Famous American Models

Named International Model of the Year by the British Fashion Council in 2016, fashion model Gigi Hadid has made several appearances on international Vogue magazine covers. The daughter of a former model, she began her career as a toddler. She made her mark in her teenage yeaars and continues to be a popular model.

Like many of her other family members, Kendall Jenner gained fame after starring in the American reality television show, Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which focuses on the personal and professional lives of the Kardashian-Jenner family. She is also a fashion model, co-designs a clothing line and was named the world's highest-paid model of 2018 in the Forbes top-earning models list.

One of the most popular American models of the current generation, Bella Hadid has been featured in popular magazines, such as Vogue and Harper's Bazaar. She was voted Model of the Year in 2016 by industry professionals. The same year, Hadid contributed to Johny Dar's Jeans for Refugees project in order to raise fund for the International Rescue Committee.

Sofia Vergara is a Colombian-American actress, model, and TV producer. She is one of the highest-paid actresses in American TV. She rose to fame in the late 1990s as a TV host. She began gaining popularity as an actress in the 2000s and appeared in many TV shows and films. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including an NAACP Image Award.

First gaining media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian didn’t take long to become a celebrity in her own right. She came into the limelight in the early 2000s owing to a leaked sex tape and quickly became a social media celebrity with millions of followers across platforms.

From being a lanky girl who was made fun of in school to becoming Hollywood’s A-list star, actress Uma Thurman has had quite a journey. She worked in various movies before landing on the film that earned her international appreciation, Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction. Later, Tarantino's two Kill Bill movies and Mira Nair’s miniseries Hysterical Blindness further boosted her stardom.

Kaia Gerber is an American model whose work earned her the prestigious Model of the Year honor in 2018 at The Fashion Awards. Over the years, Gerber has been featured on the cover of popular magazines like Vogue. She had a major impact on the fashion world in 2018 when she collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld to create the KarlxKaia collection.

Brooklyn Decker is an American actress and model. One of the most popular models to pose for the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Brooklyn Decker has also worked for Victoria's Secret. Not surprisingly, she has been featured on lists like Men's Health magazine's 100 Hottest Women of All-Time and Esquire's Sexiest Woman Alive.

Beginning her career as a child model with Wilhelmina Models, Katherine Heigl made her film debut with That Night. However, the role that catapulted her to stardom was that of Dr. Isobel Stevens on ABC's medical drama Grey's Anatomy. The talented actress subsequently appeared in movies like Knocked Up and Life As We Know It and TV series Suits.

The quintessential action heroine of Hollywood, Milla Jovovich was rightly called the reigning queen of kick-butt by VH1 in 2006. Milla Jovovich is synonymous with the Resident Evil film series as the series revolves around its central character Alice, played by Milla. The Resident Evil film franchise is the highest-grossing movie series to be adapted from video games.

Ciara is an American singer-songwriter whose debut single, Goodies, earned her the title Princess of Crunk&B. Her songs, Goodies and Yeah!, are credited with introducing the substyle of contemporary R&B and crunk music called crunk&B to music lovers. Also a dancer and model, Ciara has had a major impact on the American entertainment industry for the past 10 years.

Model and TV personality Hailey Baldwin is a major figure in the international fashion scene and modeled for brands like Ralph Lauren, Guess, and Tommy Hilfiger. Born into the famous Baldwin family, she started modeling early on. She has also appeared in a few TV shows and films. 

American actor, Matthew Gray Gubler, is best known for playing the character of Dr Spencer Reid in the popular and acclaimed television series Criminal Minds. He has also acted in films like 500 Days of Summer, Suburban Gothic and How to Be a Serial Killer. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for his role in the television series, The Beauty Inside.

A woman of many talents, Sasha Grey is an American actress, author, musician, and former pornographic actress. Grey's journey from the pornographic industry to the mainstream film industry has been quite inspirational. Also a well-known DJ, Grey is credited with co-founding the now-defunct industrial music band aTelecine. An openly bisexual star, she serves as an inspiration to the LGBT community.

Christie Brinkley is an American actress, model, and entrepreneur. Widely regarded as one of the most attractive women ever, Brinkley has been featured on more than 500 magazine covers and was the face of CoverGirl for 25 years! Apart from being an inspiration to aspiring models worldwide, Christie Brinkley has also touched the lives of many through her philanthropic activities.

A model who was active during the late 1970s and early 1980s, Gia Carangi was considered by many to be one of the first supermodels. She was featured on the covers of multiple fashion magazines, including editions of Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She also worked with various famous designers. She died of AIDS at the young age of 26.

Starting out as a child model, Angie Harmon won a modeling contest organized by Seventeen magazine when she was 15. After winning a Spectrum Model Search contest, she pursued a modeling career. She then became an actress and gained international recognition for her performance in series like Baywatch Nights and Law & Order. She also practices taekwondo and boxing.

Jordana Brewster is an American model and actress best known for playing Mia in the Fast & Furious franchise. In 2009, she was honored at the Teen Choice Awards for her performance in Fast & Furious. Brewster is also renowned for her modeling skills and has posed for several magazines. In 2011, Maxim included her in their Hot 100 list.

