Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell was an English model, actress, philanthropist and singer who in the 80s and 90s became known as one of the world's most recognized supermodels. Born in Streatham, South London, Campbell grew up never knowing her father, who abandoned her mother when she was four months pregnant. Her mother was a professional modern dancer, so early in her life Campbell lived in Rome, where her mother was performing. She eventually moved back to London and lived with relatives while her mother traveled throughout Europe for work. At the age of three Campbell took up ballet and by the age of 10 she was accepted into the prestigious Itali Conti Academy of Theatre Arts. Campbell loved dancing and by the early 1980s was appearing in music videos for Bob Marley and Culture Club. Her big break came in 1986 when she was discovered by a professional modeling scout. Campbell signed on with the agency and within a year she was on the cover of British Elle - all before she turned 16. As a professional model, Campbell's career quickly skyrocketed, as she began appearing on the cover of prestigious fashion magazines all over the world, in addition to walking the runway for such iconic fashion designers as Gianni Versace. By the late 1980s Campbell, along with Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista had formed "The Trinity," a name given to the three highest profile supermodels of their generation. By the 1990s, with her supermodel status fully established, Campbell began branching out into various other ventures in the entertainment business. She released an R&B album Baby Woman in 1994, while additionally writing her debut novel Swan that same year. Furthermore, Campbell also began landing roles in films like "Miami Rhapsody" (1996), "Trippin'" (1999) and "Prisoner of Love" (1999). Campbell continued modeling professional throughout the 2000s and 2010s, while balancing her modeling duties with more acting work. By the 2010s she was appearing in such high profile films as "Zoolander 2" (2016) and "I Feel Pretty" (2018), the latter of which starred the popular comedian Amy Schumer. Additionally, Campbell nabbed a recurring role on the Fox music dramas "Empire" (Fox, 2015-) and "Star" (Fox, 2016-). In addition to her modeling and acting, Campbell was also heavily involved in various philanthropical and charitable organizations. In addition to her active support of Nelson Mandela's Children's Fund and Breakthrough Breast Cancer, she also served as an Ambassador for the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood.