The Top 20 Models in Movies
Models who act have it SO tough, right? But it takes more than a pretty face to make it in Hollywood. While 'Incredible Hulk' star Liv Tyler modeled only briefly before switching to acting, some supermodels leave established careers to make it in movies. We rank the top 20 -- not on looks, but on how attractively they handled the transition from catwalk to the silver screen.
More on 'The Incredible Hulk'
20. Cindy Crawford
Big Break: It was supposed to be the 1995 action flick 'Fair Game,' in which she took time out from dodging bullets to hump William Baldwin on a freight train.
Body of Work: Since then, her acting has been mostly limited to TV guest spots and those sultry Pepsi ads -- but, hey, at least Prince named a song after her.
More Cool Stuff
19. Heidi Klum
Big Break: The woman known as "The Body" had her first meaty role as a hairdresser in the 2001 Josh Hartnett flick 'Blow Dry.'
Body of Work: She played the giantess Brunhilda in '04's 'Ella Enchanted,' but most of her post-modeling success has come on the small screen, auf'ing contestants on 'Project Runway.'
18. Claudia Schiffer
Big Break: Her first role was in the Macaulay Culkin calamity 'Richie Rich.'
Body of Work: She may be the Samuel L. Jackson of supermodels (she's appeared on over 900 magazine covers), but her filmography ain't quite diversified. Credits include small roles in 'Black and White' and 'Love Actually.'
17. Gisele Bundchen
Big Break: Being born. Everything has come up Bundchen for this model/pop star/actress who's dated Leo DiCaprio and Tom Brady.
Body of Work: The only time it hurt looking at Gisele? Her debut in celluloid waste commonly known as 'Taxi.' She played it much safer with a small role in the 2006 hit 'The Devil Wears Prada.'
16. Tyra Banks
Big Break: The reality TV diva landed her first major film role in '95's 'Higher Learning.'
Body of Work: Scorned aspiring models from her show will be disappointed to hear Banks' death scene in 'Halloween: Resurrection' was left on the cutting room floor. She also starred in 'Coyote Ugly' and 'Love & Basketball.'
15. Christie Brinkley
Big Break: The legendary Sports Illustrated swimsuit model launched her acting career as a Ferrari driving, skinny-dipping seductress in 1983's 'National Lampoon's Vacation.'
Body of Work: Sadly, her only other real credit is a reprisal of that role in the ill-advised 1997 sequel 'Vegas Vacation.'
14. Maggie Q
Big Break: That'd be 'M:i:III,' in which she looked drop-dead gorgeous in a gown AND made bad guys drop dead.
Body of Work: The Vietnamese-American, a martial-arts star in China, is getting some Hollywood love: The badass-est villain of 'Live Free or Die Hard' will soon appear in the star-studded 'New York, I Love You.'
13. Molly Sims
Big Break: No relation to the virtual people of SimCity, she made her screen debut in 2004's 'Starsky & Hutch.'
Body of Work: Sims proved her charity toward the attractively challenged when she starred opposite Rob Schneider, David Spade and Jon Heder in 'The Benchwarmers.' Next up: Jim Carrey's 'Yes Man.'
12. Estella Warren
Big Break: The former synchronized swimmer made a splash as the loincloth-sporting love interest in 2001's 'Planet of the Apes.'
Body of Work: Though she impressed us as William H. Macy's almost-daughter-in-law in '03's 'The Cooler,' she also appeared that year in 'Kangaroo Jack.' Not so pretty.
11. Elle MacPherson
Big Break: She packed on 30 pounds and delivered a stellar (if mostly nude) performance opposite Hugh Grant in '94's 'Sirens.'
Body of Work: She's showed impressive range, tackling roles in comedy ('Jane Eyre,' 'If Lucy Fell,' TV's 'Friends'), drama ('The Edge') and the awfully unclassifiable ('Batman and Robin').
10. Ali Larter
Big Break: She walked into our hearts as whipped-cream-bikini-sporting cheerleader in 'Varsity Blues.'