Starting out as a child actress, Rachael Leigh Cook went on to establish herself as a successful actress. Known for her good looks, she was ranked 26th in Stuff magazine's list of 102 Sexiest Women in the World in 2002. Also known for her public service, she was selected as a Champion of Change for Arts Education by the Obama administration.

Tricia Helfer is a Canadian actress and model. She gained international fame after portraying the enigmatic Cylon model Number Six in the Battlestar Galactica TV series. She began her career as a model and won the Ford Models' Supermodel of the World contest in 1992. Later on, she quit modeling to pursue a full-time acting career. 

From working as a scrub technician to becoming a popular model and actress, Minka Kelly has had quite an incredible journey so far. Though she initially wanted to become a surgeon's assistant, she decided against it after landing minor roles in short films and TV series. Apart from modeling and acting, Minka also enjoys baking and cooking.

An Academy Award-winning actress, Geena Davis is also known for her work to fight gender bias, for which she was presented with the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award. An ardent archer, who vied for a semifinals spot in the U.S. Olympic archery team for the 2000 Summer Olympics, Geena supports the Women's Sports Foundation among other initiatives that support women.

AnnaSophia Robb is an American model, actress, and singer. Robb started her acting career as a child artist before establishing herself as a successful actress. A multi-talented personality, AnnaSophia Robb quit gymnastics and dancing at a young age to focus on her career as an actress. She serves as an inspiration to young and aspiring actresses.

Cameron Monaghan is an American actor whose transition from a child star to an adult actor was made successful by a TV series titled Shameless in which he played a gay bipolar teenager named Ian Gallagher. His performance in Shameless gained him international recognition and critical appreciation, after which he earned several important film and TV roles.

Malin Akerman is a Swedish-American model, actress, singer, and producer. She is known for playing important roles in such films like The Heartbreak Kid and Watchmen in which her nude scenes garnered much attention. She also works closely with a nonprofit organization called Opportunity International.

Olivia Culpo is an American social media personality and fashion influencer. She gained international recognition after winning the Miss Universe beauty pageant in 2012. As a fashion influencer, she has collaborated with many fashion and beauty brands, such as Kipling and L'Oréal. She also owns a restaurant in Rhode Island.

Charlize Theron is a former model and was an aspiring ballerina whose career came to a halt after a knee injury. However, an unexpected encounter brought her in the world of acting and she went on achieve tremendous success including winning an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. She is currently one of the world's highest-paid actresses.

Peggy Lipton achieved fame after playing Julie Barnes in the TV series The Mod Squad; her character Julie became a fashion icon. Peggy is also credited with raising her children Kidada and Rashida Jones—both celebrities—after marrying Quincy Jones. Interestingly, Peggy achieved all these after overcoming nervousness and stuttering as a child after being sexually abused by a relative.

Carmen Electra is an actress, TV personality, and singer. One of the leading figures of glamour modeling, Carmen Electra gained popularity as a sex symbol. She is also one of the most popular Playboy models of all time. Apart from being a prominent media personality, Carmen also works with various non-profit organizations, such as Elevate Hope and HollyRod Foundation.

Jaime Pressly is an American actress who won a Primetime Emmy Award for playing Joy Turner on the sitcom My Name Is Earl. Also known for her appearance and good looks, Pressly is often named in the world's sexiest or beautiful women lists. She has also appeared on the covers of popular magazines, such as Playboy and Maxim.

Actress and model, Pamela Anderson, is known as a sex symbol. She featured regularly in the Playboy magazine and acted in television series Home Improvement, Baywatch and VIP. Baywatch was hugely popular and gave her international recognition. Pamela Anderson has also acted in several films. She is an active member of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), the animal rights organisation.

Iman is a Somali fashion model, entrepreneur, and actress. At the peak of her fashion modeling career, Iman served as a muse for influential designers like Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Gianni Versace, and Yves Saint Laurent. Also known for her philanthropic activities, Iman is involved in several charitable endeavors. She is closely associated with the non-profit organization, Children's Defense Fund.

Actor and model, Taylor Lautner, gained international fame for playing Jacob Black in The Twilight Saga film series. He began his career by taking up small roles in TV shows. A handsome young man, he soon became a teen sex symbol and started getting film offers. He was named on Glamour's The 50 Sexiest Men of 2010 list.

Paris Hilton comes from an affluent family and is the great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. A leaked 2001 sex tape with her then boyfriend, Rick Salomon, had created quite a scandal in 2003, which led her to act in the reality television series, The Simple Life. She’s also an actress, singer, model, author, socialite and businesswomen.

Widely regarded as a legend of classical Hollywood cinema, Lana Turner was one of the most prominent and highest-paid actresses in the mid-1940s. Also considered a popular culture icon of Hollywood glamor, Turner also achieved success as a pin-up model. Her life and career have inspired several works across art, literature, music, and film. 

Chad Michael Murray is an American actor who started his career as a fashion model, working for brands, such as Tommy Hilfiger and Gucci. Murray overcame his tough childhood and went on to establish himself as an actor. Also a writer, he co-authored a romantic thriller novel with Heather Graham, which was inspired by a dream!

Model, actress, and author, Paulina Porizkova, became the first woman from Central Europe to be featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue in 1984. She began modeling as a teenager and became a top model in Paris during the early 1980s. She eventually began acting as well. Also a writer, she has written a few books.