Margarita Levieva

Margarita Levieva (Russian: Маргарита Владимировна Левиева; born Margarita Vladimirovna Levieva; February 9, 1980) is a Russian-American actress. Born in the Soviet Union, she was a competitive gymnast before going on to star in the films The Invisible, Adventureland, and Spread. On television, she is known for her role as the faux Amanda Clarke/real Emily Thorne on Revenge.

Personal life

Levieva was born in Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union (now Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation). She is from a Russian Jewish family. At the age of three, she began the training program of a competitive rhythmic gymnast. When she was 11, Levieva's mother moved her and her twin brother to Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn in New York City.

She continued to train for a few more years after emigrating to the United States and achieved success regionally but did not compete at the U.S. Championships – she did not then hold U.S. citizenship and her family were undocumented immigrants at the time. She attended high school in Secaucus, New Jersey. Levieva received her BA in economics at NYU and worked as a fashion buyer. Her continuing interest in acting led her to be accepted into the Meisner Training Program at the William Esper Studio.