays. Gentile Chris is interested in dating Jewish women because he feels that they will make his life easier by making all of life's decisions...

.

In 1998, she wrote her autobiography Siberian Dream: A Memoir, and it was published by Avon

Avon (publishers)

Avon Publications was an American paperback book and comic book publisher. As of 2010, it is an imprint of HarperCollins, publishing primarily romance novels.-History:...

.

Irina was married to Latvian photographer Roland Levin.

She has two children.