Valeria Smirnova

Biography:

Valeria Smirnova (born November 4, 1992), professionally known as Lera Abova, is a Russian-German model and actress. She is represented by several modeling agencies, including Select Model Management, Oui Management, and Fabbrica Milano Management. She is known for playing Thea in Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin and was cast as Nico Robin in the second season of Netflix’s One Piece (2024).

Abova was born in a small village called Slavgorod in Siberia, which she has described as so remote it barely appears on maps. At 13, she relocated to Germany without knowing the language and relied on an electronic translator to communicate. Initially, she found it difficult to connect with classmates due to cultural and language differences. She stood out with her distinctive style, often wearing a pink Pokémon T-shirt and having long, striking hair. Over time, she learned German and built friendships. She left school before completing her final exams, around the age of 18 or 19.

Her modeling career began in 2016 after being discovered by photographer David Sims. She quickly gained attention, working with other prominent photographers such as Colin Dodgson and Mariano Vivanco, as well as international Vogue stylists. Within the first two years of her career, she appeared in numerous advertising campaigns. In 2017, director Luc Besson cast her as Maude in his film Anna, alongside Sasha Luss.