Rosie Alice Huntington-Whiteley[3] (born 18 April 1987) is a British model and actress, best known for modelling for Victoria's Secret and for replacing Megan Fox as the lead female character in the upcoming film Transformers: Dark of the Moon,[4] part of the Transformers franchise.
Early life
Huntington-Whiteley was born at the Freedom Fields Hospital in Plymouth, Devon, England, the daughter of Fiona, a fitness instructor, and Charles Huntington-Whiteley, a chartered surveyor. She has two younger siblings, Toby and Florence. Her great-great-grandfather was politician Sir Herbert Huntington-Whiteley, 1st Baronet, and her great-grandmother was from a family of Polish Jews who immigrated to England in the 1870s.[5] Huntington-Whiteley grew up in Tavistock, Devon, and in 2003, while studying at Tavistock College, she was discovered by Profile Model Management while seeking internships with several London based modelling agencies.
Career
Victoria's Secret and modelling, 2006–present
Since 2006, Huntington-Whiteley has modelled for American lingerie and beauty products brand Victoria's Secret. The model made her Victoria's Secret debut at the brand's 2006 show in Los Angeles.[6]
She remained unknown in the fashion industry up until 2008, when she was cast by designer Christopher Bailey, replacing Agyness Deyn for Burberry's fall/winter campaign with actor Sam Riley.[6][7][8] She got her first British Vogue cover, for the November 2008 issue, which saw her pictured alongside Eden Clark and Jourdan Dunn in a feature celebrating British models.[6] Harper's Bazaar's annual "Best Dressed List" placed her 6th on their list for the year 2008.[9] The following year, she was featured as the face of Karen Millen's spring/summer 2009 advertising campaign.[10] Huntington-Whiteley received an Elle Style Award for 2009's "Model of the Year".[11] She starred in a short film for Agent Provocateur playing a woman whose boyfriend forgets Valentine's Day.[6] For fall/winter 2009, she modelled campaigns for Godiva and Miss Sixty.[12] In late 2009, Huntington-Whiteley officially became a Victoria's Secret Angel,[6] modelling for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in New York city.
In 2010, she was featured in the infamous Pirelli Calendar, photographed by Terry Richardson. Huntington-Whiteley hit the runway for designers Prada in Milan and Giles Deacon in Paris.[15][16] For SS10 her advertising campaigns included Monsoon's first underwear line, Thomas Wylde, Full Circle, and VS Online.[12][17] In March, she collaborated with VOGUE.COM to share her outfit choices daily for the Today I'm Wearing feature.[6] She grazed the cover of the May issues of Harper's Bazaar Russia and GQ UK.[18] She was featured on the cover of LOVE Magazine's September issue, styled as a pinup girl.[19] For FW10 she modelled for Burberry as well as the company's first Beauty line ad; her other advertising campaigns included Loewe, Thomas Wylde, and Leon Max.[12][20][21] Fashion photographer Rankin devoted a book entirely to her titled, Ten Times Rosie. Rankin thinks Huntington-Whitely puts diversity back into fashion, "We’ve been looking at very, very skinny, almost masculine girls for a long time. [Rosie] really is the model of the moment. She’s the actress of the moment. She’s definitely going to become something much, much bigger."
In March 2011 she landed her first solo, British Vogue cover.[24] In May she was voted Number 1 in Maxim Magazine's "Hot 100" list.[25] She has also now been voted No.1 in FHM's World's Sexiest Woman 2011 poll.[26] Grazes the covers of UK's July issues of Elle and GQ.
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
In May 2010, it was announced that Huntington-Whiteley would be replacing Megan Fox as the female lead in Transformers: Dark of the Moon, set for release on 1 July 2011.[28] She had previously worked with the film's director, Michael Bay, on a Victoria's Secret commercial.[29] MTV Networks' NextMovie.com named her one of the 'Breakout Stars to Watch for in 2011'.[30] Prior to the film's release, she won the "Female Star of Tomorrow" award at the 2011 CinemaCon Awards.
Personal life
Huntington-Whiteley dated Tyrone Wood, the youngest son of musician Ronnie Wood, from August 2007 until October 2009.[32] When the pair separated she began a relationship with French actor Olivier Martinez, which ended after a few months in early 2010.[6][14] Spotted at the Coachella festival in April 2010, she began dating English actor Jason Statham thereafter.