Julia Garner, who portrays real-life scam artist Anna Delvey in the upcoming Netflix series Inventing Anna, says she got to know fraudster during a prison visit — and found her to be ‘really sweet’ and ‘charming,’ if seemingly unremorseful.
The 27-year-old actress stars as Delvey, real name Anna Sorokin, in a 10-episode Shonda Rhimes-produced series set to premiere in February, and she opened up about her bizarre meeting with her at Albion Correctional Facility near Buffalo, New York.
Speaking to Town & Country, which she covers this month, Garner said of Delvey: ‘She’s actually really sweet. She was very charming. She’s very gentle. She is very gentle, but her voice becomes more soft when she needs something.
Julia Garner, 27, covers the February issue of Town & Country and discusses her role in the upcoming Netflix series Inventing Anna
The woman claims she came to know the scammer during a visit to prison.
‘She’s actually really sweet. She was very charming. She’s very gentle. She is very gentle, but her voice becomes less soft when she needs something.
Garner could draw many lessons from Delvey’s character. Delvey’s scams were documented in a widely-read 2018 New York magazine article by Jessica Pressler, which detailed how she conned friends and New York businesses out of $275,000 in 2017.
Posing as a German heiress with a $67 million trust fund, she skipped out on exorbitant restaurant and hotel bills, and in one case, put a friend in an awkward possession of putting $62,000 — more than she made in a year — on her own credit card to cover her expenses.
In April of 2019, Delvey was convicted of four counts of theft services, three counts of grand larceny, and one count of attempted grand larceny. Although she was sentenced for a minimum four-year term, Delvey was released in February 2021.
In March, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on March 25 after she overstayed her visa. Although she faces being deported back to Germany, she was in ICE custody until October.
Garner met her while she was behind bars to learn more about her.
‘I wanted to see if she had any remorse about what happened, or time to reflect,’ she told Town & Country. But she says Delvey told her, ‘I don’t really have that much time to think.’
‘I wanted to see if she had any remorse about what happened, or time to reflect,’ she told Town & Country. But Delvey told her, ‘I don’t really have that much time to think’
Delvey was interested in Garner’s dialect coach, and also to learn her accent.
Delvey was interested in Garner’s dialect coaching and the accent Garner created. Although Delvey was raised in Russia, she grew up in Germany and learned British English. Later, Delvey tried to adopt an American accent.
‘She’s like, “Please, let me hear it,”‘ Garner recalled. It got really meta.
Garner asked Delvey what her prison life was like. She replied, “Stupid culinary arts” and that she learned tailoring.
Garner admitted, “I kinda like that about her. It’s a sick way.” ‘She’s in a full jumpsuit saying, “I’m obviously not going to make myself food when I get out of jail.”‘
Although Delvey’s actions were described by Garner as “really bad,” Garner also called Delvey a “big dreamer,” something that they share in common.
She was able to get to know her better over the many months she played with her.
Garner inquired about her prison activities and Delvey replied that she had taken classes in tailoring as well as’stupid cuisine arts’.
Garner said that she started to develop anxiety while playing Delvey, and at one point, her husband found her sleep-talking in her Anna Delvey accent
She said, “When I get to know a character well, I feel all of their emotions.” “My anxiety went through the roof and it was Anna who had very bad anxiety.
Actually, she claimed that her husband was able to hear her talk in Anna Delvey dialect while she was sleeping.
Garner — who covers Town & Country in a sequined jacket and polka-dot top by Louis Vuitton, accessorized with a $10,700 Bulgari ear cuff and $14,400 Bulgari ring — said that she hopes what people take away from the series is a better understanding of Delvey.
‘People don’t necessarily have to agree with what she did, but I want to help people try to understand why she did it. I’m curious what Anna’s going to think about me portraying her,’ she said.
The country was captivated by Delvey’s crimes when they were discovered.
Anna Sorokin arrived in New York City on March 13, 2013, disguised herself as Anna Delvey and pretending to be an heirloom German woman.
Delvey is pictured in Morocco on a 2019 visit. He arrived in New York City as a child and lived there for four years, pretending to have been a German heiress.
Nearly four years she lived in Manhattan enjoying an extravagant lifestyle, sometimes borrowing dimes from new friends. She believed that she was extremely wealthy.
In 2017, her lavish lifestyle crashed after she took a friend Rachel DeLoache Williams to Marrakesh. She racked-up thousands of hotel charges and gave the photo editor $62,000, promising to repay her.
Unrelated to the trip, Delvey was arrested in July 2017 for theft of services when she couldn’t pay bills. The report says she fled to California, and skipped a court appearance.
Afterwards, Williams — realizing that Sorokin had conned her — went to the police and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and agreed to aid officials in a sting operation that resulted in her October 2017 arrest in Malibu, California.
Delvey, who was found guilty on multiple charges by the Manhattan juries, spent less than three years prison time for defrauding $275,000.
She was released in February 2021 but she was detained about a month later by ICE.
Delvey (pictured during her trial at the New York State Supreme Court in April 2019) was arrested in 2017 on larceny charges in New York, for defrauding banks, hotels and people out of money while posing as a fake Russian born German heiress
Shortly thereafter she spoke out saying prison was “pointless…a waste of time” and that the charges against her were an insult to her intelligence. She also boasted about how guards treated her as a celebrity.
“I believe regret is a futile feeling. I can’t go back and change anything. It was what it was. Insider spoke out about her crime and she said that she is trying to get things right.
‘They [prosecutors]It showed me that I am greedy and hungry. It was a vision that I simply had. It didn’t turn out.
“I don’t have any problems with myself, as I’m not trying to defraud anybody.”
The former socialite gave her first TV interview since her release from prison For a special 20/20 that aired October 1,
During In an interview with Sorokin, she stated that she had never claimed to have money or intended to deceive.
‘I never had a fraudulent intent — and I guess that’s what should really count,’ she claims.
Delvey, who was being both released from prison as well as detained by ICE in New York City, was seen walking around New York City between March 2021 and March 2021.
She added, “I want to prove to the world that I am not as dumb and greedy as they have portrayed me to.”
Todd Spodek her former defense lawyer, was also featured in 20/20. Spodek argued that Delvey didn’t do anything wrong but instead, she was’seduced’ by New York City’s glitz, glamour, and glamor.
He said that Anna had every intention to do things right, but couldn’t get those doors open without using something a bit gray.
“Everyone makes the image they wish the world sees… everyone lies whenever it suits them… Anna was no different. Anna couldn’t tell the truth because she wouldn’t listen.
Williams — who testified against the fake heiress in court — told the interviewer that initially thought Sorokin was ‘slightly offbeat’ but never had reason to question her identity.
People have asked [me]”Were there any red flags?” Williams asked. Williams replied. Williams stated, “I never question that she is who she says she is.” I didn’t think so, and would not have believed it.