Kathleen Marie "Kathy" Ireland is an American model, actress, author and entrepreneur. Ireland was a supermodel in the 1980s and 1990s, best known for appearing in 13 consecutive Sports Illustrated swimsuit issues. In 1993, she founded a brand marketing company, "kathy irela...
Necessary Roughness, Alien from L.A., Loaded Weapon 1, Mom and Dad Save the World, Once Upon a Christmas, Side Out, Mr. Destiny, Twice Upon a Christmas, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Danger Island, Gridlock, Amore!, Backfire!, Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives
TV Shows
Dancing with the Stars
Star Sign
Pisces
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Trademark
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Sparkling blue eyes
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Voluptuous figure
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Breathy, little girl voice
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Strawberry blonde hair
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Quote
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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. But coming from a modeling background, you also bring along the mindless bimbo baggage that all models have attached to them and because of that you have to work that much harder. I also have to be a bit more careful about the choices I make. A complete unknown could come along, do a string of B movies and work her way up without calling any attention to herself. I can't do that.
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Many of the parts I'm offered, even at this point in my career, are stupid bimbo roles that require nudity. I've been dealing with the nudity thing throughout my modeling career. They take one look at me and they expect me to take my clothes off. Some people don't have a problem with nudity. I do, so I've turned down quite a few scripts. (from a 1992 interview)
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Whether I'm a sex symbol or not isn't the kind of thing I think about too much. I just go in, do my job, get the money and go home. Whatever people think about me is up to them.
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It 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. (on modeling)
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Fact
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Said by many to bear a resemblance to fellow model Denise Richards, they both appeared in Loaded Weapon 1 (1993) (albeit they share no scenes together).
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Took voice lessons in the early 90s not only to boost her acting career but also due to the fact that she "used to not be able to order pizzas on the phone. "They'd say 'we need to speak to your mom or dad.'" She revealed in a 1993 interview.
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Has appeared in the "Sports Illustrated" Swimsuit Edition for 13 consecutive years.
She was dubbed supermodel-turned-supermogul by Forbes Magazine and syndicated columnist Liz Smith.
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Is the highest grossing (over $l billion in annual retail sales according to Forbes magazine in 2004) Lifestyle Designer in the world, with a brand name that has achieved industry-leading success in over one dozen product areas.
Lives in Southern California with her husband, an emergency room physician and their three children, Erik, Lily and Chloe. She enjoys being a full time mother and continues to be a Sunday schoolteacher as well.
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She began modeling at age 17 and was cover model for the most Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues. She left modeling for lifestyle designing, establishing the Kathy Ireland Worldwide brand, when she realized the fashion wear she modeled was unsuitable for most buyers.
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She is founder, CEO and Chief Stylist for the Kathy Ireland Worldwide product empire.
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By adhering to the mission statement she created for her Kathy Ireland Worldwide products, "finding solutions for families, especially busy moms", she won the endorsement and title of "best friend to working mothers" from both Associated Press and the London Times.
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Her KIWW brand passed the billion dollar a year retail sales mark in its first decade. Her initial venture was her design and manufacture of socks (her company having recently celebrated the sale of its 100,000,000th pair) and quickly expanded to furniture, lighting, flooring, kitchenware, carpeting, window treatments, landscaping accessories, watches, tableware and bedding, as well as her early-established success in apparel and her partnership with Dame Elizabeth Taylor, for whose "House of Taylor Jewelry", Ireland designs the accessibly-priced jewelry product.
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She has been Chair or Honorary Chair of such major national causes the March of Dimes, PTA, Feed the Children and City of Hope campaigns and as Campaign Chair for Dream Foundation, the Barbara Ireland Walk for the Cure, Project Inform and Athletes and Entertainers for Kids. She is the Ambassador for Children for the Entertainment Industry Foundation and for the Department of Agricultures wild land fire prevention organization, Firewise, and she recently established the National Family Reading Night campaign.
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She has authored several bestselling children's books including "What Do Mommies Do?" and "An Angel Called Hope" along with the book "Powerful Inspirations" which now is in its 5th printing in paperback.
$450 Million
