Hollywood Hot Actress Brooke Shields Biography
Date of Birth
31 May 1965, New York City, New York, USA
Birth Name
Brooke Christa Shields
Nickname
Brookie
Height
6' (1.83 m)
Mini Biography
"Want to know what gets between me and my Calvins? Nothing". If you hadn't heard of Brooke Shields before, this tag line from her Calvin Klein Jeans ad had to grab your attention.
Not that she hadn't had a previous noteworthy resume. She was born in New York City in 1965 and, at age 12, she starred as a child prostitute in Pretty Baby (1978). Could this movie even be made today? It was considered risky and controversial in 1978. It was followed by another hit, The Blue Lagoon (1980).
Brooke has proved herself to be so much more than her early films. Her broad range of work as an adult would be quite an achievement for anyone, especially given how difficult transitioning from child actor to adult often is.
She has never stopped working, whether it be a Bob Hope Christmas special, her own sitcom "Suddenly Susan" (1996) or as an author. She also managed to work on a degree from Princeton University. She has received a number of awards during her career, most notably The People's Choice award for 1981 through 1984 in the category of Favorite Young Performer. In 1997, she was honored again with The People's Choice award for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series in 1997 for her work in "Suddenly Susan" (1996).
In her personal life, she was married in 1997 to tennis player Andre Agassi and was devastated when they divorced two years later. She married for the second time in 2001 to Chris Henchy. She has been open about using fertility treatments to become pregnant with their daughter, Rowan, born in 2003.
When suffering debilitating depression after the birth of her daughter, she made the decision to put her feelings down on paper. Her book, "Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression", takes a hard, honest look at what she and many other women experience after childbirth.
She still lives in New York, and is still sought after for work in movies, television, and on stage. Pretty nice list of achievements for the once Calvin Klein jeans girl.
Spouse
Chris Henchy (4 April 2001 - present) 2 children
Andre Agassi (19 April 1997 - 9 April 1999) (annulled)
Trade Mark
Her eyebrows
Her "wholesome" image
Trivia
Had her marriage to Andre Agassi annulled so she can remarry in the Catholic Church.
She was stalked by 41-year-old Mark Ronald Bailey (a New Jersey accountant from Los Angeles), while he was armed with a handgun, over a period of three months (October 1999 to January 2000). He was arrested on 1/10/2000 but pleaded not guilty. The criminal complaint alleged Bailey "did maliciously and repeatedly follow and harass Brooke Shields, and made a credible threat...with the intent that she be placed in reasonable fear for her safety, and for the safety of her immediate family." On 9/5/2000, Bailey pleaded no contest to stalking and terrorizing her; he was ordered to undergo counseling and psychological evaluations, after prosecutors claimed he sent more than 100 cards and letters to her over the past 15 years...causing her "extreme fear and shock." The terms of his probation include staying away from her for 10+ years and keeping his distance from "her family, her household members, her employees, her employers or any of her agents." Ironically, seven years prior to this entire ordeal, Shields had won critical acclaim for her portrayal of another real-life stalking-victim (whose case inspired America's first anti-stalking law): California computer-engineer Laura Black, whose story was told in and by the TV docudrama I Can Make You Love Me (1993) (TV).
College sweetheart was Dean Cain (Princeton, '88). They both belonged to the same Princeton 'eating club' called 'Cap and Gown'
Added 'Camille' to her name at her Communion when she was 10 years old
Nude photos of Brooke, taken by photographer Garry Gross, when Shields was 10, were displayed in Manhattan's American Fine Arts Gallery, September 10th, 1998. The actress had sued Gross in 1981, tearfully testifying that the pictures embarrassed her, but a court decision in 1983 gave Gross the okay to display the photos.
The hardcover version of the novel "Evalore" by Eva Jones has a close-up photo of Brooke on the dust jacket. Copies of the novel with the dust jacket intact are collectables. ISBN 0397012594.
Listed as one of twelve "Promising New Actors of 1978" in John Willis' Screen World, Vol. 30.
Started her career in a TV commercial for Ivory soap.
Chosen as Time magazine's Face of the '80s.
Princeton graduate in June 1987 with a bachelor's degree in French Literature, with a minor in Italian, but says she spent most of her time making pottery, to relax.
Her grandfather was Frank Shields, a professional tennis player who acted in a few films in the 30s
While filming The Blue Lagoon (1980), she had to have her hair glued to her breasts so nothing would show.
Appeared in the music video and sang in the choir on the song "Voices That Care."
