Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalija Ugrina.
Natalija, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I was 16 when a modeling agent approached me in Split, Croatia and signed me up for the Fashion TV International Model Contest. I ended up being one of the finalist and decided to move to Italy to pursue my career. Shortly after, I signed up with Elite Model Management and worked for several fashion designers and walked Fashion Week in Milan, Los Angeles, Paris, and New York. I appeared in publications like Vogue Italia, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar. Even though being 6 ft tall and slender opened many doors in fashion, I was always fascinated by acting. I decided to get more serious about it and what’s better place to start then Hollywood! I signed up for The Lee Strasberg Institute where I studied method acting.
After graduating, I booked my first acting roles and decided to continue my studies at the UCLA Extension Acting Program. I appeared in several commercials (Budlight, Nike, Kia) and recently played a news anchor in “College Ball Movie” starring Tom Sizemore. I was never too much into social media but going to castings and auditions, I often got asked “How many followers do I have?” I created account on Instagram and what started as fun, became a huge part of my life and a full-time job. I get paid to travel, try out new things and I can really say I’m living a dream 🙂
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
People often look at my life and think it has always been easy for me. I can promise you, road to success is never easy. When I moved to LA, I didn’t know anyone and had to start from zero. I was studying in the morning and working in a restaurant in the evening and had to change three buses to get there. On top of that, people kept saying I will never make it in acting because I have an accent and at 6 ft tall, I’m too tall to be an actress. I am glad I’ve proved them wrong and to everyone out there pursuing their dreams, never listen to people, most of them will try to discourage you, just believe in yourself and like Hannibal said “Aut inveniam viam aut faciam” (Latin for “I shall either find a way or make one.”)
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
I am a model, actress, and influencer. I think what sets me apart from the others is my unique voice. My IG niche is travel & fashion and I really try to combine both in the best way. I am very passionate about travel and history and I always try to show to my fans something different from the destinations I go to.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Summers in Croatia on beautiful island of Brac! I really don’t like cold & winter so much that my friend Ivana bought me calendar that counted days to summer. Luckily, I live in LA now and I have summer all year long.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.natalijaugrina.com
- Email: natalija.ugrina@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natalijaugrina/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NatalijaaUgrina/
Image Credit:
Bobby Chi
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