A blonde, blue-eyed beauty with an improbable pout and a voluptuous figure likened to that of Swedish siren Anita Ekberg, Canadian import Estella Warren began modeling at age seventeen, after earning three national championships as a synchronized swimmer. A top model who has appeared on the pages of nearly every fashion magazine, Warren was discovered when a Polaroid of her taken at a high school fashion show generated interest with New York agents. Leaving behind the swimming and a possible spot in the Olympic games, Warren headed to NYC to pursue a modeling career. She soon landed career-making campaigns with Perry Ellis and Chanel, appearing in print wearing nothing but a man's white oxford shirt for the former and playing an unaffectedly seductive Red Riding Hood as the new face of Chanel No. 5. Though her image seemed to exist within the limiting range of wanton damsel to cheeky sexpot, Warren emerged in interviews as a well-spoken and genuine young woman with her eye on the future. While flesh-fixated men's magazines like Maxim honored her with the top spot in their "Hot 100" and Sports Illustrated featured her prominently in their swimsuit issue, Warren was already branching out into acting. In 2001, she made her big screen debut in the fashion industry-set "Perfume", which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Her first mainstream break came with the Renny Harlin car race action flick "Driven", playing Sophia, the beauty who drives two competitors (Til Schweiger and Kip Pardue) to distraction. That summer, she was featured in Tim Burton's revisit to "Planet of the Apes" as a scantily-clad fighter in the human rebellion force. Additional supporting roles in the romantic thriller "Tangled" (lensed 2000) and the action comedy "Kangaroo Jack" (2003) would give her further opportunities to prove her skills.
Profession(s):
Actor, model, synchronized swimmer
Sometimes Credited As:
Family
father:Don Warren (managed Warren's modeling career)
mother:Esther Warren
sister:Julia Warren (born c. 1976)
sister:Elaine Warren (born c. 1968; married and the mother of two; as of 2001 was living in Pennsylvania)
Companion(s)
JD Fortune
, Companion
, ```..front man for the band INXS; met in 2005 when she appeared in INXS' "Afterglow" video
Jerry O'Connell
, Companion
, ```..appeared together in "Kangaroo Jack" ; reportedly dating in early 2002; no longer together
Michael Burns
, Companion
, ```..born c. 1959; worked for Lions Gate Entertainment; involved c. 2000 to 2001; Warren claims they broke up because of their age difference
Peter Berg
, Companion
, ```..dated in 2003; no longer together
2003 Featured in "Kangaroo Jack", an action comedy set in Australia
2003 Co-starred in the romantic thriller "Tangled"
2003 Featured in "The Cooler", with William H. Macy
2001 Acted in the fashion industry-set feature "Perfume"; premiered at Sundance
2001 Played the woman who adds fuel to the rivalry between two top race car drivers (Kip Pardue and Til Schweiger) in Renny Harlin's "Driven"
2001 Co-starred in Tim Burton's "Planet of the Apes"
1998 Replaced Vanessa Paradis as the face of Chanel No. 5 with a Red Riding Hood-inspired commercial directed by Luc Besson
1996 Photos taken at her high school fashion show caught the attention of a New York City modeling agency
1996 Pursued a career in modeling, leaving behind a possible spot in Olympic competition
1991 Moved to Etobicoke, Ontario at age twelve to train with the national swim team at Olympium Synchro Club (date approximate)
Began synchronized swimming at age eight
Competed in national and world levels as a synchronized swimmer
Will play a trial attorney and potential love interest opposite Jon Bon Jovi in "National Lampoon's The Trouble With Frank" (lensed 2005)
