Biographie
Valentina is a German actress born in 1968 in Bucharest, Romania. At nine years old, she moved with her family to Frankfurt am Main, Germany, escaping Ceausescu's regime thanks to her mother's German heritage.
Growing up under communism, many youths turned to sports or arts to avoid a bleak future, and Valentina was no exception. She became a competitive swimmer, continuing her passion in Germany with determination, eventually competing in the German championships.
After five years of success, the German Swimming Federation (DSV) wanted her to leave her club, SG Frankfurt, and move to Bonn for advanced training. At 14, the intense pressure of daily four-hour training sessions and weekend competitions became overwhelming, leading her mother to end her swimming career.
This decision marked the first time Valentina reclaimed her freedom to pursue her dreams. She began modeling to finance her entry into the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in London. Inspired by seeing Alain Delon on screen at age seven, acting had long been her ambition. At 18, she moved to London and was quickly signed by top agency Select. She rose to prominence in modeling, spending four years traveling between fashion capitals like London, Paris, and Milan, while putting acting on hold.
Though a natural in front of the camera, Valentina grew bored with modeling and relocated to Los Angeles. There, she continued modeling with L.A. Models while completing a one-year interior design course at Santa Monica College. Longing to return to Europe, she moved to Paris in 1993, initially resuming modeling. There, she met photographer Corinne Korda, a close friend and chronicler of her career, who encouraged her to embrace acting.
Motivated, Valentina auditioned for a coveted scholarship at the renowned acting school Cours Florent and won. She learned plays in English or German, working phonetically in French, a language she had yet to master. Her talent earned her direct admission into the second year, a distinction previously granted only to Anne Brochet of Cyrano de Bergerac fame. From there, she gradually built her career in theatre, television, and film.
Her breakthrough came when acclaimed director Jean-Jacques Beineix, known for Diva and Betty Blue, cast her in a leading female role in the psychological comedy Mortal Transfer. They later fell in love, and their daughter was born in 2001.
Valentina continued acting but devoted much of her time to family life. In 2005, she hosted the lifestyle magazine CHIC for the French-German TV channel ARTE, presenting in both German and French. For this role, encompassing 200 shows in two languages within a year, she was nominated in 2006 for Best Presenter by the city of St. Maur.
After separating from her daughter's father, she fell in love with documentary director Christophe Maillet, with whom she had a son in 2008.
In 2009, Valentina resumed work on German and French TV productions, including a notable cameo in German director Leander Haußmann's film Dinosaurier. In 2010, she returned to the Paris stage starring in Sacha Guitry's play Je t'aime. Since then, she has continued working in French and German television.
In 2012, Valentina starred as the lead female role in German director Nicolai Müllerschoen's film Gier, acting alongside Heiner Lauterbach, one of Germany's most prominent actors.
Valentina identifies as a German actress and also embraces her European identity. Fluent in several languages, she has lived and worked across multiple countries.
