Leighton Meester
Most people recognize Leighton Meester as Blair Waldorf from “Gossip Girl,” but before taking on this role she was a model. She appeared in ads for Jimmy Choo, Herbal Essences, Vera Wang, Ralph Lauren, and Limited Too. Meester also dabbled in acting as a child, appearing in commercials for Tamagotchi and Clearasil.
Before her breakout role, Meester made guest appearances in “Law & Order,” “Veronica Mars,” “Entourage,” and more. While starring on “Gossip Girl,” Meester continued to do some modeling. During this time she partnered with Reebok, Nikon, and more.
Kirsten Dunst
Before Kirsten Dunst began her career as a child actress, she modeled children’s clothing. At just 3 years old, Dunst got her first gig and was signed to both Ford Models and Elite Model Management. After appearing in several commercials, Dunst soon found herself working in films.
She made her debut in a Woody Allen short film called “Oedipus Wrecks.” It was several short years before she was cast in her breakthrough role. In 1994, she starred alongside Tom Cruise and Brad Bitt in the movie “Interview With The Vampire”. Dunst is best known for starring in “Bring It On,” “Mona Lisa’s Smile,” and “Spider-Man.”
Cameron Diaz
Cameron Diaz began modeling as a teenager, appearing in Seventeen magazine as well as in ads for Calvin Klein and Levi’s. She had almost no acting experience when she got her first movie role. Diaz was just 21 years old when she was cast in “The Mask” alongside Jim Carey.
Her performance jumpstarted her career, leading to her becoming one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. She went on to star in “Charlie’s Angels,” “The Sweetest Thing,” and “The Holiday.” In recent years, Diaz has taken a step back from acting to focus on raising her son with her husband, Benji Madden.
Gwyneth Paltrow
Gwyneth Paltrow was born to appear before the camera. She started acting in films as a teenager but did some modeling as well. This included an ad for Esprit condoms, which seems to be right up the actress’s alley. Paltrow went on to appear in her first film, “High,” which was directed by her father.
She went on to appear in other films like “Hook,” “Se7en,” and “Shakespeare in Love.” Despite becoming a successful actress, Paltrow never stopped modeling. She became the face of Coach and Estée Lauder's Pleasures perfume. Today, she mostly models for her lifestyle brand, Goop.
Olivia Wilde
Few people know that Olivia Wilde used to model for Abercrombie & Fitch. Her modeling career was short-lived, however, as she chose to pursue acting instead. When she began her career on television, she appeared on a show called “skins” under the name Jewel Goldman. She changed her name to Olivia Wilde after her favorite writer, Oscar Wilde.
The actress made a breakthrough in her career after she earned a role on “The O.C.” and later on “House.” Wilde has also appeared in films including “The Change-Up,” “In Time,” “Butter,” and more. She hasn’t permanently quit modeling. In fact, she's recently finished a five-year partnership with Revlon.