Maria Makarenko, born in Vladivostok, is a Russian actress and entrepreneur. Modeling since she was 12, she actively participated in an array of beauty competitions including ‘Miss Face-control’, in which she quickly gained skills in the art of journalism and TV hosting.
Later relocating to China at the age of 17, her fresh look and charming character appeal quickly brought her a role in the Chinese feature film ‘Ba Li Baobei’ (Perfect baby) in which she was offered the chance to act alongside superstar Chao Deng.
In 2012, she was cast in a leading role for the film ‘Target’ where she played a foreign sniper/assassin named Kanna. The production required her to be fit enough for handling intense parkour and other special effects sequences. So to ensure cinematic accuracy, Maria was put through a training regimen with an elite stunt team led by famed Chinese Director Hong Jin Bao. In 2014 ‘Target’ was released theatrically and televised via CCTV 6. As a result, Maria instantly became one of the most recognizable foreign actresses in Asia.
Maria has also been nicknamed "foreign wife" after being featured in the TV series "The Old Farmer" written by one of the most famous television scriptwriters in China, Gao Man Tan. In the series, she plays a wealthy Russian farmer’s daughter saved by a Chinese farmer and in the process falls in love with him. With the Chinese farmer’s family pitted against both her and their mixed marriage, she does everything she can to conquer their hearts. Chinese audiences were awestruck by her controversial characterization and performance which led to a flurry of casting offers.
By 2013 Maria was one of the featured co-stars in the reality show ‘Here Comes The Bride". The show centered around celebrities living in a village and participating in all kinds of farm-related games. The show was a hit with Chinese audiences and was one of the first reality shows at that time on the market.
Shortly thereafter, the feature film "Wait here" with Maria acting in a leading role as the character Monika, was honored at The Golden Rooster Awards as one of the best films of 2016.
Makarenko’s debut as a producer followed in 2018 with her involvement in the hit feature film ‘Ice Cream Lover" wherein she also plays one of the leading roles as the swanky foreign model Doris. Subsequently ‘Ice Cream Lover’ became a surprise hit with Chinese audiences and critics alike and was honored at the 2018 Shanghai film Festival as one of the best films of the year.
Continuing to act on a regular basis, she is also the owner and proprietor of Acting Master (Luo Ke Long Biao Yan Dashi) a top private acting school chain with locations in both China and Russia.
(Source: IMDb)