Elle Macpherson

Elle Macpherson (born Eleanor Nancy Gow, 29 March 1963) is an Australian supermodel and actress. She is most famous worldwide for her five cover appearances on Sports Illustrated's swimsuit issue in the 1980s and 1990s. Nicknamed “The Body”, she is 183cm (6'0") tall.

While on holiday in Tasmania, Macpherson was discovered and signed to Click Model Management. Macpherson became an international star through her appearance in ELLE magazine. She appeared in every issue for six straight years. During this time she married (at age 21) ELLE creative manager Gilles Bensimon. Eventually she gained even more exposure through Sports Illustrated magazine’s annual swimsuit issue. She appeared on the cover a record five times, (1986,1987,1988,1994 and 2006). She also modeled for lingerie giant Victoria's Secret.

By 1986, her popularity had increased sufficiently for Time magazine to run a cover entitled “The Big Elle”. The Australian government simultaneously offered her a post on the tourist commission as an unofficial ambassador.

Macpherson made her movie debut playing an artist's model in the 1994 Sirens, which starred Hugh Grant, Sam Neill, Tara Fitzgerald, Kate Fischer and co-starred Portia de Rossi, as another model. Macpherson gained 9 kilograms (20 lb) and her breasts grew to a voluptuous 37D. She surprised fans and critics by appearing unabashedly in numerous nude scenes, earning her top billing for the film above more established actors (in fact, all the female characters in the movie appeared nude at least once in the film).

Soon after Sirens, Macpherson appeared completely nude in Playboy magazine. Elle chose for the pictures to be published in all countries except Australia, as she didn't want her parents to see the pictures. At the time she posed for Playboy, Australian magazines Women's Day and New Idea published shots from the shoot. They were also featured on current affairs programs A Current Affair and 60 Minutes. Macpherson also published two calendars in which she appeared in see-through tops.

In 1999, Macpherson appeared in five episodes of the hit United States sitcom Friends as Joey's roommate and girlfriend, Janine Lecroix. (Interestingly, the actress had been named in an earlier season as someone Chandler would picture during sex.)

Macpherson went on to film Batman & Robin with George Clooney, Jane Eyre with William Hurt and has also appeared alongside Ben Stiller and Sarah Jessica Parker in If Lucy Fell. Her most controversial acting assignment to date is a film made for Showtime Cable Network called "A Girl Thing". In it she plays a woman experimenting with bi-sexuality for the first time. Macpherson appears in several nude love scenes with co-star Kate Capshaw.