Paulina Porizkova

Paulina Porizkova is a model, actress and author best known as one of the original supermodels of the 1980s, her appearances in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and her later work as a writer and television personality. Born in Prostějov, Czechoslovakia, she experienced a highly publicized childhood after her parents fled the country for Sweden and she was temporarily separated from them by Communist authorities. The family was eventually reunited in Sweden, where she was raised. Porizkova launched her modeling career as a teenager after photographs of her were sent to modeling agencies in Paris.

Porizkova’s rise to fame began in the early ’80s, when she became one of the world’s most recognizable models. In 1984, she made history as the first woman from Central Europe to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. She quickly became one of the era’s top supermodels, landing major fashion campaigns and international magazine covers.

In addition to modeling, Porizkova built a career as an actress and author. On screen, she appeared in several projects including Her Alibi (1989), Arizona Dream 91993), Thursday (1998), Knots (2004) and O Horizon (2025). She also served as a judge on America’s Next Top Model from 2008 to 2009. She has published numerous books, including A Model Summer (2007), and has become known for her writing and social media presence focused on aging, beauty and womanhood.

Porizkova met Ric Ocasek while appearing in The Cars’ music video for “Drive” in 1984. They married in 1989 and share sons Jonathan (born in 1993) and Oliver (born in 1999). The couple announced their separation in 2018, and Ocasek died in 2019 while their divorce was still pending. Porizkova later briefly dated Aaron Sorkin before she got engaged to television writer Jeff Greenstein in 2025.