Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a prominent British supermodel and actress, recognized for her roles in blockbuster films such as "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" (2011) and "Mad Max: Fury Road" (2015). Born on April 18, 1987, in Plymouth, England, she grew up on a farm in Devon and was inspired by her mother’s passion for fashion, particularly through Vogue magazine. Huntington-Whiteley's modeling career began at the age of sixteen with a Levi's advertisement, leading to high-profile contracts with brands like Victoria's Secret and Burberry.
Her transition to acting marked a significant milestone, with her debut in the successful Transformers franchise, despite mixed reviews of her performance. She continued to build her career in film, expressing interest in further action roles and even aspiring to feature in a James Bond film. In addition to her modeling and acting, Huntington-Whiteley launched her own clothing and personal-care line, Rosie for Autograph, and created the beauty website Rose Inc., expanding into clean makeup and skincare.
On a personal note, she has been in a long-term relationship with actor Jason Statham, with whom she shares two children. In her leisure time, Huntington-Whiteley enjoys various outdoor activities and contributes to charitable efforts, including work with UNICEF.
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Subject Terms
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Model and actor
- Born: April 18, 1987
- Place of Birth: Plymouth, England
Contribution: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is a supermodel and actor, best known for her roles in the films Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015).
Background
Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley was born on April 18, 1987, in Plymouth, Devon, England. Her parents, aerobics trainer Fiona and surveyor Charles, raised her on a farm in Tavistock, Devon, along with her two younger siblings, Florence and Toby. Huntington-Whiteley credits her mother’s avid readership of Vogue magazine with her initial exposure to modeling and fashion. As a child she also enjoyed watching movies at home with her family.
At school she was teased for having distinctively pouty lips, being the shortest girl in her class, and for sporting an aristocratic-sounding name. After going through a growth spurt at age thirteen, Huntington-Whiteley was voted Girl Most Likely to Become a Supermodel.
When she was in her mid-teens, a London modeling agency hired Huntington-Whiteley as an intern. The following year she returned to the agency to say thank you, and the agency asked to take her on as a client.
Life’s Work
Huntington-Whiteley’s first modeling job, at age sixteen, was for a Levi’s jeans advertisement. Believing that this would be the only time she would be paid for modeling, she spent her money on a car, despite not knowing how to drive yet.
Numerous modeling contracts followed, including deals with clothing companies DKNY, Ralph Lauren, and Tommy Hilfiger. When she was seventeen years old, famed photographer Bruce Weber shot Huntington-Whiteley for the clothing brand Abercrombie & Fitch. This led to her most high-profile gig yet with American lingerie brand Victoria’s Secret, which she signed with in 2006. The year before, when she was eighteen years old, she moved to New York City.
At the 2006 Victoria’s Secret show in Los Angeles, California, Huntington-Whiteley took the runway for the first time in America. Despite modeling for the most popular lingerie brand in the United States at the time, she did not become well known until she was hired for clothing company Burberry’s winter advertising campaign in 2008.
Her first cover shoot came with the November 2008 issue of British Vogue, which she shared with fellow British supermodels Jourdan Dunn and Eden Clark. As part of a Valentine’s Day advertising campaign for European lingerie company Agent Provocateur, Huntington-Whitely starred in a racy short film. That same year she was named best model at the 2009 Elle Style Awards.
The year 2010 was a very busy year for Huntington-Whitely. She appeared on magazine covers for Russian Harper’s Bazaar and British GQ, modeled Burberry’s first makeup line, and appeared nude in the limited edition Pirelli Calendar. Also in 2010 a book called Ten Times Rosie, a compilation of images taken by fashion photographer Rankin, was published. The book features ten different seasons of clothing with Huntington-Whitely as the model.
Like many models before her, including Cameron Diaz and Angelina Jolie, Huntington-Whitely made a transition to acting. She met director Michael Bay in 2009 on a Victoria’s Secret commercial shoot and was selected to star in his film Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), the third installment of the Transformers franchise. Huntington-Whitely took the place of actor Megan Fox, who had been the female lead in the first two films. In the film she plays the love interest of the protagonist, who is trying to foil the evil plots of malicious alien robots called Decepticons.
The film went on to earn over $1.1 billion worldwide, despite a majority of critics giving it negative reviews and commenting unfavorably on Huntington-Whiteley’s performance. At the 2011 Golden Raspberry Awards for the worst in film, she was nominated for worst supporting actress. However, she was nominated for a Teen Choice Award for choice summer female movie star and won the 2011 CinemaCon Award for female star of tomorrow.
Despite the negative critical response to her acting debut, Huntington-Whiteley went on to appear with famed model-turned-star Charlize Theron in 2014’s acclaimed postapocalyptic adventure Mad Max: Fury Road. She indicated interest in more action-film roles in the future and hoped to someday star in a James Bond film.
Meanwhile, Huntington-Whiteley furthered her fashion career, launching Rosie for Autograph, her own line of clothing and personal-care items, with the British company Marks & Spencer’s in 2012. She has also continued to model her own and others’ wares and joined a growing number of supermodels returning to the job after giving birth.
In May 2018, Huntington-Whiteley established the beauty- and lifestyle-themed website Rose Inc. and became its editor in chief. In 2021, she expanded the line to include clean makeup and skincare products, which do not contain harmful chemicals.
Impact
In only a few years, Huntington-Whiteley propelled her modeling career to become one of the most well-known and sought-after supermodels in the industry. After several years of increased success, recognition, and modeling awards, she made a successful transition to acting. Her film debut came in one of the highest-grossing films of all time, a notable commercial success the likes of which few supermodels can boast. For her work in fashion and beauty, she was named among Forbes magazine's 30 Under 30 list and the inaugural Bazaar 150 Visionary Women Power List, both in 2017.
Personal Life
Huntington-Whiteley began a romantic relationship with British actor Jason Statham in 2010; the couple became engaged in 2016. She gave birth to their son, Jack Oscar Statham, in 2017. At the time, she lived in Southern California and visited her family in England regularly. After the birth of their daughter, Isabella James, in 2022, the family moved permanently to London. In her spare time, Huntington-Whiteley enjoys English television, cooking, and outdoor activities, such as swimming, hiking, and horseback riding. She also traveled to rural Lesotho with Unicef UK in 2016.
Bibliography
Brown, Lauren. “English Rose.” Harper’s Bazaar. Hearst Digital Media, 22 Nov. 2011. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
Cary, Alice. "All the Lux Basics in Rosie Huntington-Whiteley's Minimalist Wardrobe." Vogue, 28 Apr. 2024, www.vogue.com/article/rosie-hungtington-whiteley-minimalist-wardrobe. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.
Fulton, Rick. “Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: I May Be the World’s Sexiest Woman, but I Didn’t Get This Body by Accident.” Daily Record. MGN, 12 June 2011. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
Huntington-Whiteley, Rosie. “The Future is Rosie.” Interview by Nate Denver. Complex Magazine. Complex Media, 24 May 2011. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Huntington-Whiteley, Rosie. “Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley Interview: Survival of the Fittest.” Interview by Kate Finnigan. Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 15 Jan. 2013. Web. 16 Aug. 2013.
Hutchings, Lucy. “Style File – Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.” British Vogue. Condé Nast Digital, 16 July 2013. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.
Mair, Avril. "Rosie Huntington-Whiteley: La Vie en Rose." Harper's Bazaar, June 2019, www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/a27332555/rosie-huntington-whiteley-la-vie-en-rose. Accessed 24 Sept. 2024.
“Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.” Fashion Model Directory. Fashion Model Directory, 2013. Web. 30 Aug. 2013.