Monica Bîrlădeanu (now professionally known as Monica Dean; full name Monica Elena Bîrlădeanu; born December 12, 1978) is a Romanian actress and model.
Born in Iaşi, she studied law at the University of Iaşi. Bîrlădeanu was a popular television host before accepting her first film role in 2004. In 2005 she played a nurse in the award-winning feature The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu. In 2006 she guest starred on the hit United States television show Lost in the episode "The Hunting Party", as Gabriela, a wealthy Italian woman. In 2005, she starred in the horror movie Incubus. She is rumored to be a favorite for the role of Wonder Woman in an upcoming Warner Bros. film.
She studied law but she had to work her way out through college. She used to work part-time as a waitress and a promoter for various companies. When she was offered to pose for a lingerie catalogue, she gladly accepted it. This brought her more into the Romanian spotlight. During her first university year, she took part in a beauty pageant, "Miss Transylvania" and she was offered a contract with the best model agency in Bucharest, "M.R.A". For a couple of years appeared in TV commercials, while she carried on with her studies. On her 3rd year of College, she was called for an audition at a new TV channel that was about to be launched, B1tv. She began her television career with a daily TV show called "La Strada", as a co-host. It was a show for teenagers that brought her into the spotlight again, this time at a national level. Soon after that, she appeared on the cover of various magazines, was offered interviews and became increasingly successful. After a few months, she got her own daily half-hour TV show.
In November 2002, she was designated the most beautiful Romanian celebrity by the "Beau Monde" magazine, and in December she was chosen "The Sexiest TV Star" by the most influential Romanian TV guide, "TV Mania". Her show went on, and so did the series of awards she got. In February 2003, the VIVA magazine designated her "The most Beautiful Romanian Woman" and in July the FHM magazine "crowned" her as "Sexiest Woman". In December, she was, once again, awarded by TV Mania as "The Sexiest TV Celebrity".
In the meantime, she hosted the "Extravacanzza" show series. 2004 began with a new challenge: "Viata in Direct" (Life Live) show.
In February 2004, the "Viva" magazine designated her again as the "Sexiest Celebrity" and in December 2004 she was once more named TV Mania's "Sexiest TV Star". In 2004, she went to Los Angeles to take acting classes and improve her TV hosting skills. Her career took a new turn: she started doing movies.
In 2004, she got to play a teenager in a comedy, "Buds for Life," and by year's end she received a role in her first Romanian movie, "The Death of Mister Lazarescu". The film has so far obtained more than 30 awards, including the "Un certain regard" award at the 2005 Cannes Film Festival and a Silver Hugo in Chicago. It was nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2005 Independent Spirit Awards.
She is currently in a relationship with Bobby Păunescu, one of Romania's wealthiest people.
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