The Top 10 Best Models Turned Actresses

These Models Turned Actresses Are Really, Really, Ridiculously Good Looking

A few weeks ago I put together a list of professionally beautiful men that went on to become actors. It only seems fair that I do the same for some of the ravishing leading ladies out there that are former models turned actresses. Of course, Hollywood has always had its fair share of drop-dead gorgeous women to help give movies that little “something-something” that helps lure in the 18 to 35-year-old male demographic. I want to take a moment to honor the actresses that managed to leave their mark on modeling before moving to movies. There were a lot of male models that took up acting, and there are even more models turned actresses out there. The rankings themselves will be based on a combination of talent, success, and that certain “popcorn je ne sais quoi” when it comes to the transition from single pictures to moving ones. Now, let’s try to keep the hootin’ and hollerin’ to a minimum as we count down the best models turned actresses.

10. Rebecca Romijn

Notable Works: X-Men, Satanic Panic, and The DC Animated movies

I’m kicking off this list of models turned actresses with a personal favorite, Rebecca Romijn. Before starting a career in the movies, Romijn was one of the most elite commercial models of the 90s, appearing on the covers of Cosmopolitan, GQ, Esquire, and Sports Illustrated. Her beauty made it pretty easy to make the move to Hollywood, where she picked up a few movie and TV roles before getting her big break as Mystique in the first X-Men movie. From that point on, she’s been working steadily in both film and television (I especially enjoyed her fantasy series, The Librarians). She even proved that she’s more than just a pretty face by lending her voice to the character of Lois Lane in the recent string of DC Animated movies. Romijn might not have a bunch of fancy acting awards, but the camera loves her, and it’s always a pleasure seeing her work. That’s why she’s the perfect starlet to start this list. 

9. Jane Fonda

Notable Works: Barbarella, Cat Ballou, and The China Syndrome 

Of all the things that Jane Fonda is famous for, being one of the best models turned actresses in movie history is perhaps the most insignificant. Before becoming a major actress and political activist, Fonda was a fashion model who appeared twice on the cover of Vogue (a pretty big deal in the world of modeling). Just being a cover girl wasn’t enough for Fonda though, and she quickly proved herself to be an incredible actress as well, earning Academy Awards, BAFTA’s, Golden Globes, Emmys… The list goes on.  However, those awards pale in comparison to Fonda’s induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019. It might seem a little superficial to be honoring Fonda on this list of models turned actresses, but I feel like she proves foxy ladies are so much more than just their looks. Let this be a lesson the next time you assume gorgeous girls are only shallow and vapid airheads.     

8. Famke Janssen

Notable Works: X-Men, GoldenEye, and House on Haunted Hill (1999) 

Before transitioning to Hollywood, Famke Janssen worked for the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, Giorgio Armani, Chanel, and Victoria’s Secret. As successful as she was on the catwalk, she’s had a pretty impressive film career as well. In fact, she’s 1 of 3 models turned actresses on this list who appeared in X-Men (as Jean Grey) and 1 of 2 that was a Bond Girl as well (technically a hired femme fatale). Needless to say, she’s become quite an actress since breaking into film. More than that, Famke Janssen is a perfect example of that “popcorn je ne sais quoi” I mentioned earlier. Sure, she has a habit of appearing in “bad movies,” but somehow she manages to make them better than they have any right to be (see Primal). There’s this charm to Janssen that goes far beyond the fact that she’s stunning, and you can’t help but like her characters. That magic is what’s earned her a spot on this list.   

7. Sharon Stone

Notable Works: Basic Instinct, The Quick and the Dead, and Casino

Before becoming an actress, Sharon Stone was actually an international model that worked in major fashion capitals like New York, Milan, and Paris. Once the acting bug bit her, she put in some serious effort into paying her dues. Stone started out as a lowly extra before eventually getting small speaking parts. Over the course of the 80s, she worked her way up to major movie roles and eventually found major success in the early 90s. Her talents have been recognized over the years with her earning a slew of nominations for her performances. Alas, she’s also earned plenty of “worst actress” awards as well. Despite critics having mixed feelings about her, fans have loved her ability to take on a multitude of roles from erotic thrillers to posh politicians to gunslingers with thousand-yard stares. Given her star on the Hollywood walk of fame, I’d say that Stone is a solid addition to this list of models turned actresses.

6. Uma Thurman

Notable Works: Kill Bill: Vol 1 & Vol 2, Batman & Robin, and Pulp Fiction

Uma Thurman’s modeling career was relatively brief (not the shortest on this list of models turned actresses). From 1985 to 1986 she was a teen model appearing in magazines such as Glamour and Vogue. It didn’t take long for her to make her way to Hollywood, and in 1987 she began being offered movie roles. Since then, she’s had over 60 roles in film and television. You might know her best as the bloodied swordswoman, Beatrice Kiddo, in Quinten Tarantino’s revenge thrillers Kill Bill Vol 1 and Vol 2. It could be argued that her performance in those films also resurrected Hollywood’s interest in tough as nails female leads as well. Thurman isn’t all action though and has taken on a wide variety of roles over the years from supervillains to romantic-comedies. She’s also continued taking roles in arthouse films even after becoming a considerable box office success, proving that Thurman is an actress who cares about the art of film.