Kathy Ireland
Birth Name:
Kathy Ireland
Birth Place:
Glendale, California, United States
Profession
Actress, Soundtrack
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