Daughter of Teri Shields
Dated Michael Bolton
Dated Liam Neeson
Dated John Kennedy Jr.
Became engaged to writer/producer boyfriend Chris Henchy on 15 July 2000 whilst on vacation in Mexico.
Chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine. [2000]
Chosen as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine. [1996]
Chosen as one of the most intriguing people of the year by People Magazine. [1996]
Chosen as one of the most intriguing people of the year by People Magazine. [1980]
Chosen as one of the most intriguing people of the year by People Magazine. [1978]
Dated Michael Jackson
Appeared on the cover of the 1977 album "Magic is a Child" by the progressive rock group Nektar.
The music group Blondie's 1978 album "Parallel Lines" contains the song "Pretty Baby", written about Brooke Shields.
In 1981, the New Jersey-based music group The Jitterz released a single titled "The girls want to look like Brooke Shields", which was a minor alternative radio hit.
Between the years of 1980 and 1985, she appeared on more than 300 magazine covers internationally.
Her great-grandmother, Mary Elsie Moore, was the sister of Glenn Close's grandfather.
On 25 February 1997 she and Andre Agassi filed suit against The National Enquirer claiming it printed "false and fabricated" statements about them and sought damages. The October 8, 1996 Enquirer headline read: "Brooke Shields...Suddenly on Top of the World...Therapy Ends the Nightmare of Pill-Popping, Binge-Eating and Tears;" the October 29 story, headlined "Brooke Wedding Disaster, Agassi Explodes," claimed that Agassi "lashed into" Brooke, Agassi and Teri "tangled like wildcats," Teri demanded a prenup, and Brooke "threatened" to derail the wedding. The case was dismissed.
Brooke's legal birthname is Brooke Christa Shields. Her birth certificate was reproduced in both the 1978 and 1982 editions of "The Brooke Book." It is a widely misheld, and often reported, misconception that her birthname is Christa Brooke Shields.
Appeared on the cover of the book "I Love Ice Cream" by Carolyn Vosburg Hall. Doubleday, 1976. ISBN 0-385-11266-1
Appeared on the cover of the book "Helene" by John Bowers. Ballantine Books, 1976. ISBN 0-345-24906-2-150
For her role in The Blue Lagoon (1980), Shields became the first ever "Winner" of a Worst Actress RAZZIE Award. She went on to "win" several more RAZZIES, and in 2000 was nominated as Worst Actress of the Century.
Appeared as one of the children in the flashback schoolroom scene in Annie Hall (1977) though her footage was cut out of the finished film.
Was paid $1 million in 1981 to endorse Wella Balsam shampoo.
Appeared on the cover of American Vogue thirteen times between 1980 and 1987. She made her first cover appearance at the age of fourteen.
At the age of fifteen, Shields became the youngest model ever to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan.
Attended and graduated from Dwight Englewood High school, in Englewood New Jersey, along with actress Mira Sorvino. Attended the all-female Lenox School until the eighth grade.
Her first daughter with Chris Henchy, Rowan Francis Henchy, was born on 15 May 2003 at a Manhattan, New York hospital. Her second daughter, Grier Hammond Henchy, was born on 18 April 2006 in Los Angeles.
Measurements: 33-25-36 (modeing at age 16 and 5'6"), 34 1/4B-25 1/4-35 (in 1989 at 6'), (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine)
At the ripe old age of 16, she had already appeared on the cover of every major fashion magazine including; Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Seventeen, and Vogue.
Named one of the most glamorous women of all time by Harper's Bazaar magazine. Others on the list included Coco Chanel, Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, and Nicole Kidman (2004).
Attended her prom with Ted McGinley, who was seven years her senior.
The poor construction of sentences in her book "On Your Own" was the subject of an article by William Safire in the New York Times.
Ethnic background includes English, Italian and German In the show Who Do You Think You Are she discovered that her Italian roots go back to France and she is directly related to Henry IV.
Was a cheerleader in high school and college.
Having taken jazz dance classes for years, she showed off her skills in the opening credits and a few episodes of "Suddenly Susan" (1996)
Her book "Down Came the Rain" debuted at number six on The New York Times Best Sellers list.
Named one of the 20th Century's 100 most beautiful women by the British magazine Harpers & Queen. Others on the list included Gloria Swanson, Vivien Leigh, Lauren Bacall, Sophia Loren, Josephine Baker, and Catherine Deneuve (2005)
Ranked #12 in VH1's list of the "100 Greatest Kid Stars"
Is an only child.
