Andre Birleanu (born August 7, 1978) is a Russian-Romanian male model,[1] television personality, entrepeneur, founder and executive producer of Supreme Rocket Productios a production and post-production corporation.[2] He is best known for his appearance on MTV and Vh1 television show America's Most Smartest Model.[3][4] On an Antena 1 television program, Birleanu was called "the Marlon Brando of Romania".,[5] MTV and Vh1 named him "One of the Hottest Television Stars"[6] elbow in elbow with supermodel Marcus Schenkenberg and Poison lead singer Bret Michaels. Andre Birleanu never intended to hide his true "bad boy" personna on or off the sets of his fashion and television sets and this is why ABC reporters that interviewed him confessed that "when Andre Birleanu graced our television sets on America's Most Smartest Model, he brought sexy back with a villainous twist. After all, it was comedic entertainment combined with eight-pack abs, a double feature that was hard to ignore." earning him yet another title as he was added to ABC "Meanest Television Villains" list.[7]
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Birleanu was born of Romanian and Russian parents. He is the only child of Vladimir Bîrleanu, a Romanian diplomat, and Carmen Bîrleanu, a Russian diplomat.[8] Birleanu was born in Moscow, but soon after was moved and was mainly raised in Bucharest, Romania.[9] His father is a doctor and professor in International Criminal Law and his mother, who is deceased, worked for the United Nations in New York, USA.[8] Birleanu arrived in New York in 1996, invited by his mother in search of a new life and education.[10] He has earned a full scholarship and attended John Jay Criminal Justice Academy, hoping to follow his father's footsteps in criminal law and forensic psychology.[10] He is fluent in English, Romanian, French, Italian, Portuguese,[11] and ironically still struggling with his native Russian as depicted on America's Most Smartest Model.[12]
n his second year of school, Birleanu was discovered by Calvin French, then artistic director of Boss Models NY while he was fixing his motorcycle outside the University.[13] He stopped school early and went into modeling.[14] Birleanu worked with numerous clients and appeared in publications worldwide. He has worked for Converse,[15] Saks Fifth Ave.,[16] Fila, DKNY underwear, Macy's,[17] Speedo- Swimwear, Jordache Jeans, Lacoste, Smirnoff-Schweppes, PF Fliers, Target, L'UOMO Vogue, Esquire,[18] Stuff, TRUMP, American GQ, ReFRESH, SLAM, W magazine, Razor, V- magazine, Complex, Instinct, Men's Fitness, Men's Health,[19] Ocean Drive, OUTERWEAR, DNR, Radar, Venus, Maxim, Vibe and Black Book.[20] Birleanu's latest work is cover of Bl33N magazine for which he posed nude, with his wife, Brazilian model Ana Catharina, for photographer Mathias Vriens.[21] He also starred in a Ck1 campaign with supermodel Jenny Shimizu in Vice magazine shoot by Richard Kern.[22] he was featured worldwide in Miller Lite beer campaign for 2010 World Cup,[23] Andre Birleanu is considered one of the strong new actors to emerge from New York and was shot with Robert de Niro for Italian Max magazine,[24] Birleanu also shot Hamilton American Watches campaign but later replaced by none other than actor Harrison Ford,[24] but few weeks after that he himself replaced former World Heavy Weight Champion Myke Tyson as a spoke model in "Serie Collection" campaign, of French fighting brand "Boxeur des Rues" .,,[25][26][27]
While still in school, Birleanu dreamed of an acting career, but as he stated in a later interview on ABC, "My accent has killed my dreams for the most part, especially when you are trying to play an all American fellow." he's eastern accent at the time was too strong He appeared in athletic & denim commercials and television show America's Most Smartest Model,[4][28] which featured Ben Stein and Mary Alice Stephenson.[29] He was the season's finalist, but later eliminated. With style and confidence in his work and approach on set, Birleanu outsmart and outshoot the entire cast eliminating 14 models. Birleanu’s work has been at the level of the best supermodels of our time, according to judges and fashion editors. “ He knows his strengths. There’s a certain emotion that he emits and certain moves that he does – like the scream – that he knows works. But he keeps changing, you’re right. I remember one of the first shoots I ever did, which was with Linda Evangelista way back when I used to be an assistant at Bazaar, being so impressed that she literally gave something different in every frame. Gisele Bundchen is like that too. You see how they move themselves. It’s great. No one wants the same thing all the time. You also have to create a character and react to situations whenever the client asks. Andre out-shot V.J. by far.” Mary Alice Stephenson in her Vh1 interview.[30]
Soon after America's Most Smartest Model, Birleanu was featured as the love interest of Canadian singer Daniella Pavicic in the video for Every Word.[31][32] The song and video we're No. 1 on Billaboard US & UK music charts and remain on top for 46 weeks, being nominated and wining at the Dance Music Awards.[33]
– Andre Birleanu has turned another page into his already interesting fast growing career, and in August 2011 he founded Supreme Rocket Productions[2] a European based production and post-production corporation in which he plays a key role as founder and executive producer.
– Andre Birleanu's first project as executive producer was the cover and main fashion editorial of L'Officiel magazine United Arab Emirates[34] cover in which he used his most trusted colleague, his wife Brazilian model Ana Catharina Soares Jaqueira.
Birleanu has had short lived relationships with Czech model Katarina Benzova both from same agency Next Models, and shot by Patrick McMullen at his birthday party hosted by designer Nicole Miller together,[35] with Luxembourg model Alice Rausch whom rumors have it he met at Cain second year anniversary and whom he spent just a week,[36] with Brazilian model Janaina Reis whom he was for few months as he was filming in Hollywood, USA,[37] has been shot by LIFE magazine at New York Fashion Week, Venexiana show by Kati Stern,[38] also William Rast by Justin Timberlake[39] with his beautiful Ukrainian wife Vika Kuropyatnikova[40] then while married with her he somehow is married and having a daughter with Brazilian top model Anna Catharina[41] and last but for sure not least Moldovan top model Alina Bîrlădeanu.
In October 2007, he was charged with sexual misconduct and aggravated harassment due to accusations from an actress, and a female model, both in the same week, charges which he and his lawyer denied and called a "conspiracy" and "simple minded dirty tactics meant to stain and harm his reputation"[42] Birleanu also added in a media conference "I didn't molest anyone... I already slept with that girl, so it's strange she would say I touched her inappropriately." Almost a year later the district attorney's office in the Criminal Court of Manhattan has dropped all charges on both cases.[43] Birleanu had maintained his innocence the entire time and had said he wanted to counter prosecute for false charges.[43]