Background

Just a few days after Valentine's Day, Denise Lee Richards came out to this world on February 17, 1971. Her father is a former telephone company employee Irv Richards and her mother is Joni Richards, a coffee shop owner. She was born in Downers Grove, Illinois where she grew up with her parents and sister Michelle.

She studied and graduated from El Camino High School in Oceanside, California in 1989. She was a cheerleader in high school.

Early Years of Her Career

After graduating she joined a modeling agency and became a makeup girl for the Bonne Bell cosmetics company. She later began auditioning for roles in TV and film. She landed a few appearances on some series such as "Saved By the Bell," "Married...with Children", "Beverly Hills, 90210," and "Seinfeld."

She took short roles in low-budget movies and several TV shows in the early 90s before her big break finally came when she landed a role as Carmen Ibanez in the sci-fi film "Starship Troopers" in 1997. The movie really launched her career having drawn the attention of mostly male movie goers around the globe.

Current Career/Highlights

Then as if busting alien insects was not enough, she once again got the attention of male audience when she performed the now infamous onscreen threesome with Matt Dillon and Neve Campbell in the 1998 film "Wild Things." Her "Wild Things" role really made her from being relatively unknown to a bankable actress in Hollywood.

She was later cast as Dr. Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film "The World Is Not Enough." The success of the film helped her popularity. She continued to appear in several TV series including "Spin City," "Two and a Half Men," and "Friends."

Richards appeared in several other films including "Valentine," "Undercover Brother," "Scary Movie 3" and "Love Actually."

He had a nude pictorial in Playboy in December 2004. Two years later she posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine but this time to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation.

Popular/Selected Works

1993 Loaded Weapon 1
1995 919 Fifth Avenue
1995 P.C.H.
1996 In the Blink of an Eye
1996 Pier 66
1997 Starship Troopers
1997 Nowhere
1998 Wild Things
1998 Lookin' Italian
1999 The World Is Not Enough
1999 Drop Dead Gorgeous
1999 Tail Lights Fade
2001 Good Advice
2001 Valentine
2002 Empire Trish
2002 Undercover Brother
2002 You Stupid Man
2002 The Third Wheel
2003 Scary Movie 3
2003 Love Actually
2004 I Do (But I Don't)
2004 Whore
2005 Edmond

Trivia/Personal Life

Richards was ranked number 9 in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women in 1999 and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women and ranked 5th in FHM 100 Sexiest Women. She was also number 19 in AskMen.com 50 Most Beautiful Women in 2001.

Richards married actor Charlie Sheen in 2002. The couple have two daughters, namely Sam J, who was born on March 9, 2004, and Lola Rose, who was born on June 1, 2005. In March 2005 Richards filed for divorce from Sheen. They talked and reconciliation but in 2006 she again filed for divorce and also sought a restraining order against Sheen. They were legally divorced November 20, 2006.

She was already dating then Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi guitarist. After dating for almost a year, they split up in March 2007.

On November 8, 2006, Richards had an encounter with the paparazzis. While shooting a movie in River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C., Richards noticed some photographers taking her picture from a nearby balcony. She went to the balcony and confronted them. According to reports, she grabbed one the laptops on the balcony and threw it over. Unfortunately, the laptop landed near two elderly women. One of the women suffered some mild bruises. No charges were filed against Richards.


Image Source: Wikipedia