Was ranked #22 in Channel 5's "World's greatest supermodel".
She has 3 half sisters: Marina, Cristiana and Olympia. She also has half brothers and a step sister named Diana.
Her paternal grandmother was Marina Torlonia (1916-1960), daughter of the Italian 4th Prince of Civitella-Cesi, an Italian aristocrat, and through him Brooke can claim descent from Henri IV, King of France, Lucrezia Borgia, and Honore I, Prince of Monaco, among others. Marina's brother, 5th Prince Alessandro (1911-1986) married the Infanta Beatriz of Spain (1909-2002), an aunt of King of Spain Juan Carlos de Borbón. Their granddaughter Sibilla Sandra Weiller (b. 12 Jun 1968), Brooke's second cousin, married in 1994 Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg (b. 1963), a younger brother of the reigning Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
Was the youngest guest star to appear on "The Muppet Show" (1976). Brooke appeared in the show's final season when she was 15 years old.
Brooke gave birth to her second child with her husband Chris Henchy, a girl named Grier Hammond Henchy on April 18, 2006 in Los Angeles. Grier weighed in at 7 lbs. and was 20 inches.
Chosen as one of the 100 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine. [2006]
Turned down the roles of "Emily" in Wild Orchid (1990) and "Roxy", Catherine's girlfriend, in Basic Instinct (1992) because producers couldn't assure her the parts didn't require nudity.
Appointed Honorary Ambassador of Peace for the Harvey Ball Foundation along with Jackie Chan, Jerry Lewis, A.V.T. Shankardass, Prince Albert of Monaco, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Phil Collins, Jimmy Buffett, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Darrell Waltrip, Heather Mills, Yoko Ono, Patch Adams, Sergei Khrushchev and Winnie Mandela.
Said she suffered from depressions after the birth of her first child.
Following a much publicized dispute with Tom Cruise over her use of psychiatric medicine to overcome depression, Cruise came to her home in 2006 and personally apologized to her for his criticism. Touched by the gesture, she accepted his apology.
Was among the guests at Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes's wedding.
TV Guide magazine choose her as the best TV guest star of 2006 for her performances on "Nip/Tuck" (2003) and "Law & Order: Criminal Intent" (2001). Others on the list included Forest Whitaker, Chevy Chase, Jane Seymour and David Morse.
Was the first choice for the role of Supergirl, yet Helen Slater was the one who got to bag the role of the Girl of Steel.
Cousin of Alessandro Lecquio.
Named one of America's 10 most beautiful women by Harper's Bazaar magazine (1988).
Named one of America's 10 most beautiful women by Harper's Bazaar magazine (1981).
She and her "Lipstick Jungle" (2008) co-star, Kim Raver, both went to the same grade school.
Named one of the 100 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine. (2008).
She measured 5 feet 10 inches at only 14 years old.
Was friends with musician Chuck Berry in the 1970s and actor Scott Baio in the 1980s.
Since May of 1977, the longest consecutive period of time that has passed without her appearing on the cover of a US or international magazine is seven months.
Was so popular among younger girls that her very own Brooke Shields doll became available to purchase across the world. Her 1982 doll was labeled: 'The World's Most Glamorous Teenager'.
The episode in which she appeared in of TV sitcom "Friends" (1994) was the highest rated episode drawing 52.9 million viewers. NBC executives were so impressed with her, that they gave Shields her own sitcom: "Suddenly Susan" (1996) which lasted four successful seasons.
One of her biggest dreams was to host "Saturday Night Live" (1975). She was scheduled to host in the 1980-1981 season, but withdrew due to a writers' strike.
Youngest guest star of "Fridays" (1980) on May 15, 1981. This broadcast occurred two weeks and two days before she turned 16 years old.
Was offered the role of Deborah Gelly for Sergio Leone's final movie, Once Upon a Time in America (1984), but after a writers' strike delayed the project, she didn't get the part.
Was offered the role of Allison Reynolds in The Breakfast Club (1985), but turned down the offer. The role went to Ally Sheedy.
Did an audition for the role of Vivian in Pretty Woman (1990), but the role went to Julia Roberts (and Roberts became a major star with this movie).
Was offered the role of Cherry in Francis Ford Coppola's The Outsiders (1983), but turned down to the project. Diane Lane ended up playing the part.
Was considered for the role of Andie Walsh in Pretty in Pink (1986), but turned down to the part since she was attending at Princeton.
Found a precancerous spot on her face [May 22, 2009].
