Brigitte Nielsen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Brigitte Nielsen
Nielsen at London Fashion Week in 2010
Born	Gitte Nielsen (1963-07-15) 15 July 1963 (age 62) Rødovre, Denmark
Occupation	Actress model singer
Years active	1984–present
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Spouse(s)	Kasper Winding ​ ​ (m. 1983; div. 1984)​ Sylvester Stallone ​ ​ (m. 1985; div. 1987)​ Sebastian Copeland ​ ​ (m. 1990; div. 1992)​ Raoul Meyer ​ ​ (m. 1993; div. 2005)​ Mattia Dessì ​ (m. 2006)​
Partner(s)	Mark Gastineau (1988–1990) Flavor Flav (2004–2005)
Children	5

Brigitte Nielsen (born Gitte Nielsen on July 15, 1963) is a Danish actress, model, and singer. She started her career as a model for famous photographers like Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton.

She became famous as an actress in the 1985 movies Red Sonja and Rocky IV. She later appeared in the Rocky series again in the 2018 film Creed II. Nielsen also starred in the action movie Cobra and played the villain in Beverly Hills Cop II. She is also known for playing the Black Witch in the Italian fantasy film series Fantaghirò.

Early Life

Brigitte Nielsen was born in Rødovre, Denmark. Her mother, Hanne, was a librarian, and her father, Svend Nielsen, was an engineer. She is the former sister-in-law of movie director Nicolas Winding Refn.

Career

Modeling and Rise to Fame

Brigitte Nielsen is very tall, standing at 1.83 meters (6 feet 1 inch). In the early 1980s, she worked as a model and was photographed by well-known artists. Because of her height, the press often called her an "Amazon."

In the late 1980s, Marvel Comics asked Nielsen to pose for photos dressed as the comic book hero She-Hulk.

Acting Career

Nielsen's acting career took off in 1985. She starred in the fantasy movie Red Sonja with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the same year, she acted in Rocky IV with Sylvester Stallone, whom she later married. They also appeared together in the movie Cobra before they divorced.

In 1987, Nielsen played the villain Karla Fry in Beverly Hills Cop II alongside Eddie Murphy. She later starred in many other movies, including The Double 0 Kid (1992), Galaxis (1995), and Snowboard Academy (1997).

She became very popular in Italy for playing the villain in the TV fantasy film Fantaghirò 2 and its sequels from 1992 to 1996. Her character was so well-liked by audiences that she was brought back for more films.

More recently, she returned to her famous role as Ludmilla Drago in the 2018 movie Creed II. In 2022, she played the Anubis Queen in the TV series The Guardians of Justice.

Nielsen performing at the 2012 Vienna Opera Ball

Music and Writing

Nielsen also has a music career. In 1987, she released her first album, Every Body Tells a Story. She sang a duet with Austrian pop star Falco called "Body Next to Body", which was a hit in Germany and Austria. She released her second album, I'm the One... Nobody Else, in 1992.

For some of her songs, she used the name "Gitta." She wanted to see if her music could be successful without people knowing it was her. As Gitta, her song "No More Turning Back" was a top 10 hit in Spain.

In 2009, she wrote an autobiography called You Only Get One Life. The book was a bestseller in Denmark.

Television Appearances

Nielsen has appeared on television in many countries. She has hosted shows in Italy, Denmark, and Switzerland.

She has also been a contestant on many reality TV shows. She appeared on the British show Celebrity Big Brother in 2005, where she placed third. In 2010, she was on the German version of Dancing with the Stars.

In 2012, Nielsen won the German version of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, where she was crowned "Jungle Queen." She has also hosted her own talk show in Denmark called Gitte Talks.

Personal Life

Besides her native Danish, Nielsen speaks English, German, and Italian fluently.

Nielsen has been married five times and has five children: four sons and one daughter. Her second husband was actor Sylvester Stallone. Their marriage from 1985 to 1987 was often in the news.

Nielsen with Sylvester Stallone, Ronald and Nancy Reagan at the White House, 1985

She is currently married to Mattia Dessì, whom she married in 2006. In 2018, at the age of 54, she gave birth to their daughter, Frida.

Filmography

Film

Television

Discography

Albums

• 1987 Every Body Tells a Story
• 1992 I'm the One... Nobody Else

Singles

• "Body Next to Body" (with Falco); 1987
• "Every Body Tells a Story"; 1987
• "No More Turning Back" (as Gitta); 2000
• "You're No Lady" (as Gitta with Ru Paul); 2002
• "Misery" (with Spleen United); 2012

See also

In Spanish: Brigitte Nielsen para niños