And it has been quite a while since we did a Timeless Tuesday feature. So here… One that you’d come back to over and over again. Because Paulina Porizkova is a woman you won’t be able to shake off your memory.
We’ve said this countless times about a Timeless Tuesday feature, but boy, Ms. Paulina here sure is like fine wine. She gets better (and hotter) with age. And we’re excited about what she will look like in the next couple of years.
Who is Paulina Porizkova
Paulina is a Swedish-American model, actress, and author who is best known as a former judge on America’s Next Top Model.
Paulina has been featured in publications such as Sports Illustrated and New York Magazine. She has also appeared on the covers of magazines such as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, and Vogue. Paulina has also appeared in advertisements for Hermes, Christian Dior, Chanel, and Versace, as well as walked the runways for many major designers. She has also made regular appearances in films and television since the 1980s.
Her Early Life
Pavlina Elisa Porizkova was born on April 9, 1965, in Prostjov, Czechoslovakia, to Anna Porizkova and Ji Pozek. She grew up as the family’s eldest child, with a younger brother whom she met after the age of ten. In the late 1960s, her parents were active in local politics and held strong anti-Communist sentiments. When the Soviet Union invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968, Paulina’s parents were forced to flee to Sweden. Paulina was left in Prostjov with her grandmother. Her parents were unsuccessful in their three-year legal battle to gain custody of their daughter.
When her mother was six months pregnant, she attempted to gain custody of Paulina Porizkova after illegally entering Prostjov, but she failed again. However, when Paulina was ten years old, her parents were finally allowed to take her to Sweden. Around the same time, Paulina’s father abandoned the family and went to live with another woman. As a result, Paulina had to do her mother’s job for her younger brother while also attending school during the day. Paulina’s mother worked odd jobs to support the family.
Growing up, Paulina Porizkova’s life was difficult. Her father had refused to pay child support and had severed all contact with them. Her mother was not always present because she worked as a nurse during the day and attended classes in the evening. In addition, Paulina was bullied at school because she was an immigrant. Despite a lot of name-calling and bullying, she had managed to make a few good friends.
Career Journey
When she was 15, one of her high school friends did her make-up in an attempt to become a make-up artist in the early 1980s. The photos were sent to Elite Modelling Agency, a modeling agency in Paris. Instead of the make-up gig, Paulina Porizkova’s photos were chosen and she was invited to Paris to begin her modeling career. She had desired to leave her life in Sweden, so she accepted the offer and relocated to Paris.
Her popularity skyrocketed in the United States after she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated Magazine in swimwear in 1983. She was featured in Sports Illustrated magazine again in 1984, this time on the cover, which helped her land bigger modeling jobs.
Paulina Porizkova was featured on the cover and inside the July 1985 issue of New York Magazine. By her early twenties, she had already graced the covers of some of the world’s most popular fashion and lifestyle magazines, including Elle, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour.
She appeared on the talk show ‘Andy Warhol’s Fifteen Minutes’ in the mid-1980s. Andy Warhol, the artist, conducted interviews with aspiring artists and celebrities for the show.
When Estee Lauder offered her a $6,000,000 contract in 1988, she became the world’s highest-paid model. She had taken the place of the company’s renowned model Willow Bay. The Estee Lauder black and white advertisement was shot very artistically and received positive feedback from critics. She remained the magazine’s face until the mid-1990s.
Another significant change that had occurred by the mid-1990s was her transformation from a swimsuit model to a sophisticated European socialite. Escada, a German luxury women’s designer clothing company, also signed a multi-million dollar contract with her.
Paulina Porizkova was named one of the top ten most beautiful women in the world by Harper’s Bazaar in the early 1990s, and American Photo magazine named her the model of the 1980s. This increased her popularity, and by the mid-1990s, she had established herself as a supermodel.
Paulina has also walked the runways for many of the world’s top designers and appeared in print advertisements for numerous popular beauty and fashion companies, fragrances, and make-up accessory companies.
She has appeared in advertisements for brands such as Chanel, Versace, Perry Ellis, Mikimoto, Ellen Tracy, Revlon, and Hermes, among many others, since she began modeling. She has also walked the Calvin Klein runway numerous times.
By the 2000s, she was receiving offers to appear on American television, and she made her debut as a judge on the fourth season of the reality show ‘America’s Next Top Model’ in 2008. She served as a judge on the show for one season, replacing popular English fashion icon Twiggy. She did not, however, appear in the subsequent seasons.
Acting Career
Paulina also made her acting debut in 1983 with the mockumentary film ‘Portfolio,’ which was based on the world of modeling. She made her full-fledged acting debut in the 1987 film ‘Anna,’ in which she played one of the supporting roles as Krystyna. Despite the fact that the film was a critical success, her performance was criticized. Her performance in the film ‘Her Alibi’ also received negative feedback.
Paulina Porizkova also appeared as a supporting character in five episodes of the soap opera ‘As the World Turns’ in the late 2000s.
She collaborated with acclaimed director Emir Kusturica on his 1993 film ‘Arizona Dream,’ starring Johnny Depp. In 1998, she had her first leading role in the film ‘Thursday,’ which was a critical and commercial flop.
She has also appeared as a guest star in shows such as “Jane by Design,” “Head Case,” and “Desperate Housewives.”
Facts and Trivia
While filming the music video for their song ‘Drive,’ Paulina Porizkova met Ric Ocasek, the American singer of the band The Cars. They started dating and eventually married in August 1989. The couple had two sons together before divorcing in 2017.
Ric died while their divorce proceedings were still ongoing. Paulina became severely depressed as a result of this. Ric claimed in his will that Paulina abandoned him during his most vulnerable time, shortly before he died following surgery.
During an interview on ‘The Late Show with Craig Ferguson,’ she was asked about the reasons for her departure from America’s Next Top Model, and she claimed that the producers thought she had a “big ego.” She went on to say that another judge, Tyra Banks, was consistently late on set, which prompted her to raise concerns, which led to her removal from the show. However, the show’s producers claimed that she was fired due to financial reasons.
She has worked as a blogger for publications such as Modelinia and The Huffington Post in addition to modeling and acting. In 2007, she released her first novel, ‘A Model Summer,’ which was loosely based on her own experiences moving to Paris by herself as a teen. In addition, she co-wrote ‘The Adventures of Ralphie the Roach,’ a children’s illustration book.
Her Body Measurements
Paulina stands 5 feet, 10 inches and she rocks a 36-23-35 figure.
Paulina Porizkova Photos
Join her over 1.1 million followers on Instagram for more of her personal photos.
And don’t forget to check out our Paulina Porizkova page for more of her pictures.
