Paulina Porizkova facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paulina Porizkova
Paulina Porizkova in 2014
Born	(1965-04-09) 9 April 1965 (age 60) Prostějov, Czechoslovakia
Citizenship	Sweden United States
Occupation	Model author actress
Spouse(s)	Ric Ocasek ​ ​ (m. 1989; died 2019)​
Children	2
Modeling information
Agency	The Model CoOp (New York) Premium Models (Paris) IMG Models (Milan) Models 1 (London) Traffic Models (Barcelona) Place Models (Hamburg)

Paulina Porizkova (born on April 9, 1965) is a famous author and a former fashion model. She was born in Czechoslovakia. In 1973, she moved to Sweden.

Paulina started modeling in France when she was 15 years old. In 1984, she made history. She became the first woman from Central Europe to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.

She also began acting. Her first movie was Anna in 1987.

Early Life and Family

Paulina Porizkova was born in Prostějov, Czechoslovakia, on April 9, 1965. Her parents, Anna and Jiří Pořízka, were against the government at the time.

When Paulina was a child, her parents left for Sweden. They had to leave her with her grandmother. The government in Czechoslovakia would not let her parents take her with them. This situation became very well-known in Sweden.

When Paulina was seven, her mother tried to bring her to Sweden. She used a fake passport. This attempt did not work. Her mother was held by the police for a short time.

In 1973, leaders from other countries helped. They put pressure on the government. This allowed Paulina and her family to finally be together in Sweden.

Paulina's parents later divorced. Her mother, who was a midwife, remarried.

Modeling Career

Paulina's modeling journey began when she was 13. A friend, who wanted to be a makeup artist, took pictures of Paulina. They sent these photos to modeling agencies in Paris.

Soon after, a modeling agent called. They invited Paulina to meet a famous model scout, John Casablancas. He quickly asked her if she wanted to go to Paris. This was the start of her amazing career.

Becoming a Top Model

Paulina quickly became a top model in Paris in the early 1980s. Her fame grew in the United States. This happened when she posed for Sports Illustrated magazine.

In 1984, when she was 18, she made history. She was the first woman from Central Europe to be on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. She appeared on the cover again in 1985. She was only the second model to be on the cover two years in a row.

Harper's Bazaar magazine named her one of its ten most beautiful women in 1992. American Photo magazine called her the model of the 1980s. Paulina appeared on many magazine covers worldwide. These included Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and Cosmopolitan.

Big Fashion Campaigns

Paulina was featured in advertising campaigns for many famous brands. These included Chanel, Versace, Hermes, and Christian Dior. She also worked for Revlon. She walked the runway for Calvin Klein.

In 1988, Paulina signed a huge modeling contract. It was with Estée Lauder for $6 million. This was the highest-paying modeling contract at the time. This deal changed her image. She went from a swimsuit model to a sophisticated European star. She worked with Estée Lauder until 1995. She also signed another big contract with Escada.

Television and Acting Roles

Paulina has appeared in many TV shows and movies.

Television Work

Paulina was a judge on America's Next Top Model (ANTM). She joined the show in Cycle 10. She helped evaluate the models on the show.

She left ANTM in 2009. The show said it was due to budget cuts.

Paulina also appeared on Andy Warhol's Fifteen Minutes. In 2007, she was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars. She was voted off early in the season.

From 2009 to 2010, she played Clarissa on the soap opera As the World Turns. She also appeared in an episode of Desperate Housewives with model Heidi Klum. In 2015, she made a guest appearance on The Mysteries of Laura.

Acting in Movies

Paulina's first movie was a mockumentary about modeling called Portfolio in 1983. She then appeared in the 1987 film Anna.

In 1989, she starred with Tom Selleck in the movie Her Alibi. She also had a small role in the 1993 film Arizona Dream, with Johnny Depp and Jerry Lewis.

Paulina played the main female role in the 1998 film Thursday. She also wrote and directed the 2001 film Roommates. She starred in the thriller Dark Asylum in 2001. In 2004, she was in the romantic comedy Knots.

Writing Career

Paulina has also written books. She co-wrote a children's book called The Adventures of Ralphie the Roach. This book was published in 1992. Her stepson, Adam Ocasek, illustrated it.

In 2007, she published her first novel, A Model Summer. This book is about a 15-year-old Swedish girl. The girl is chosen by a modeling agent to work in Paris for a summer. Paulina also writes for Modelinia and The Huffington Post.

Personal Life

Paulina Porizkova is a citizen of both Sweden and the United States.

In 1984, she met Ric Ocasek. He was the lead singer of the rock band the Cars. They met while filming the music video for their song "Drive". They got married on August 23, 1989.

Paulina and Ric had two sons: Jonathan Raven Ocasek (born in 1993) and Oliver Ocasek (born in 1999). In 2018, Paulina announced that she and Ric had separated.

In September 2019, Paulina found Ric Ocasek had passed away at his home. They were still going through their divorce at the time.

Paulina has spoken about her beliefs. In an article she wrote for The New York Times in 2017, she said she considers herself a feminist.

Filmography

See also

In Spanish: Paulina Porizkova para niños

• List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover models