Childhood

In New York, Brooke Christa Shields was born on May 31, 1965.

The daughter of now divorced Frank and Teri -- a former Revlon executive and model,

11-month young Brooke became one of the most beautiful babies in America when her mother took her to appear on camera as a model for the Ivory Snow Baby ads.

A blend of English, Italian and German, Brooke achieved early fame as a child actress, and by her teens was one of the most photographed and recognized models in the world.

At age 9, Shields won her first acting role in "Holy Terror" and went on to star in Louis Malles’ "Pretty Baby," the Palme D’or Award winner at the Cannes Film Festival.

Shields became the youngest model ever to grace the cover of Cosmopolitan at the age of fifteen.

Brooke graduated from Dwight Englewood High school, in Englewood New Jersey, and

attended Princeton University from 1983 to 1987, graduating with a degree in French literature.

Between the years of 1980 and 1985, she appeared on more than 300 magazine covers internationally.

Brooke did a series of controversial ads for a pair of Calvin Klein jeans and it grabbed everyone’s attention.

Career

Brooke Shields has always remained an enigma in Hollywood.

Though she has been one of the leading actresses of her generation, her professional acting career never materialized into a box-office draw.

At age 12 she starred as a child prostitute in Pretty Baby (1978).

Because she was a minor when the film was released, questions were raised about child pornography. Commenting about her role, she said, "It's only a role. I'm not going to grow up to be a prostitute.

It was followed by another hit, The Blue Lagoon (1980) which included more nude scenes.

While filming The Blue Lagoon she had to have her hair glued to her breasts so nothing would show.

Though Shields was chosen as The Worst Actress at the Razzie Awards for her role, she acquired worldwide fame.

Trying to make a name for her in more serious roles, Shields played the character of Jade in Endless Love (1981) and Dale in Sahara (1983). After little success with the roles, Brooke then held back on her acting career and decided to continue her studies.

While in college, Shields acted in the Off-Broadway repertory production of Marguerite Duras' The Eden Cinema (1986). Upon her graduation, Shields returned to perform in the films The Diamond Trap (1988), Speed Zone (1989) and Brenda Starr (1989).

In 1996, Brooke was cast as the naïve Susan Keane Browne in the NBC sitcom, Suddenly Susan. She was honored with The People's Choice award for Favorite Female Performer in a New Television Series in 1997 for her work in "Suddenly Susan".

Additionally, she received nominations at the Golden Globes for Best Performance in a TV-Series-Comedy/Musical in 1997 and 1998.

Entering the new millennium, Shields added to her acting resume films like After Sex (2000) and Mariti in affitto (2004). She also acted in Television productions What Makes a Family (2001), Widows (2002), Gone But Not Forgotten (2004), and lent her voice for Miss Spider's Sunny Patch Kids (2003).