Named one of the 100 most beautiful people in the world by People magazine (2009).
Was offered the role of Catwoman in Batman Returns (1992), but the part went to Michelle Pfeiffer.
Was offered the female lead role in A League of Their Own (1992) by Penny Marshall, but after a writers' strike in 1988, a negotiation between Marshall and Shields fell through. She was replaced by Debra Winger, who in the end, would be replaced by Geena Davis.
Turned down the Kelly McGillis role in The Accused (1988).
Turned down the Andie MacDowell role in Sex, Lies, and Videotape (1989).
Turned down the Melanie Griffith role in Working Girl (1988).
Revealed in an interview that she lost her virginity when she was 22 years old, and that she regretted waiting so long, blaming her inability to lose her virginity sooner on not having a better understanding of herself.
Born at 1:45 PM (EST).
Is a spokeswoman for Tupperware's Chain of Confidence SMART Girls campaign, a program that teaches girls to nurture their mental and physical well-being.
Did a screen test for the role of Princess Leia Organa in Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977).
Longtime friend of Anna Strasberg.
Her attorney is Gerald Lefcourt.
Her favorite classic movie stars are Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and John Wayne.
Her favorite contemporary actor is Tom Hanks.
According to her autobiographical book "On Your Own" (1985), she beat Marilu Henner, Debra Winger, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kelly Preston, Helen Hunt, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane, Rita Wilson, Sean Young, Daryl Hannah, Carrie Fisher, Ally Sheedy, Rosanna Arquette, Jodie Foster, Mariel Hemingway, Anjelica Huston and Melanie Griffith for her role in The Blue Lagoon (1980).
Ex-sister-in-law of Phillip Agassi and Tami Agassi.
Ex-daughter-in-law of Mike Agassi.
Screen tested for the title role in Audrey Rose (1977).
Personal Quotes
While promoting the film Pretty Baby (1978), 12-year old Brooke was asked, "What does good in bed mean?" Brooke cheekily replied; "When I'm sick and stay home from school watching TV and my mom brings me soup - that's good in bed."
Brooke's joking comment on her TV commercials for jeans: "If my jeans could talk, I'd be ruined." (1980)
"I'm so naive about finances. Once when my mother mentioned an amount and I realized I didn't understand, she had to explain: 'That's like three Mercedes.' Then I understood." (1981)
"I'm always amazed when people assume things about me - that foul language must upset me, or someone's being gay must upset me. They think, 'O-o-oh, she's the most celebrated virgin.' And really, I was surrounded by such an eclectic group of people my whole life." (2000)
"People think of me as a mannequin, all show and no substance."
After 9/11, I am proud to live downtown. There's something slightly defiant about living down here. (2004)
Being nice to everybody, saying hello to everyone in the room, signing every autograph; it was instilled in me at a very young age that this was what I was suppose to do. But I don't think it helps at all. I see more people who are rude or arrogant being rewarded - but, this way, I can put my head on the pillow at night. I can look at my child and know that, to my daughter, I'm the best example I can possibly be. (2005)
On the May 26th, 2005 edition of "Access Hollywood" (1996), Tom Cruise criticized her career and her "misguided" use of the "dangerous" anti-depressant, Paxil, to treat her postpartum depression. He also said that the best treatment option for women experiencing postpartum depression is vitamins. She responded by saying, "Tom Cruise's comments are irresponsible and dangerous. Tom should stick to saving the world from aliens and let women who are experiencing postpartum depression decide what treatment options are best for them".
"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life." (1982)
"I've never been naturally fashion conscious. I'm the kind of person who sees a whole outfit in a magazine, runs out and buys it but looks like a clown. I'm not like Gwyneth and all those fashion-savvy girls, although someone told me they all have stylists." (2005)
"Honesty is the quality I value most in a friend. Not bluntness, but honesty with compassion." (2005)
"I've never found therapy to be a sign of weakness; I've found the opposite to be true. The willingness to have a mirror held up to you definitely requires strength." (2005)
"Princeton gave me something that can never be taken away from me. It taught me how to think."
"Don't waste a minute not being happy. If one window closes, run to the next window - or break down a door." Woman's World (3-14-06)
I'm not enamored by fame. I don't covet it, the way someone who's anonymous wants it, and then their life changes. This has always been my life. You don't romanticize it when you've seen the underbelly of it, when you've seen rejection, the games, the way self-esteem is challenged and threatened. It's an industry that's predicated on knocking people down. Only the strong survive. (2007)
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