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Eleanor Gow was born March 29, 1964, in Sydney, Australia. Elle’s original plan was to study pre-law at Sydney University, but when the 18-year old, 6-foot beauty was discovered in Aspen, Colorado, she was immediately signed to the Click modeling agency. She soon became a staple of Elle magazine, posing for the magazine for 6 years. While her talent as a model was undeniable, her marriage to the fashion magazine’s creative director, Gilles Bensimon, further secured her relationship with the magazine.
She ventured into the world of exercise videos, motivating and teaching people how to stay fit to hopefully end up with a body like hers (probably something every woman would love). She showed off her body on the cover of the much coveted Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition in 1994, with models Kathy Ireland and Rachel Hunter.
Already having achieved supermodel status, Elle knew that the glamorous modeling industry has high turnover so she set her sights on other projects. Since the crossover from modeling to acting is a popular and usually successful one, Elle decided to perform in front of film cameras as well as fashion photographers. She first appeared on the silver screen in the 1990 Woody Allen film Alice (the spectacled director personally picked her for the part), but the part required nothing more than a “walk-by.”
Still, that was a start, and in 1994, “The Body” was required to gain 20 pounds for her meatier role in Sirens, co-staring Hugh Grant. In 1996 she appeared in a remake of Jane Eyre and starred opposite Ben Stiller in the comedy, If Lucy Fell. That year she also appeared in The Mirror Has To Faces, with Barbra Streisand and Jeff Bridges.
Wanting to branch out into other industries, Elle used her business skills to become chair of a line of lingerie called, Elle Macpherson Intimates. Based in Australia, the company has grown into a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Elle is also associated with Montgomery Ward, a clothing line ranging from sportswear to intimates.
Finding time somewhere between all these projects, Elle joined fellow supermodels Claudia Schiffer and Naomi Campbell in developing the theme restaurant, the Fashion Cafe.
Signed with Miramax, the leggy model/actress was the object of Batman’s affection in 1997’s Batman & Robin, and co-starred with Anthony Hopkins and Alec Baldwin in The Edge.
Elle was recently seen last season on the sitcom Friends, in the recurring role of Joey’s new roommate.
As for Elle’s personal life, she and Gilles Bensimon got divorced, and Elle has since had two ex-fiances, Eric Miller and Tim Jeffries, and has dated Sean Penn. She is now with her long-time companion, Swiss financier Arpade “Arki” Busson, the father of her son Flynn.
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