Cindy Crawford Biography

Fast Facts

• Was discovered at 16 by a photographer who suggested she model; a year later, she was a finalist in a modeling contest sponsored by Elite
• Was valedictorian of her high-school class
• Briefly studied chemical engineering at Northwestern University before deciding to pursue modeling full-time
• Was one of the original "supermodels," a group that includes Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer
• Parlayed her modeling success into a gig as the host of MTV's House of Style (1989-95)
• Has appeared in several music videos, including George Michael's "Freedom" (as the naked woman in the tub)
• Received People's "Sexiest Couple Alive" honors along with then-husband Richard Gere in 1993
• Has become a successful entrepreneur with projects that include her own home-furnishings collection, exercise videos, a book on makeup and a line of skin-care products
• Is active in pediatric-cancer charities; her younger brother died of leukemia when she was a child