The fantasy woman of geeks everywhere, this former supermodel cut quite a figure as a super villain in the
X-Men trilogy. Clad in blue scales and little else, the statuesque stunner's assets were on full display. But unlike other
Sports Illustrated swimsuit alumnae, Romijn was blessed with acting talent in addition to beauty. Unafraid to show her goofy side — she played a bearded lady in
Dirty Work, her film debut — Romijn initially appeared on sitcoms (
Friends, a recurring role as a ditzy model on
Just Shoot Me) and as the host of MTV's
House of Style before segueing to big-screen blockbusters. Unfortunately, aside from the
X-Men movies, which made excellent use of her striking physicality and her sly humor, most of her film projects went bust (the infamous remake of actioner
Rollerball, the hysterical
Frankenstein rip-off
Godsend) as did her marriage to small-screen heartthrob John Stamos. In 2006, Romijn bounced back, both personally and professionally. Not only did she star in the third
X-Men installment and her first TV series,
Pepper Dennis (which sadly wasn't very spicy), she also appeared to be crazy in love with her fiancé Jerry O'Connell. The next year, Romijn took a chance on a risky small-screen character: a transgendered fashion magazine editor on the campy dramedy
Ugly Betty. The gamble paid off as the role allowed her to showcase both her comic prowess and her endearing vulnerability.
Rebecca Romijn Fast Facts:
- Posed for several Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues, including one in 1999 in which she modeled body-painted bikinis.
- Endured many hours of makeup and blue body painting for her role as Mystique in the X-Men series.
- Won a Saturn Award in 2001 as Best Supporting Actress for X-Men.
- Rebecca Romijn Relationships:
- Charlie Tamara Tulip O'Connell - Daughter
- Dolly Rebecca Rose O'Connell - Daughter
- Elizabeth Kuizenga - Mother
- Jaap Romijn - Father
- Jerry O'Connell - Husband
- John Stamos - Ex-husband
- Tamara Romijn - Sister
- College:
- Attended University of California, Santa Cruz, CA
