Mădălina Ghenea`s Youth

When beauty, and especially charisma, meets talent, a legend is born. When opportunity meets perseverance, a career is built up. When the yesterday`s “No” makes the today`s “Yes” even more relevant, a destiny is created. At only 29, Mădălina Ghenea seems to have understood all of these things and is determined, complemented with the delicacy of a strong-minded person, to fulfill her own calling. Mădălina Ghenea is the chosen one (or is she the victim?) of a contemporary fairy tale, similar to the Miss Universe role she played in the excellent movie “Youth” by Paolo Sorrentino – a beautiful woman, a Miss Universe harassed by the press, bantered by half-educated condescending people, a “god” who is the subject of all fantasies, preconceptions and especially…the frustrations of those who read the story on the front page of newspapers. Mădălina Ghenea develops and blends this fairytale with the following words, but also with the images – presented in this material signed – by Matei Stratan, the partner with whom she is living a new chapter in her life. Her real life.

We must admit…Everyone knows your name and your image but only a few know your professional activity. When and how did you start working in modeling? How about in film industry?
I perfectly remember that moment. I was 14 years old back then. While I was playing basketball in school, I received a note from a girl inviting me to show up for a casting organized by an agency in Bucharest. I went home and told my parents and my brother about it. My brother told me very confidently that I should keep calm because no one will choose me, however he was willing to go there with me to see some beautiful girls. (Laughs). This was the first step. I left home having this thought “no one will choose me”. This lack of confidence was not just in my mind, but also in every agent with whom I worked with. Nobody believed I would be able to work, nobody ever told me “you can do more”. In the end, I realized I had to encourage myself. My mother was the only person who has always believed in me. From that first casting, many bus trips to Bucharest followed. Shortly after, I was sent to Italy where I started working on the catwalk.

Do you remember your first job?
Yes. It was for the Italian lingerie brand – La Perla. I had never heard of it before. Later on, there were many shows at Milan Fashion Week, in many fascinating places. I remember one show in Piazza di Spagna (Rome). It was really exciting for me. After all, I was a simple girl from Slatina, born and raised near the aluminum factory. It was incredible to live all that.

However, your modeling career was spectacular but in the same time it wasn`t…
No, it wasn`t spectacular at all. I never did anything important in the fashion business because, as I mentioned before, I started off by having a complete lack of self-confidence

Is by any chance this “lack of self-confidence” a form oflament?
No, not at all. This lack of self-confidence still exists today if we are to discuss modeling. If I am sent to film with Sorrentino (Paolo) I am happy. On the other hand, if you send me to do a shoot with a great photographer, I feel completely uncomfortable. Yet, all this modeling prepared me for what I truly wanted to do: cinema. And for this I need to thank everyone who harmed me, because they made me able to understand many things; for example, how to read a contract…

Interview by Marian Pălie

Photo credit Matei Stratan, February 2017, Arezzo, Italy

The magazine is available for purchasing here.