Daria Tregubova: “I work for pleasure, and this is the most important thing”

The article was first published in Makeup&YOU Professional magazine.

At the end of 2018, you called the project “This is why” the main premiere in your television career. Why? What does it mean to you personally? At every stage of our lives, very significant, important and significant events occur. The premiere of the project “This is why” became the biggest event for me in 2018. Because for every presenter, a two-hour evening show in prime time on one of the best and most beloved channels is a dream. In addition, I love the interview format; I like working with a large audience. For me, as a presenter, this was also a kind of challenge: can I, can I stand it, will I be able to get the project participants to talk and make the public love them? And everything worked out! We still communicate with some of them, I support them and believe that everything will work out in the best way. Recently, the TV channel STB released the series “A Riddle for Anna,” in which you played the main role. Do you relate to the heroine? This role is completely different from the previous ones. Yes, as a rule, I play creepy bitches, although in life I am very kind and good. (Laughs.) That’s why Anna’s character is closer to me, we have a lot in common. I really love Scandinavian TV series: I like their atmosphere, unpredictable plots and strong personalities as main characters. I transferred some features of their behavior to my heroine and was afraid that not all viewers would understand it. After all, our audience is used to a lot of emotions, suffering, and stress. But people write to me that they really like my heroine: she is strong, and reserved, and smart. The public appreciated this experiment, so the series has very good reviews. What role do you dream of most? Each role is interesting in its own way, I can’t say that I have a specific dream role. But I would really like to play in a real classic musical, and also try myself in a role that is completely unusual for me, like, for example, Charlize Theron in the film “Monster.” You have a fairly large filmography. Which films are special for you? One of them is the feature film “The Outsider,” which will be released this year. It was directed by Dmitry Tomashpolsky, our Ukrainian classic, a wonderful director with whom we worked well together. I am very grateful to him for this role. The second film is the series “Papa Dan”. It was extremely popular and was watched by every teenager from thirteen to seventeen. It was thanks to him that even those who don’t usually watch TV began to recognize me on the streets. The third significant film for me is, of course, “A Riddle for Anna,” because it is my most recent leading role. And I really like the plot of the series, its atmosphere and mood. It reminds me of famous Scandinavian TV series like “The Bridge” or “The Killing”. And another important project for me is the international series “Jonathan Fort”, which is planned to be filmed this year. I'm really looking forward to it! We shot the first teaser in the past and I am delighted with this work. An incredible team worked on the series, just a dream team: talented director Varon Bonikos, American screenwriter and producer Jeremy Chilnick (if I’m not mistaken, he was one of the screenwriters of the Game of Thrones series), Norwegian producer Egil Odegard (one of whose films was nominated for “Oscar”) and, of course, the main character and my partner John Carew, a former football player of the Norwegian national team, a handsome man who is adored by all of Norway. We found a common language, we all had fun and interesting working together. You are such a multifaceted personality - you lead television projects, act in films, produce, and write scripts. Does one type of employment interfere with another? And how do you manage to combine all this? I just can't make it in time. (Laughs.) I try to fit a huge number of different things into my schedule, so my working day always goes differently. But changing types of activities has its own thrill: I almost never get tired and am always excited for something new. I work for pleasure, and this is the most important thing. How do you recharge your energy if you feel like a squeezed lemon? Sometimes filming can last fourteen to sixteen hours a day. In this case, I drink coffee with lemon - it invigorates me. They even brewed it for me on site, added ginger and some spices to the drink... Another remedy that personally helps me a lot is Icelandic moss. I brew it like tea. It acts as an energy drink, perfectly tones and invigorates. When I’m tired and have time to rest, I watch movies and TV series, this is my passion. I hope that cinema will develop more and more actively in our country. Therefore, I am doubly pleased that it is I who will host our Ukrainian Oscar - the Golden Dziga ceremony - 2019. I am so happy. I also meet with friends. We exchange energy, we recharge each other with communication and sometimes we cannot stop. After such meetings, I don’t have the feeling of emptiness that sometimes happens after long conversations. I guess I’m surrounded by people who just recharge. Even work energizes me, especially if it’s a new project. I am always open to new offers and rarely refuse them. There is never a time when I think, “Oh God, something else.” On the contrary: “Yes, yes, let’s do it!” We’ll fit it into the schedule somehow!” (Laughs.) How else do you like to spend your free time? Besides films, I really