Elizabeth Hurley

Elizabeth Jane Hurley (born 10 June 1965) is an English actress, fashion model, producer and designer.

Early life

Elizabeth Hurley was born in Basingstoke, Hampshire, England in 1965. Hurley's father, a lapsed Catholic of Irish descent, was a British Army major, while her mother, an Anglican, was a schoolteacher at Kempshott Infant School. She has an older sister, Debbie, and a younger brother, Michael.

Hurley took ballet classes as a child. She went to Kempshott Junior and Infants school, and the Harriet Costello School. Hurley later attended Queen Mary's College, Basingstoke, for one year, followed by Basingstoke College of Technology and won a scholarship to the London Studio Centre.

Whilst in her teens and before she was in the public eye, she became involved with both Septic (her boyfriend) and punk fashion, where she dyed her hair pink and pierced her nose. She associated with New Age Travellers who, typically, sat under The Buttercross monument and the grounds of the Cathedral in Winchester, near to where she lived.

Career

A start in Hurleys' career came in the late 1980s, when she won a Face of the Year competition at a local newspaper in Winchester, and gained a year's modelling contract with a prestigious London firm as the first prize. She made her first film appearance in Aria in 1987 and attracted some attention with the Dennis Potter-directed UK TV movie Christabel in the late 1980s, and appeared in several low budget English and Hollywood films, including the 1992 thriller Passenger 57, in which Hurley played a stewardess. She also appeared on television on both sides of the Atlantic, appearing in the British series Rumpole of the Bailey and the George Lucas-produced The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles.

In 1994 Hurley attended the London première of the film Four Weddings and a Funeral starring her then-companion Hugh Grant. Hurley's appearance in a black plunging Versace dress held together with gold safety pins gained her considerable media attention. It has often been referred to simply as "that dress" and is credited with the launch of her high profile career. Following Versace's murder in 1997, the London Times' obituary cited it as the thing for which the subject was best known.

In 1995 Hurley began working with top cosmetics company Estée Lauder as their main spokes model. Within her first month with the company, Hurley launched the best-selling perfume, Pleasures. In 2007 Hurley's contract with Estée Lauder was renewed for the 13th year with a subsequent contract extension.

Hurley and Grant had previously joined forces to create Simian Films, a production company, during their relationship. Through this joint venture Hurley produced two films starring Grant, Extreme Measures (1996) and Mickey Blue Eyes (1999). She also produced the 2004 film Method in which she starred. In 2006 the company was dissolved as both Hurley and Grant focused on other projects.

Hurley was cast as the female lead as Vanessa Kensington in the hit Mike Myers spy comedy Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery in 1997 which gained her further crucial exposure in the film industry. After the success of that film, she reprised the role of Vanessa in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999 and appeared in several more high-profile films, including EdTV, Bedazzled, Double Whammy and 2002's Serving Sara, which was her last American film to date. Hurley also hosted the first season of the British reality series Project Catwalk featuring novice fashion designers.

Hurley became a favourite with the press again in 2000 when she fell foul of US acting unions. She had filmed an advertisement for Estée Lauder which broke a five-month strike. She was subsequently fined £70,000 by the Screen Actors Guild. She apologised for breaking the strike but said she had been unaware that it was going on as she had been based in the UK and the union had not informed her of the industrial action. She was confronted by a protest of angry actors at the US première of her film Bedazzled in October. Protesters brandished banners stating "Elizabeth Scably".

In 2005 Hurley's beachwear line Elizabeth Hurley Beach debuted in select Saks Fifth Avenue stores in the United States, Harrod's in the UK, various other locations worldwide and through her website. In 2006, the line expanded its distribution among Europe, the Middle East, Australia and Asia.

Great Celeb Videos TOTALLY FREE! Click Here Now

Other Great Sites

Hummer Planet! Only For Real Hummer lovers

Only Baseball! Lot Of Baseball Articles And Much More