32 Hollywood Actresses Who Started Out as Models

models turned actresses halle berry cara delavigne — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Believe it or not, the modeling-to-acting pipeline isn't unusual. Some of your favorite actors started out life as models (and many more have tried to parlay runway success to on-screen success). Whether they really wanted to be actors and started modeling as a means to an end, or they started life as a model but were scouted for a film role, or something in between, there are a ton of highly paid actresses who used to appear on runways and in the pages of our favorite magazines.

From some of our most beloved actresses like Julia Roberts and Charlize Theron, to '80s icons like Brooke Shields, to Oscar winners like Halle Berry, you'll be surprised by how many actresses you didn't realize were models in a past life.

Tyra Banks

This Victoria's Secret Angel, who was three times featured on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, is probably most-known for America's Next Top Model (and hosting other hit shows), but also had small parts in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Coyote Ugly, among others.

Emily Ratajkowski

Remember Emily Ratajkowski's bit part in Gone Girl (and before that, a teeny tiny role in iCarly!)? Let's not forget her modeling work that includes walking at New York Fashion Week, starring on international Vogue covers, and appearing as a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

While you might not be as familiar with Huntington-Whiteley's on-screen work, including smaller parts in Transformers: Dark of the Moon and Mad Max: Fury Road, you're probably familiar with her modeling career, including as a Victoria's Secret Angel and Harper's Bazaar Model of the Year.

Jaime King

Jaime King was discovered at 14 and had a successful modeling career, including in Vogue, on the Chanel runway, and for a Revlon campaign. She successfully transitioned to film and TV, including Pearl Harbor, Sin City, and Hart of Dixie (and continued modeling for part of that time).

Ali MacGraw

The Goodbye, Columbus and Love Story actress worked as a model before landing in movies. Intriguingly, she spent several years at Harper's Bazaar as a photo assistant for Diana Vreeland (who later became editor-in-chief at Vogue). She also did TV ads, including for a bikini made by International Paper.

Cara Delevingne

Two-time Model of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, Cara Delevingne was scouted at 10; her breakthrough was the Burberry catwalk in 2011. TV- and film-wise, you might know her from Suicide Squad (2016), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets, and Only Murders in the Building.

Famke Janssen

If Famke Janssen is recognizable to you as Phoenix from the X-Men films (or, if you like TV, How to Get Away with Murder), before her on-screen work, she was a model who did campaigns for Victoria's Secret and Chanel before retiring in the 1990s.

Amber Valletta

Considered a prominent supermodel in the 1990s (with 17 American Vogue covers to her name), Valletta made a successful transition to films like What Lies Beneath (2000) and Hitch (2005) and then subsequently TV in Revenge and Blood & Oil.

Rebecca Romijn

You may know Romijn from Star Trek, X-Men, or (if you're like me) Ugly Betty. But before that, she was a '90 model who appeared on endless magazine covers, walked a bunch of runways, and did a ton of ad campaigns (including Victoria's Secret and Maybelline).

Tricia Helfer

For those of us who are sci-fi fans, Tricia Helfer was one of the stars of the show Lucifer and, before that, famously Number Six in the Battlestar Galactica remake. The winner of the 1993 Ford Models' Supermodel of the World contest, Helfer worked regularly in campaigns and runways before retiring to act.

Abbey Lee

If you liked Mad Max: Fury Road or the short-lived Lovecraft Country or even M. Night Shyamalan's Old, you've seen Abbey Lee. But before all that, she was a highly sought-after model, debuting at NYFW in 2008 and becoming a Victoria's Secret model that same year.

Sienna Miller

Sienna Miller's received critical acclaim for her movie roles (The Girl, Factory Girl, American Sniper), so it's easy to forget that she graced the pages of Italian Vogue when she first started out as a model. She also did covers (including for Marie Claire!) and campaigns, including for Coke.

Demi Moore

After a volatile and difficult home life, Demi Moore worked as a model for a short time as a teenager, and made her acting debut before she was even 20 in General Hospital. She made her runway debut for Fendi in 2021.

Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz started modeling when she was in high school—which included a magazine cover for Seventeen and campaigns with Coke and Calvin Klein—and, at the advice of an agent to audition, was only 21 when she made her film debut in The Mask in 1994.

