Background

Ethnicity: Christie is of German, Irish, English, and Scottish descent.

Christie Brinkley was born on February 2, 1954, in Monroe, Michigan, United States. She is the daughter Marjorie Bowling and Herbert Hudson.

While living in Canoga Park, Los Angeles, Christie's mother, Marjorie, married Donald Brinkley, a television writer, director and producer, who adopted Christie and her brother Greg Brinkley.

Education

While living in Los Angeles, Brinkley attended Paul Revere Junior High School and also studied at Le Lycée Français de Los Angeles from 9th to 12th grade. In 1972, she graduated from the latter educational establishment and relocated to Paris to study art.

Career

While studying in Paris, Christie began working as an illustrator. It was at that time, that she began her career as a model, after Errol Sawyer, an American photographer, had discovered her at a post office. She soon signed with the Elite Model Management agency.

In the late 1970s, Christie relocated to New York City and joined the Ford Model Agency. With her wholesome looks and athletic physique, she quickly became highly sought after. In 1976, the model signed a contract with CoverGirl, becoming the "face" of the cosmetics firm.

It was also in 1976, that Brinkley was made a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model. Due to her incredible popularity, she continued appearing on the cover of its annual swimsuit edition for three consecutive years, from 1979 to 1981. During her career, Christie has also appeared on the covers of Glamour, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and many other magazines, ultimately becoming a household name. Moreover, Brinkley has represented top brands, like MasterCard, Diet Coke, Anheuser-Busch, Nissan, Revlon, Yardley of London, and Black Velvet.

After appearing in commercials, Brinkley made her feature film debut in 1983, with a small part in the comedy National Lampoon's Vacation. Few acting appearances followed, though she notably had a recurring role in the TV sitcom Parks and Recreation. In addition, she made her Broadway stage debut in 2011 as Roxie Hart in the long-running revival of the musical play Chicago. She also played the character in the national touring company and on London's West End.

Brinkley runs a chain of businesses through her umbrella company CB Inc. Her business ventures include beauty products, eyewear, sparkling wine, real estate, as well as hair extensions.

In addition, Christie authored such books, as Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book (1983) and Timeless Beauty (2015).

Achievements

• 

  Christie Brinkley is a famous model, actress, entrepreneur, author, and animal and human rights activist. She gained prominence as the first female model to feature on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in three consecutive years. She posed for the magazine in 1979, 1980, and 1981. Christie also spent many years, being the face of CoverGirl. During her career, the model has appeared on more than 500 magazine covers.
  
  In 2011, Christie Brinkley was ranked #16 in Men's Health 100 Hottest Women of All Time. In 2013, she was named the Humanitarian of the Year by the Pet Philanthropy Circle for her strong advocacy for animals, environment and wildlife. In 2018, Christie was honored as the FN Style Influencer of the Year along with daughters Alexa and Sailor.
  
  It's also worth mentioning, that Brinkley has attained a number of awards, including the United Service Organizations Merit Award, Spirit of Achievement Award, American Heart Association Heart Award, March of Dimes Humanitarian Award, Pet Hero Award, among others.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Timeless Beauty: Over 100 Tips, Secrets, and Shortcuts to Looking Great

    (Christie Brinkley shares the secrets she's learned on wha...)

    2015
  • Christie Brinkley's Outdoor Beauty and Fitness Book

    (This book gathers information on nutrition and dieting, m...)

    1983

• movie

  • National Lampoon's Vacation

    (The Griswold family's cross-country drive to the Walley W...)

    1983

• TV series

  • Parks and Recreation

    (In Season 5, the show follows Leslie Knope (Emmy nominee ...)

Politics

Since 1998, Christie has actively supported organizations and candidates of the Democratic Party of the United States, including Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, America Coming Together and Moveon.org. She was a Democratic delegate from New York state for Al Gore at the 2000 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles.

In addition, Christie has been involved in anti-nuclear activities and campaigned against the restarting of the High Flux Beam Reactor (HFBR), located at the Brookhaven National Laboratory.

Views

Christie is an animal and human rights activist. She is known for her support of PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Christie spoke out against the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Quotations: "I always say, the bigger the hair, the smaller the hips!"

"Share your smile with the world. It's a symbol of friendship and peace."

"I don't want to be younger, I just want to look it."

"Some people think happiness is a luxury, but its a necessity. You need to make space for it in your life."

"I think many people can relate to that excruciating pain of love gone wrong. I'd rather have a broken arm than a broken heart."

"The best beauty secret is sunblock."

Personality

Physical Characteristics: Since the age of 13, Brinkley has been a vegetarian.

Interests

• French culture

• Sport & Clubs

  New York Islanders ice hockey team

Connections

Brinkley has been married four times in her life. Her first marriage was to Jean-François Allaux in 1973, which ended in divorce in 1981. She then married musician Billy Joel in 1985. Their marriage produced a daughter, named Alexa Ray Joel. In 1994, Brinkley and Joel divorced.

The same year, in 1994, Christie married Richard Taubman. The following year, the two divorced. They gave birth to one son, Jack Paris Brinkley.

In September 1996, Peter Halsey Cook became Brinkley's fourth husband. Their marriage produced a daughter, named Sailor Brinkley-Cook. Brinkley and Cook ended their twelve-year long marriage in 2008.

Christie also had romantic relationships with such men, as Olivier Chandon de Brailles and John Mellencamp.

Father:

Herbert Hudson

Mother:

Marjorie (Bowling) Brinkley

(born September 23, 1930 - died September 9, 2012)

stepfather:

Donald Brinkley

(born March 9, 1921 - died July 14, 2012)

Don was an award winning TV writer, veteran director and producer. He was married to Marjorie, Christie's mother, for over five decades.

Brother:

Greg Brinkley

Greg and Christie have been estranged for years, but the reasons were kept privately. Some sources say the model has been accused of withholding inheritance money from the estate of their late parents.

Ex-husband:

Jean-François Allaux

Christie and Jean-François met, when she moved to Paris to study in 1973 and the young lovers got married. Christie was married at the beginning of her career, but as the world fell in love with her, she started having a hard time keeping her home. According to Christie, their marriage ended because they were both too young and immature for a relationship. Basically, the supermodel's career put an unbearable strain on her marriage and it broke.

Ex-husband:

Billy Joel

(born May 9, 1949)

Billy Joel, in full William Martin Joel, is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and composer.

Ex-husband:

Richard Taubman

(born 1948)

Ex-husband:

Peter Halsey Cook

(born January 1, 1959)

ex-partner:

Olivier Chandon de Brailles

(born September 17, 1955 - March 2, 1983)

Olivier Chandon de Brailles was a French race car driver and heir to the Moët & Chandon champagne.

Chandon died in a crash at a private pre-season practice session car race.

ex-partner:

John Mellencamp

(born October 7, 1951)

John Mellencamp is an American musician, singer-songwriter, painter, actor, and film director.

Daughter:

Alexa Ray Joel

(born December 29, 1985)

Alexa Ray Joel is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist.

Son:

Jack Paris Brinkley-Cook

(born June 2, 1995)

Daughter:

Sailor Lee Brinkley-Cook

(born July 2, 1998)

References

• Christie Brinkley's Instagram
• Christie Brinkley's Facebook
• Christie Brinkley's Twitter
• Christie Brinkley's Official Website