Body of Work: After teen hits like 'Drive Me Crazy' and 'Final Destination,' Larter hit it big on NBC's 'Heroes,' which led to continued butt-kicking in Resident Evil: Extinction.'
9. Bridget Moynahan
Big Break: After playing Big's fiancée on 'Sex and the City') and swilling drinks in 'Coyote Ugly,' she sparred with Colin Farrell and Al Pacino in the 2003 thriller 'The Recruit.'
Body of Work: Her current big production? A baby, fathered by ex Tom Brady. She's gotten back into the game recently, starring opposite Tim Robbins in this year's 'Noise.'
8. Brooke Shields
Big Break: As a scantily clad teen marooned on a deserted island in 'Blue Lagoon,' she won the hearts of horny teen boys everywherre.
Body of Work: She's worked mostly in TV, including her own sitcom 'Suddenly Susan'; but she'll hit the big screen once again this summer in the horror flick 'Midnight Meat Train.'
7. Andie MacDowell
Big Break: She was indie before indie was cool, in Steven Soderbergh's '89 breakthrough 'sex, lies and videotape.'
Body of Work: She's remembered best for 'Four Weddings and a Funeral' (which launched Hugh Grant's rom-com reign), but we'll always have a soft spot for 'Muppets From Space.'
6. Rebecca Romijn
Big Break: Marrying John Stamos. Oh, and donning a skin-tight bodysuit in 'X-Men.'
Body of Work: Aside from being the hottest blue vixen since Smurfette, Romijn made her film debut in De Palma's 'Femme Fatale'; she currently plays a transsexual on 'Ugly Betty.' Yeah, right. Like modern medicine's come that far.
5. Famke Janssen
Big Break: She was Xenia Onatopp, the Bond girl with deadly thighs in 'GoldenEye.'
Body of Work: Next to her star-making turn as Jean Grey in the 'X-Men' series, most of her film work pales by comparison ('Hide and Seek,' 'I Spy'). But the Phoenix will rise again this summer in the indie sleeper comedy 'The Wackness.'
4. Milla Jovovich
Big Break: The Russian beauty shot to moviegoers' attention with '97's 'The Fifth Element,' directed by then-lover Luc Besson.
Body of Work: Her career highlights are the 'Resident Evil' movies, which she's headlined as the zombie-fighting Alice. Hmm ... model in tight leather -- who'da thunk that would work?
3. Cybill Shepherd
Big Break: She stormed the big screen as a lusty ingenue in 'The Last Picture Show.'
Body of Work: Though she shone in 'Picture Show' and 'Taxi Driver,' Shepherd became a star on TV, winning Globes for 'Moonlighting' and 'Cybill.' She returned to the tube in 2007 as a "confused" housewife on 'The L Word.'
2. Kim Basinger
Big Break: No one's made wearing a hat (or taking it off) look as hot as she did in '9 1/2 Weeks.'
Body of Work: Having gone from Breck girl to Bond girl ('Never Say Never Again') to Batman's girl ('Batman'), she won an Oscar as a call girl in 'L.A. Confidential.' After all that, we forgive her for 'Boxing Helena.'
1. Cameron Diaz
Big Break: The California girl had us at "Smokin'!" as Jim Carrey's crush in her first film, '94's 'The Mask.'
Body of Work: Cam has proved that hot-bodied babes can be funny too -- in 'My Best Friend's Wedding' and 'There's Something About Mary' -- and we even loved her homely, as she was in 'Being John Malkovich.'
Also on Moviefone ...
What's Next?
Star-on-star interviews
Tons of trailers & clips
Movie recommendations
News: Gossip & headlines
Television: What to watch
Games: Play online for free
Music: Listen to AOL Radio
CityGuide: City's best
Comedy: Viral video
Star Sightings
'Bolt' of Lightning
See Miley Cyrus, John Travolta, Mr. T and the rest of the voices of 'Bolt' at the Disney red carpet premiere.
See 'Bolt' pics
Plus, check these out:
 |
Recent Comments