Brooke Shields

Brooke Shields famously and controversially started working at a very young age. After modeling as a literal baby, she also worked as a child model. Acting followed at a young age too, including 1976's Alice, Sweet Alice.

Anjelica Huston

The daughter of famed director John Huston (who'd tried to feature her in an early film), Anjelica Huston was more interested in modeling through the 1970s—becoming a favorite of Halston—and only picked up acting in the following decade.

Andie MacDowell

The Four Weddings and a Funeral actress (and Margaret Qualley's mom, in case you didn't know!) started life as a model—and has had a long, fruitful partnership with L'Oreal in particular. Her early work for Calvin Klein led to her being cast in films in the 1980s.

Monica Bellucci

An Elite model who did a number of campaigns, including as a famous muse for Dolce & Gabbana, Monica Bellucci has remained a model throughout her career. She began as a pre-teen and made her formal debut at 16—campaigns, covers, and fame followed.

Jessica Lange

Jessica Lange was discovered while she was living in Paris and signed to an agency in the 1970s. She moved to New York and tried to get signed—and by her admission, wasn't very successful—but her breakout performance in King Kong (1976) helped start her career.

Rene Russo

Before she transitioned to acting in her 30s, Rene Russo moved to New York to pursue modeling—and was prolific in the 1970s and 1980s, including covers for Vogue and Cosmopolitan. She became known for her bombshell roles, including in two Lethal Weapon movies and The Thomas Crown Affair.

Gal Gadot

Like many on this list, Gal Gadot competed in pageants and was crowned Miss Israel in 2004. Before her breakout in 2009 with Fast & Furious, she did a number of international campaigns and magazine covers; She continued to model even after she became a known actor.

Halle Berry

The former pageant queen (and first runner-up in Miss USA 1986) began establishing herself as an actress in the 1990s and became a household name in the 2000s. She continued to work as a model throughout her career, including for Revlon.

Jennifer Connelly

Jennifer Connelly began child modeling before she was even a teen—she really has been in the business since she was little!—and did print ads, magazine covers, and TV commercials. Some of her modeling overlapped with her acting, but she had her big break in 1986 with Labyrinth.

Twiggy

There were fewer more popular supermodels in the 1960s than the waifish, androgynous Twiggy. Her career spanned decades, but she also dipped into acting: Golden Globe nominated in The Boy Friend (1971), stage work in My One and Only on Broadway, and (more recently) a judge on America's Next Top Model.

Diane Kruger

Before she played most beautiful woman in the world (Helen of Troy) in Troy (2004), Kruger was a pretty prolific model (despite being relatively short at 5'9"). She landed on several covers, including Marie Claire, as well as runways and campaigns, but stopped in the 2000s to pursue acting.

Uma Thurman

Uma Thurman started modeling as a teen—and landed a couple of magazine covers in those early years—but almost immediately started getting cast in films, including Dangerous Liaisons in 1988. She'd wanted to be an actress from an early age, and was scouted in ninth grade.

Sharon Stone

Sharon Stone was a pageant contestant (and was in the running for Miss Pennsylvania), then moved to New York and was signed to an agency. It wasn't long-lasting, and Stone quickly decided to pivot to acting—landing her first speaking role a couple years later.

Milla Jovovich

The star of The Fifth Element and all those Resident Evil movies was determined by Forbes to be the highest-paid model in 2004. Milla Jovovich has done myriad campaigns and runways and has dozens of magazine covers to her name (including Marie Claire!).

Cybill Shepherd

A former competitor in the 1968 "Model of the Year" contest, Shepherd parlayed her modeling success into film roles, with her breakthrough in The Last Picture Show in 1971. She continued to model during her early acting career, including on Kodak billboards.

Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron became a model when she was just 16 and, after a short-lived dancing career, moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. What followed was success in the 1990s and beyond, although Theron has continued to do endorsements, including for Dior.

Julia Roberts

Julia Roberts moved to New York to pursue acting but still did sign with a modeling agency in her early years. There's not much we know beyond that and the fact that she (obviously) obtained stardom quickly with Mystic Pizza in 1988 and Pretty Woman in 1990.

Angelina Jolie

While her first acting job was technically as a child alongside father Jon Voight, Jolie had a short modeling career as a teen. Her acting career would kick off in the 1990s with Hackers, but we still have some amazing early headshots before she became a superstar.

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.