Michelle Hunziker

Michelle Yvonne Hunziker (born January 24, 1977) is a Swiss actress, model, singer and a famous personality on Italian and German television. She was married to Italian singer Eros Ramazzotti from 1998 to 2002; they have one daughter together, Aurora, born on December 5, 1996.

Hunziker was born at Sorengo (Lugano), in the southern, Italian speaking part of Switzerland. Her mother Ineke is Dutch; her father Rudolf, who died of a heart attack in the fall of 2001, was a German speaking Swiss national. He was a painter, but worked as a hotel manager. In 1983, the family moved to Ostermundigen, a suburb of Berne in the German speaking part of Switzerland which is also hometown to Swiss Hollywood star and legendary first Bond girl Ursula Andress. In Ostermundigen Hunziker attended elementary school. After her parents' separation, Hunziker's mother moved to Zuchwil/Solothurn. This caused a crisis in Hunziker's life. In 1993, when Hunziker was 16 years old, she moved to Bologna with her mother. Wanting to become an interpreter, she studied Italian, French, German, English and Dutch at a local college. After moving to Milan with her mother, she decided to become a fashion model and was hired by Riccardo Gay, a renowned agent. Although considered to be both too heavy and short, at 17 she posed for well-known labels such as Armani, Rocco Barocco, La Perla, Colmar, Fuerte Ventura, Lovable and Swish.

In 1998, the Italian film director Vincenzo Verdecchi offered Hunziker her first film role in the TV series La Forza dell'Amore (Canale 5). After she took the female main role in Fammi stare sotto al letto. She can also be seen in the documentary film The Protagonist and in another film, Alex l'Ariete, where she acted with ex ski star Alberto Tomba. Then she co-hosted with Pippo Baudo the Canale 5 show La festa del Disco. From 1999-2001 she presented the late night show Nonsolomoda (Canale 5) where she reported about fashion and lifestyle.