Heidi Klum

Birth name Heidi Klum

Date of birth June 1, 1973 (1973-06-01) (age 36)

Place of birth Bergisch Gladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Germany

Height 5 ft 9.25 in (1.76 m)

Measurements 91-69-94 (EU) / 36-28-37 (US & GB)

Weight 58 kg (130 lb) (formerly 54 kg (120 lb))

Spouse(s) Ric Pipino (1997–2002), Seal (2005–present)

Heidi Samuel (born June 1, 1973), better known by her birth name Heidi Klum, is a German American model, actress, television host, business woman, fashion designer, television producer, artist, and occasional singer. She is married to singer Seal.

Early life and discovery

Heidi was raised by her parents: Günther, a cosmetics-company executive; and Erna, a hairdresser; in Bergisch Gladbach, West Germany, a small city outside Cologne. A friend persuaded her to enroll in a national modeling contest called "Model 92". Out of 25,000 contestants, Klum was voted the winner on April 29, 1992 and offered a modeling contract worth US$300,000 by Thomas Zeumer, CEO of Metropolitan Models New York. As the winner, she appeared on the Gottschalk Late Night Show, a top German television show with host Thomas Gottschalk. She accepted the contract a few months later after graduating from school and decided not to try for an apprentice position at a fashion design school.

Acting and modeling

Klum has been on the cover of fashion magazines, including Vogue, ELLE and Marie Claire. She became known after appearing on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and for her work with Victoria's Secret as an "Angel." In addition to working with world class photographers on her Sports Illustrated shoots, she was the object and subject of Joanne Gair body painting works in several editions from 1999 to 2006. She wrote the foreword to Gair's book of body paint work. She was a spokesmodel for McDonald's, Braun, H & M, and Liz Claiborne, among others. She is currently a celebrity spokesmodel for Jordache and Volkswagen. In addition to modeling, she has appeared in several TV shows, including Spin City, Sex and the City, Yes, Dear, and How I Met Your Mother. She had a role as an ill-tempered hair model in the movie Blow Dry, played a giantess in the movie Ella Enchanted and was cast as Ursula Andress in The Life and Death of Peter Sellers. She had cameo appearances in The Devil Wears Prada and Perfect Stranger.