Paulina Porizkova Biography:

Born on April 9, 1965 in the Czech Republic, Paulina Porizkova spent her formative years in Lund, Sweden. Her parents left her and her brother with their grandmother, thinking they could get them back when the political crisis had died down. However, the Czechoslovak government would not permit it. Their situation was made known to the public through the Swedish press, and after seven long years, Porizkova and her brother were reunited with their parents. Sadly, the happiness they felt from being together again was short-lived, as Porizkova’s parents separated thereafter. Her sickly mother could not afford to support Porizkova and her brother, so they had to find ways, both good and bad, to take care of themselves. All changed for Porizkova in 1980 when her friend sent Porizkova’s pictures to the Elite modeling agency. Her beauty and height qualified her to become a fashion model, and she was immediately flown to Paris. From then, she went on to become one of the hottest models in the fashion industry. She has graced the pages of Vogue, ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Self and Glamour Magazines. She has also appeared in several films, which include Anna, Portfolio, Her Alibi, Arizona Dream, Thursday, Roommates and Knots. She is married to Ric Okasek and they have two sons.

Currently, Porizkova can be seen dancing with Alec Mazo in the fourth season of the ABC reality series, Dancing with the Stars.



Alec Mazo and Paulina Porizkova

(Photos courtesy of ABC)