You may remember Catrinel Marlon or, as she sometimes goes by, Catrinel Menghia, from the Fiat 500 commercial she did a couple years back where she screams at a guy in Italian, even though she’s Romanian, and you can’t tell if she’s pissed or what.
You may also remember her from the numerous spreads in FHM, Maxim, etc or ads she’s been in.
More recently, you may have seen her in CSI: Las Vegas. She plays Elisabetta, David Hodges fiancee. She was actually just featured in the last episode titled Fearless taking a mud bath.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=EWjbOx-eP1E
Anyway, she took the time to answer a few of my questions because no woman can resist my charm. Especially when their hands are tied behind their backs. Er, uh, figuratively. Heh heh.
How did you first get into modeling?
I was recruited on the street while heading back home from track&field practice. Then the guy was desperate to speak with my parents since I showed no interest.
What was the experience like when you first started? Was it difficult to book jobs? How did it eventually all come together?
It was all new for me. I can’t say it was hard because it kind of came naturally for me. I really enjoyed it. I signed with a big agency in Bucharest and after that jobs kept coming.
What’s been your favorite modeling gig?
I really enjoyed the video commercials I did, especially the one for FIAT. But also I loved working on campaigns for Armani, David Yurman, True Religion and Sports Illustrated.
What’s the line you won’t cross for a shoot?
Representing sexual actions. I posed nude before and everything was very artistic, but I would never pose for a magazine for adults.
Is there fierce competition between models? Have you ever seen a model do something terrible to another model?
Always. You won’t see a bigger competition elsewhere. There’s always a battle for who is the prettiest. I’ve seen girls doing unorthodox things (even to each other) that blew me away.
I read you were raised on a farm in Romania. Was this a full-blown farm with cows and chickens? Did you have to kill any chickens?
Haha, not quite. I lived in the city, but spent a lot of time at my grandma’s house in the suburbs. She has many chickens indeed. I only had to chase and catch them, then she did the rest of the job.
Would you kill a chicken for me?
You’ll have to call my grandma for that..no way
Best place to live: Romania, Milan or New York?
New York City
Do you spend a lot of time at the gym or do you follow my diet plan of just not eating?
I never have time to go to the gym, but I do watch what I eat. I’m lucky because I can eat whatever I want and I hardly gain any weight.
Describe the perfect guy.
The perfect guy for me is one that is not perfect. Perfection is boring anyway. If you can make me laugh till my cheeks hurt and be spontaneous enough to keep up with me then you are my cup of tea.
That’s me! Now convince me why I should date you.
Why wouldn’t you? :)
Being a model, do you find it hard to meet guys or regular people for that matter? Especially when they’ve seen you in a magazine?
Yes and no. Depends what kind of people I hang out with. Not everybody reads the fashion column. I like those with whom I can have a conversation that is not modeling related, you know?
On that note, are there any publications that you haven’t shot with that you want to shoot with?
I pretty much shot for them all. But a cover for Harper’s Bazzar or Vogue in the US would be wonderful.
You’ve already been in a few tv shows. Any desire to do more? Which ones would you love to do?
Yes, I am also an actress now. I really enjoyed working with the CSI: Las Vegas team. We shall see what the future holds from now on. I would love to shoot for a movie like Cat Woman or The Avengers where I could use my athletic skills.
How can fans keep in touch with you?
I post all my work and future projects on my Facebook page Catrinel Marlon. That’s how I keep in touch with my fans also and I respond to them as often as my time allows me to.