Vendela Kirsebom

Vendela Kirsebom
Born
Vendela Maria Kirsebom

(1967-01-12) 12 January 1967 (age 57)
Stockholm, Sweden
Other namesVendela
Vendela K. Thommessen
Vendela K. Thomessen
Occupation(s)Actress
Model
Years active1988–present
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Spouses
​
​
(m. 1996; sep. 2007)​
​
(m. 2022)​
Children2
Modeling information
Hair colorBlonde
Eye colorBlue

Vendela Maria Kirsebom (born 12 January 1967)[1] is a Norwegian-Swedish model, television host, and actress.

Early life

Kirsebom was born in Stockholm, Sweden, to a Norwegian mother and a Turkish father.[2][3]

At the age of 13, she was discovered in a Stockholm restaurant by Eileen Ford.[4][5] At age 18, she graduated from the Oslo Waldorf School and moved to Italy to pursue a modeling career under the guidance of Ford Models.[6]

Career

Kirsebom moved to New York City at age 20 and signed a six-year contract with Elizabeth Arden soon after, in addition to modeling for fashion brands in the United States and Europe.[7][8] During the 1990s, Kirsebom appeared on the magazine covers of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Brides, Flare, Shape, FHM and Zest. In 1996, she became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.[6]

Kirsebom appeared in Batman and Robin in 1997 as Nora Fries and played the bridal gown model in the 1998 movie The Parent Trap, starring Lindsay Lohan, Natasha Richardson, and Dennis Quaid. She was also featured in the Disney Channel's Model Behavior with Justin Timberlake and Maggie Lawson. Kirsebom appeared as herself in 1995 episodes of The Larry Sanders Show and Murphy Brown, and made a cameo as a "space villainess" in a "Pigs in Space" skit on Muppets Tonight. She also lent her voice to a fictionalized version of herself on Johnny Bravo.

In 1999, Kirsebom hosted the Swedish music competition Melodifestivalen 1999, the competition that determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. From 2006 to 2008, she hosted the Norwegian version of Top Model, and also hosted the fourth cycle of the Swedish version in 2007.

Kirsebom released her autobiography in 2017.[9] In 2023, she walked the runway for Sports Illustrated's Swimsuit Runway Show at Miami Swim Week.[10][11]

Personal life

Kirsebom was engaged to American film producer Jon Peters during the early 1990s.[12] In 1996, she married Norwegian politician Olaf Thommessen, with whom she shares two daughters.[13] They separated in 2007 after 11 years of marriage.[13]

In 2019, Kirsebom got engaged to Petter Pilgaard and married him in June 2022 after a postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic .[14][15]

In addition to Swedish, Norwegian and Danish, Kirsebom speaks German, Italian and English fluently.[16]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1997 Batman & Robin Nora Fries
1998 The Parent Trap Bridal Gown Model

Television

Year Title Role Notes
1988 Piazza Navona Ingrid Allberg Episode: "Cuore di ladro"
1992 Blossom Fairy Godmother Episode: "Driver's Education"
1995 Murphy Brown Vendela Episode: "Model Relationships"
1995 The Larry Sanders Show Episode: "The Bump"
1995 Dweebs Greta Nyquist Episode: "The Actress Show"
1996 Muppets Tonight Princess Vendela Episode: "Jason Alexander"
1997 Johnny Bravo Herself (voice) Episode: "Talk to Me, Baby"
1999 Melodifestivalen 1999 Host Television special
2000 The Wonderful World of Disney Herself Episode: "Model Behavior"
2000 Model Behavior Television film
2005 Romy and Michele: In the Beginning Television film
2005–2007 Top Model Sverige Host 4 episodes
2006–2008 Top Model Norge 3 episodes

References

  1. ^ Rose, Mike (12 January 2023). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 12, 2023 includes celebrities Howard Stern, Issa Rae". Cleveland.com. Retrieved 12 January 2023.
  2. ^ Dagbladet (5 March 2007). "Vendelas vendepunkt". Retrieved 20 March 2012.
  3. ^ Milliyet. "Hollandalı Ahmet'in film gibi öyküsü". Retrieved 7 December 2013.
  4. ^ Bentzen, Asle (2005-02-18). "Modell blir TV 2-fjes". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  5. ^ Kemp, Anders (2005-04-21). "Vendela gir mote-tips". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  6. ^ a b Haugtrø, Kjersti (2007-10-10). "Barna vil ikke bli modell". Se og Hør (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  7. ^ Reitan, Elin (2012-10-15). "- Jeg takket nei til Playboy". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  8. ^ Gautneb, Harald (2021-07-26). "Da smertene meldte seg ble dette løsningen". kk.no (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  9. ^ "Rasende Vendela stormet ut fra date med superstjerne". TV 2 (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  10. ^ O’Bleness, Cara (2024-02-09). "Vendela Kirsebom Recreates Iconic 1993 Cover Pose on the Runway at Miami Swim Week 30 Years Later". Sports Illustrated Lifestyle. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  11. ^ "In Honor of Vendela Kirsebom's Return to the Runway, Here Are Some of Her Most Iconic SI Swim Photos Over the Years". Yahoo Life. 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  12. ^ Pedersen, Ruben (2017-10-21). "Mistet ufødt barn etter utroskapssjokket". Se og Hør (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  13. ^ a b Ighanian, Catherine Gonsholt (2007-03-09). "Vendela bor i villaen - Olaf flyttet". VG (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  14. ^ Okorie, Ashura (25 October 2021). "Wedding".
  15. ^ "Nå er Petter og Vendela mann og kone: Inviterte eksmannen til bryllupsfest". 17 June 2022.
  16. ^ "The Face of the '90s May Belong to Vendela, Swedish Supermodel and Grace Kelly Look-Alike". People. Vol. 31, no. 12. 27 March 1989. Retrieved 3 May 2009.