Models Who Tried Their Hand At Acting… See Who Made The Cut!

Kelly LeBrock—Then

THEN: Kelly LeBrock started her modeling career at 16 years old and appeared in countless advertisements and magazine covers as a sought after Ford model for years to come. Remember the Pantene spokeswoman who implored, “Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”? That was Kelly!

John Barrett/Globe Photos, Inc.

Kelly LeBrock—Now

NOW: None of Kelly’s recent roles seem to come to mind? Don’t feel bad. Her career never got the spark it needed to take off—even after she played Lisa, the creation of two nerds attempting to concoct the “perfect” woman in the well-known 1985 film Weird Science. Recently, LeBrock emerged from years of avoiding the limelight for a photoshoot and exclusive interview with DailyOnline. She confesses, "I had absolutely no self-esteem. I hated myself. I decided to swap my old life in Beverly Hills for a new one in the country, in Santa Barbara." She lives in a single-storey farmhouse and spends her evenings riding her horse, Kiwi. Read the rest here.

Andie MacDowell—Then

THEN: Andie MacDowell was a South Carolina college student when she took a trip to Los Angeles and a modeling scout spotted her. In 1978 she signed with Elite Model Management and her career took off. Her longtime job as the L’Oreal spokeswoman has made her an iconic and recognizable face.

James Diddick/Globe Photos, Inc./ImageCollect

Andie MacDowell—Now

NOW: The acting bug bit Andie after she made her first movie, 1984’s Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes. The budding actress was willing to work hard and studied at the Actors Studio in New York City. It paid off, and she began appearing in hits from Sex, Lies, and Videotape and Groundhog Day to Four Weddings and a Funeral.

Garcelle Beauvais—Then

THEN: Born in Haiti, Garcelle Beauvais moved to America with her family as a child and then began modeling at the age of 17.

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Garcelle Beauvais—Now

NOW: Garcelle fittingly got her big acting break on the Aaron Spelling-produced show Models Inc. in the mid-90s. She’s been working steadily on television ever since.

Brooklyn Decker—Then

THEN: A teen Brooklyn Decker made her modeling debut in an ad for prom dresses after a talent executive spotted her in a Charlotte, North Carolina, mall. She landed a coveted spot in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 2006 and was featured in the publication over the next five years, including once as its cover model.

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Brooklyn Decker—Now

NOW: Brooklyn is slowly expanding her acting resume, appearing in shows like Ugly Betty and New Girl, as well as movies, including Battleship and What to Expect When You’re Expecting.

Walter Iooss Jr.

Christie Brinkley—Then

THEN: "I was basically a surfer girl from California—I never looked like a model,” Christie Brinkley once said. She couldn’t have been more wrong, as evidenced by the phenomenal success she achieved as one of fashion’s most celebrated models.

Walter Iooss Jr., Sonia Moskowitz/Globe Photos, Inc./ImageCollect

Christie Brinkley—Now

NOW: Parks and Recreation is one of the most recent acting jobs on Christie’s resume, but she will forever be remembered for her first big role as the sassy girl in the Ferrari who makes love to Clark Griswold with her eyes in the 1983 comedy National Lampoon’s Vacation.

Cindy Crawford—Then

THEN: Cindy Crawford earned distinction as one of the world’s first supermodels. But the honor as such a recognizable symbol of beauty isn’t always easy. “I want to be able to look cruddy in my weekend sweats, with a pimple on my face and pimple cream on top of the pimple,” she once said. “The expectation to always be beautiful bothers me.”

Sharon Neetles/Globe Photos, Inc./ImageCollect

Cindy Crawford—Now

NOW: Cindy may be entirely comfortable with looking so lovely, but she seemed to understand she made a better model than an actress. She’s only tried her hand at acting a few times over the years.

Diane Kruger—Then

THEN: Diane Kruger, née Diane Heidkrüger, studied ballet in London before an injury forced her to focus on another career. Though she was a successful model in the ‘90s, Diane wanted to attend drama school, so she called up her modeling agent and quit, “which they couldn't believe because I was 22 and doing very well.”

Byron Purvis/AdMedia/ImageCollect

Diane Kruger—Now

NOW: Diane has become arguably one of the most successful among the model-turned-actress set. She’s starred in hit films like National Treasure: Book of Secrets and Inglourious Basterds.

Famke Janssen—Then

THEN: Famke Janssen was born in Amsterdam but moved to America in 1984 to model. Her stunning dark features and statuesque body helped make her a hit, and she booked jobs with some of the biggest magazines and fashion houses, including Chanel.

Kevan Brooks/AdMedia/ImageCollect

Famke Janssen—Now

NOW: Famke decided to take time off modeling to attend Columbia University, where she majored in writing and literature. She also began studying acting in L.A. She’s appeared in popular shows like Nip Tuck and several of the X-Men films. “I would rather not work than play in a movie that nobody watches,” she has said.

Tyra Banks—Then

THEN: Still in her teens, Tyra Banks dropped out of college to pursue modeling, though she was underweight—even by supermodel standards. “I was 98 pounds,” Tyra has said. “I was 5 foot 9. I was an inch shorter than I am now. So that is not just supermodel thin, that’s just, like, what’s-wrong-with-her thin.”

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Tyra Banks—Now

NOW: Tyra enjoys picking up a fun acting job here and there—it’s hard to believe she was in Coyote Ugly back in 2000—but she showed her true talent as a talk show host on The Tyra Banks Show and a judge and executive producer of the America’s Next Top Model franchise.

Kate Upton—Then

THEN: Kate Upton began modeling in 2007 at just 15 years old. Since signing with the prestigious IMG Models in 2010, her career has been on fast-forward. She is racking up accolades, ranging from the cover of Vogue to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.

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Kate Upton—Now

NOW: The tried-and-true formula of turning modeling success into a career in entertainment is a route Kate is beginning to explore. In 2011 she had a small role in the movie Tower Heist, and the next year she appeared in the comedy The Three Stooges.

Milla Jovovich—Then

THEN: Milla Jovovich started her career as a model at an extremely early age. She was just 11-years-old when the famed photographer Richard Avedon discovered her and launched her modeling career. The next year she had already secured her first major contract.

Alec Michael/Globe Photos, Inc./ImageCollect

Milla Jovovich—Now

NOW: As Milla’s modeling career took off, her acting career followed suit. She was in her first major production at 12 and soon lined up supporting roles in various productions. In 1991 she starred in Return to the Blue Lagoon and she’s now best known for her starring role as Alice in the Resident Evil series of films.

Molly Sims—Then

THEN: Many models find fame working with Sports Illustrated or CoverGirl. Though Molly Sims did just that, she would score her biggest success years later on TV.

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Molly Sims—Now

NOW: Molly came into her own as an actress over the five years that she played the character Delinda Deline for the television drama Las Vegas.

Rebecca Romijn—Then

THEN: Rebecca Romijn was nicknamed “Jolly Blonde Giant” in high school. While maybe embarrassing then, her 5’10” frame came in handy when the UC Santa Cruz freshman decided to land an agent, leave school and see the world as a model. “I moved to Paris, got a cover of French Elle, and stayed for two and a half years,” she has said.

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Rebecca Romijn—Now

NOW: One of Rebecca’s first acting gigs was in a 1997 episode of Friends playing Ross Geller’s cute but sloppy girlfriend, Cheryl. Through the years, the former model has worked in movies (who can forget her as Mystique in the X-Men movies?) and on numerous TV shows, including the comedy NTSF: SD: SUV and drama King & Maxwell.