Andre Birleanu appears as one of the cast members and contestants in the VH1 competitive reality television series America’s Most Smartest Model. He hails originally from his hometown of Moscow, Russia, and is 24 years old. Birleanu is the son of two diplomats, and he grew up in Romania. He also claims that he’s fluent in five different languages. He was discovered by a modeling talent scout while he was fixing his bike on the street, and he has recently worked for Saks Fifth Avenue as well as Converse.

Andre is the only child of Mr. Vladimir and Mrs. Carmen Birleanu. His father is a world known name in international criminal law who has handled such cases as war crimes, human trafficking, modern slavery, narcotics, weapons, and so on. His mother, who unfortunately passed away recently, used to work for the United Nations in New York City.

Andre arrived in New York City in 1996, invited by his mother and in search of a new life and education. He was accepted in John Jay Criminal Justice Academy and dreamed of following his father’s footsteps in international criminal law and forensic psychology. In his second year of school, Andre was discovered by Calvin French, then the artistic director of Boss Models NYC.

Since joining Boss Models, Andre has worked with numerous companies including Speedo swimwear, Jean Paul Mitchell, and Jordache Jeans. He has also appeared in many publications, including Maxim, Men’s Health, Vogue, and GQ.

(Photo courtesy of VH1)