Kathy Ireland Biography

Fast Facts

• Often supports several charities including St․ Jude's Research Hospital, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Toys for Tots and others
• Her corporate holdings often highlight the importance of American jobs and supporting local communities
• Discovered by a talent agent at the age of 17, began modeling for Vogue, Cosmo and Sports Illustrated among others, upon graduation from high school
• Quote: "Being a model first opened some doors and closed some others․ For the most part, it has been a positive transition․ I'm being given a chance to prove myself because they know who I am․"
• Quote: "[Modeling] is a hard thing to quit․ It's good money for not too much hard work․ It allows me to be selective about the acting parts I take․"
• Holds one of the longest running careers for a supermodel, including her appearance in the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for 13 consecutive years
• While transitioning out of the modeling industry, she started Kathy Ireland World Wide (kiWW) which boasts over $2 billion in annual sales of clothing, fitness videos, furniture and other products
• Often credits close friend Elizabeth Taylor as being the inspiration for her philanthropy and business efforts
• Appeared on the ninth season of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars", but were eliminated in week two
• Often used as a prototype for 'model-turned-moguls' by financial publications