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Brooke Shields first stepped in front of the camera at 11 months old. Here are 25 photos that show t

  • Brooke Shields' career began with her breakout role aged 11 in the film "Pretty Baby" (1978).
  • As a teenager, she also appeared in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980), and "Endless Love" (1981).
  • Here are 25 photos that show the actor and model's fascinating life.

Brooke Shields was born in New York, on May 31, 1965, to former model Teri Shields and Revlon executive Frank Shields.

Portrait of actor and model Brooke Shields taken in New York in 1978 when she as 12. Robert R McElroy/Getty Images

Source: Insider

She stepped in front of the camera for the first time at 11 months old in an advertisement for Ivory Soap.

Brooke Shields at 11 months old in a advertisement for Ivory Soap. Hulu

Source: Insider

After more modeling and commercials, Shields began appearing in movies. She had a small role in Woody Allen's "Annie Hall" (1977) but her scene did not make the final cut.

Woody Allen and Brooke Shields on the set of "Annie Hall" (1977). MGM Home Entertainment

Source: Vanity Fair

She had her breakout role the following year in Louis Malle's film "Pretty Baby" (1978) in which she played the precocious daughter of a sex worker. She was 11 at the time of filming.

Brooke Shields as Violet in "Pretty Baby" (1978). Paramount Pictures

The film divided audiences but was a critical success. Shields attended the Cannes Film Festival the year of its release. "Pretty Baby" was nominated for the festival's most prestigious award, the Palm d'Or.

Brooke Shields speaking at a Cannes Film Festival news conference about "Pretty Baby," on May 22, 1978. Jean-Jacques Levy/AP

Source: Festival de Cannes

Following the success of the movie, Shields began receiving more attention from the fashion industry. In 1980, at the age of 14, Shields was the youngest model ever to appear on the cover of Vogue.

Brooke Shields attends Michaele Vollbracht's Debut Fashion Show to Benefit the American Cancer Society on May 4, 1978. Ron Galella/Getty Images

Thanks to her fame, Shields rubbed shoulders with many of the biggest stars of the day. She's pictured here with Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry.

Brooke Shields and Debbie Harry attending a party at the Copacabana nightclub in New York on May 3, 1978. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images

Shields made her first appearance on "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson" when she was 14.

Brooke Shields during an interview with host Johnny Carson on August 11, 1978. Frank Carroll/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

Source: YouTube

Shields' next big role came in the 1980 coming-of-age drama "The Blue Lagoon" (1980). She was 15 at the time and had her hair glued to her chest so that nothing would show.

Brooke Shields in "The Blue Lagoon" (1980) Columbia Pictures

Source: The Guardian

The same year, she appeared in controversial print and TV ads for Calvin Klein Jeans. The TV ad included her saying the famous tagline: "You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing."

Brooke Shields in a 1980 Calvin Klein jeans ad campaign. Calvin Klein

In 1981, when she was 15, Shields was involved in a high-profile court case over nude photographs of her taken at the age of 10. She ultimately lost the case.

Brooke Shields leaving the Manhattan Supreme Court in New York after testifying in Shields v. Gross on November 5, 1981. Mario Cabrera/AP

Source: Insider

Shields then appeared in Franco Zeffirelli's "Endless Love" (1981) opposite Martin Hewitt. Due to the amount of nudity, the film was initially given an X rating. It was then re-edited to earn an R rating.

Brooke Shields and Martin Hewitt in "Endless Love" (1981). Universal Pictures

Source: Associated Press

The same year, Shields was dubbed the face of the 1980s by TIME. She was photographed on the cover by Francesco Scavullo, who had also shot her Ivory Soap advertisement.

Brooke Shields on the cover of TIME in 1981. Time

Source: TIME

During her years as a teen idol, Shields used her image to champion a number of causes. She appeared in anti-drug PSAs, was the poster girl for abstinence from sex, and even put her support behind an anti-drunk driving campaign.

Brooke Shields holding an anti-drunk driving bumper sticker on December 15, 1983. Marty Lederhandler/AP

Shields put her acting career on hold at the age of 19 when she enrolled at Princeton University. During her time there, she became a member of the college's theater troupe and performed in their annual revues.

Brooke Shields is shown in her second appearance at the Princeton Triangle Club on May 2, 1985. Jack Kanthal/AP

Shields was linked to a number of famous men during her teenage years, including Michael Jackson, John Travolta, and John F. Kennedy Jr.

Michael Jackson and Brooke Shields attend the American Music Awards in Los Angeles on January 16, 1984 Nick Ut/Getty Images

Source: Insider

However, Shields has said that her first real boyfriend was Dean Cain, who went on to star as Superman in the TV series "Lois & Clark." The pair dated while undergraduates at Princeton.

Brooke Shields and Dean Cain dated while studying at Princeton University. Hulu

Source: Insider

Shields graduated with a bachelor's degree in Romance language and literature in 1987. She then threw herself back into her career.

Brooke Shields gives the thumbs-up in her cap and gown as she shows her diploma during her graduation ceremony at Princeton University on June 9, 1987. Jack Kanthal/AP

Shields married tennis player Andre Agassi in 1997 after four years of dating. They divorced in 1999.

Andre Agassi kisses Brooke Shields after winning the U.S. Open men’s finals championship in New York, on September 11, 1994. Rusty Kennedy/AP

In 1996, Shields made her infamous appearance on the NBC sitcom "Friends" as a crazed fan of Matt LeBlanc's character Joey Tribbiani.

Brooke Shields guest starred as a crazy stalker named Erika in season two of "Friends." Warner Bros via HBO Max

She then landed her own sitcom, "Suddenly Susan," in 1996. It ran for four seasons and scored Shields a favorite female performer People's Choice Award.

Brooke Shields in a publicity shot for "Suddenly Susan" in 1996. Jon Ragel/NBCU Photo Bank

Source: Insider

In 2001, Shields married producer and writer Chris Henchy who she met on the Warner Bros. lot in Burbank, California, in 1999.

Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy on November 3, 1999. Ron Galella/ Getty Images

Shields and Henchy share two teenage daughters together, Rowan, 19, and Grier, 16.

Brooke Shields and Chris Henchy pose with daughters Grier (left) and Rowan (right) at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on February 18, 2020. Cindy Ord/WireImage/Getty Images

Source: Insider

In 2007, Shields put her support behind new legislation that supported mothers suffering from postpartum depression, something she experienced after the birth of her first daughter. The bill was passed in 2010.

Brooke Shields talks about her battle with postpartum depression on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2007. Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images

Source: Congress

Last month, Shields attended the premiere of her new reflective documentary, "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields," ahead of its release on Hulu on April 3.

Brooke Shields at the New York premiere of "Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields" on March 29, 2023. Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images

Source: Hulu

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Jenniffer Sheldon

Update: 2024-07-24