Top 10 Female Models Turned Actresses

Top 10 Female Models Turned Actresses

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These ladies proved that they're more than just a pretty face by busting their way onto the big screen! Join http://www.WatchMojo.com as we count down our picks for the Top 10 Female Models Turned Actresses. For this list, we’re looking at those women who originally began their careers as models before becoming actresses. We’re excluding those actresses that were originally beauty pageant stars, however, so you won’t find ladies like Halle Berry or Sharon Stone on this list.

Born in Mumbai, India, Freida Pinto majored in English literature and minored in Psychology and Economics before joining Elite Model Management. She appeared in several advertisements selling a variety of products, including eBay, Visa, and Vodafone India. Pinto would model for several years and appeared on many magazine covers, but her big acting break came when she was cast in “Slumdog Millionaire”. The success of this film allowed her to appear in several other big-budget movies, including “Rise of the Planet of the Apes” and “Immortals,” and we’re confident this beauty will keep impressing us on the big screen in the future.

Best known for her numerous appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues, Brooklyn Decker began her modelling career when she was around 16 years old. On top of her Sports Illustrated appearances, she has also modeled for Victoria’s Secret and The Gap. Recently, Decker has tried her hand at acting, first appearing on the big screen alongside Adam Sandler in the 2011 comedy “Just Go with It”. She has also appeared in several popular television series and 2012’s sci-fi film “Battleship,” and we can’t wait to see more of her bubbly personality at the movies.

Before she was Xenia Onatopp or Jean Grey, Famke Janssen was a fashion model with Elite Model Management, where she worked for several famous brands including Victoria’s Secret, Chanel, and Yves Saint Laurent. She eventually retired from modelling in the early ‘90s, however, to pursue an acting career. After first appearing in the 1992 crime drama “Fathers & Sons”, Janssen got her big break as the famous femme fatale in “GoldenEye”. She would later star in both the “X-Men” and “Taken” franchises, making her hard-to-pronounce name a household one.

#7: Sofía Vergara

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One of the most popular actresses of the last decade, Sofia Vergara initially began her career as a model after a photographer discovered her while she was walking on a beach in Colombia. She appeared in a Pepsi commercial at the age of 17, and by 20 she was working as a runway model in her native country. Vergara made her television debut back in 1995, but it wasn’t until 2009 when she began starring as Gloria Delgado-Pritchett on “Modern Family” that she really took North American audiences by storm with her fiery personality and accent.

In the early 1980s, Andie MacDowell was one of the most famous models in the world. She appeared in Vogue magazine and numerous ad campaigns for Yves Saint Laurent and Armani perfume, but became extremely popular after appearing on billboards in Times Square for Calvin Klein. This led to her first ever appearance on the big screen, as she starred in the 1984 film “Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes”. She went on to star in “Sex, Lies, and Videotape”, “Groundhog Day”, “Four Weddings and a Funeral” and more, and remains a busy actress even now.

#5: Milla Jovovich

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Milla Jovovich began modelling seriously at the age of 11 after immigrating to the United States with her family from the Soviet Union. She appeared on the covers of the Italian magazine Lei and British magazine The Face, which helped launch her career, and has since appeared on more than 100 magazine covers. She was eventually able to break into the film industry, after starting to take acting classes when she was 10, and has notably starred in “The Fifth Element” and the “Resident Evil” franchise, proving her worth as a kickass sci-fi heroine.

#4: Cameron Diaz

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After signing with Elite Model Management at the age of 16, Cameron Diaz appeared in ads around the world for Calvin Klein and Levi’s, and also made the front cover of Seventeen in July of 1990. She became a star after earning a role in “The Mask”, which also began her big screen career. She has since starred in dozens of films, including “There’s Something About Mary” and “Gangs of New York,” where he charisma and genuine personality continued to shine through.

Unlike other entries on this list, Isabella Rossellini got a late start, as she didn’t begin modeling until she was 28 years old. Rossellini worked for many famous photographers in her career, and appeared in ELLE and Vanity Fair, among other magazines, also becoming the exclusive spokesmodel for Lancome, an international cosmetics brand between 1982-1996. Following some small roles, she really broke into the film industry in the 1980s, appearing in the neo-noir flick “Blue Velvet”. She was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1996 for her performance in “Crime of the Century,” proving that she had both the looks and the talent.

Rebecca Romijn began her modelling career as a 19-year-old in 1991. She appeared for Giorgio Armani and Victoria’s Secret on the runway, but is perhaps best known for having appeared on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue three separate times. Her first major movie role was as Mystique in “X-Men”, a role she would reprise in two sequels. She moved on to the small screen by starring in 33 episodes of the TV series “Ugly Betty,” helping her to make her mark in both the film and TV worlds. Before we unveil our number one pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - Tyra Banks - Cara Delevingne - Rosie Huntington-Whiteley - Kate Upton

Like several other models on our list, Monica Bellucci began her career when she signed with Elite Model Management. She became one of the most prominent fashion models in Paris and New York City in the late ‘80s and was internationally recognized as an Italian sex symbol, becoming the face of Dolce & Gabbana. Though she began acting in the early ‘90s, in Hollywood, Bellucci is best known for her role as Persephone in “The Matrix” franchise and for appearing as Mary Magdalene in “The Passion of the Christ”. To increase her international appeal even further, Bellucci was chosen as the oldest Bond Girl ever for 2015’s “Spectre,” demonstrating she hasn’t lost any of her talent or her beauty, even at age 50. Do you agree with our list? Who is your favorite model turned actress? For more exciting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.