'Inventing Anna': the actress who played the Russian-speaking swindler spoke about a strange meeting with her in a New York prison

She is receiving praise for her performance as Anna Delvey on the series Netflix "Inventing Anna". Julia Garner said that she really met with a swindler in prison, reports Daily Mail UK with reference to Marie Claire Australia.

Julia said she dated Delvey (real name Anna Sorokina) in a maximum security women's prison in the United States before being played on screen.

She recalled Delvey, 31, asking her, “How are you going to play me? Can you picture me right now?”

The Ozark star admitted that she was initially taken aback by Delvey's request. Then she repeated her own question for Anna, imitating the hybrid accent of a swindler.

“It was very scary, but when I just repeated what she said, Delvey found it so funny,” Julia told the publication.

On the subject: Anna Sorokina, posing as a millionaire in New York, spoke about life in prison

“I told Anna that my goal was for people to see her as a person, not a caricature.

“They don't have to agree with what she did, but they should be open and willing to understand why she did it. To err is human, but Anna is human.”

Born in Russia, Delvey gained notoriety after posing as a German heiress and swindling hundreds of thousands of dollars from wealthy New Yorkers.

Between 2013 and 2017, she defrauded banks, hotels and friends of a total of $275 (AU$000) to finance her luxurious lifestyle.

She was eventually arrested in October 2017 during a special operation. In April 2019, she was found guilty on eight counts, including grand theft.

Delvey was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison and released in February 2021. Then she was again sent to prison for an expired visa to the United States.