love books, so I read a lot. I used to have extreme hobbies: I drove a bike, climbed Kilimanjaro, and skydived. Now I have slowed down a little and temporarily closed this topic, but I am easy-going: when people with new ideas appear in my environment, I cannot refuse and support them with pleasure. I also travel often. I have already traveled to many countries and plan to continue in the same spirit. Which countries are among your favorites? Where do you want to return? I rarely go back. I’ve only been to Florida in America twice, I really like it there. I always try to go for a long time to a new country - at least for a month, in order to learn and explore more. I remember my holidays in Bali, the Maldives and Seychelles, Thailand, Africa, Zanzibar. I often traveled to Asia, so now I am more drawn to Europe. I really want to visit several cities in Greece, New Zealand and Australia. Do you like to play sports? I play sports periodically. But recently I went to a new gym, I have a new trainer, a new sports uniform and a new figure - now I feel great. I always work out with a trainer because he obliges me to go to training and does not allow me to cancel them because of my lazy excuses. (Laughs.) Do you stick to proper nutrition? Both my daughter and I are pretty good about eating healthy. And although the words “broccoli” and “avocado” still cause her to panic, we always have healthy foods in the refrigerator - salads, eggs, vegetables, dietary meat. But, given my schedule and filming in sometimes wild conditions, sometimes I eat junk, making excuses that I’m hungry and very tired. I like to try street food in different countries of the world to learn new tastes. But I don’t like junk food: such dishes are too fatty for me. And let's talk a little about your beauty routine. What does your skin care routine consist of? Makeup artists do my makeup on film sets, so I always look beautiful. This is a plus of my profession, but it is also a minus. Therefore, proper cleansing of the skin is extremely important to me. I always use hydrophilic oil and micellar water to remove makeup, and I never go to bed with makeup on - this is completely out of the question. Afterwards I use toner and apply cream. I can’t stop at just one thing and I really like to try new products, so my cosmetics are always different. I have tried products from different brands: European, American, Korean, but I have no desire to stop at just one. Moreover, sometimes I use a night cream that my mom is given by her esthetician - an old school method, but it works: mom has gorgeous skin! Since I have fair skin, I always pay special attention to sunscreen for my face. When I go on vacation, I don’t leave home without them. Recently I have fallen in love with BB and CC creams with high SPF - UV protection and tone evening in one bottle. I constantly try new masks - moisturizing and nourishing, because I have dry skin. It seems to me that there is no point in having them done by a cosmetologist. For now, regular skin care at home is enough for me. Are there SOS procedures or products that allow you to quickly get your skin in order before filming? I love sheet masks – I’ve tried a lot of them. My latest discovery is three-phase remedies. First you need to use foam to deep cleanse the skin, then apply serum and finally a fabric mask - in this case they work much more effectively. Another product that allows you to thoroughly cleanse the skin when necessary is a peeling roller. How do you take care of your hair? Hair suffers the most in my profession, as it is styled almost every day. But I have found the optimal daily care that allows me to maintain balance. The products I use contain a minimum of chemical components. First of all, almost all of my shampoos are SLS-free. Why? When I use sulfate-free shampoos, my hair stops breaking altogether and begins to grow better. Secondly, I choose conditioners and masks without silicones. I sometimes use conditioners for cowashing. This trend came to us from America: dark-skinned girls have curly hair, so after washing it with regular shampoo it is very difficult to comb it. Washing your hair with conditioner makes the task easier. This procedure takes longer, but after it the hair becomes incredibly dense and voluminous! And thirdly, I use homemade keratin - I apply it as a mask. It makes hair incredibly thick. I also sometimes buy different ampoules to rub into the scalp. What is your everyday makeup look? Without which cosmetic products it is impossible to create it? I rarely buy decorative cosmetics and wear makeup, since makeup artists almost always do my makeup. There are only a few products in my arsenal - foundation, liner, mascara and hygienic lipstick. This is quite enough for me. What can you wish for the readers of our magazine? Girls! Since my birthday is in March, I want to wish you the same thing I would wish for myself. I really want us to stop depending on the opinions of others and accept ourselves for who we are. At the same time, I wish you not to stop there, move on, develop, and enjoy yourself. I am convinced that we ourselves create the universe around us. Solipsists were sure that everything that surrounds us is a figment of our imagination. And if they were right, I wish your imagination to create the most beautiful reality! Interviewed by Anastasia Buzdanova Idea, photo style: Vika Pisarenko; makeup: Olesya Koryakina ; hairstyle: Elena Voinova ; clothing and head design: Alena Oleynik (TM ao2) ; photo: Vadim Sery; earrings: Vita Kulbovskaya.