Laetitia Marie Laure Casta (born May 11, 1978 in Pont-Audemer, Normandy) is a French supermodel and actress.

Biography

Casta's mother, Line Blin, is from Normandy. Her father, Dominique Casta, is from Corsica. She has an older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister, Marie-Ange. She spent her childhood in Normandy. On October 19, 2001, she gave birth to her daughter Sahteene. The father is her former boyfriend Stéphane Sednaoui. Casta is engaged to Italian actor Stefano Accorsi. They have one son together, Orlando, born on September 24, 2006.

Career

Casta's career reportedly began when she was discovered by a photographer during a family holiday in her father's native Corsica, at age 15.

Casta was the official face of L'Oréal, Dior, and Chanel. She was featured in Guess? Jeans, Tommy Hilfiger, Miu Miu and XOXO ad campaigns. Casta has appeared on over 100 magazine covers including Victoria's Secret catalogs, ELLE magazine, and Vogue magazine, and has been credited, along with Tyra Banks, with bringing back voluptuous models. She also appeared in three consecutive Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Rolling Stone, and a Pirelli Calendar.

She once had a close relationship with designer Yves St. Laurent, whose outfits she would regularly wear at public appearances.

Acting

Casta has made forays into Francophone film and television productions, including Astérix et Obélix contre César (known as Astérix and Obélix vs. César in English language versions), a live-action film of the Astérix world in which she plays a potential love interest for Obélix, portrayed by Gérard Depardieu. More recently, Casta appeared in Les Âmes Fortes, a dramatic film directed by Raùl Ruiz.

Casta was also prominently featured in the music video for the Chris Isaak song "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing" in 1999. In the video, Casta was seen in a motel room and sexy lingerie while being watched by Isaak in the next room. Casta was semi-nude through most of the video. There were two versions of the video. VH1 aired the censored version before 9 p.m. and the uncensored version was aired after 9 p.m. witching hour. This video was ranked #28 on VH1's 50 Sexiest Video Moments. The video was regarded as too steamy by the network. She is also the subject of a song written by popular alternative rock band, Brand New, in their song "Magazines".

As Marianne

In 1999, Casta came out first of a national survey ordered by the Association des Maires de France to decide who should be the new model for the bust of Marianne, an allegorical symbol of the French Republic, which stands inside every French town hall. Casta succeeded model Inès de la Fressange Marianne's embodiements are changed frequently but each mayor chooses which bust he wants for his town, so past Mariannes can be used. Polls have shown that Casta, Brigitte Bardot and Catherine Deneuve were the most popular among French mayors.

Casta became the focus of a minor controversy when, shortly after being selected to be Marianne, she relocated to London. Although she stated her move was motivated by professional reasons, the magazine Le Point, among others, suggested that she was trying to escape taxes, something for which French celebrities are often criticized by journalists and left-wing politicians.