Bridget Hall

By Sara Templeton

Call me tempestuous, controversial, or even downright crazy, but I reckon there aren't many supermodels in the same league as Bridget Hall, though Brazilian bombshell Gisele Bündchen is one them.

I am, of course, talking about the lucky few, including Cameron Diaz, who have been romantically linked to the baby-faced Leo DiCaprio, he of The Beach and The Departed fame. And though Bridget would rather be remembered for her professional accolades, being on the receiving end of Leo's cool gaze shouldn't be underestimated.

But yet again, I've had one too many vinos over lunch and now I'm ranting like Grandma after watching Kill Bill...

With a deep breath and composure regained, let us begin: Bridget Hall is an American-born model, who is said to have been ultra-keen on a career in modeling when she was only knee-high to a grasshopper.

Born on December 12, 1977 in Springdale, Arkansas, her family relocated to Dallas (Texas) when she was still a toddler. As mentioned above, she became interested in modeling at an early age and by the time she was nine years old, Bridget had already signed with her first agency, the Kim Dawson Agency in Dallas, and as time wore on she wold gain a reputation as a bit of a party girl thanks to her outgoing personality and straight-talking disposition.

"I'm here to party!" she may or may not have been quoted as saying.

Amazingly, a 14-year-old Bridget Hall graced the cover of the US Elle magazine in the late '80s, and by the age of 15 she had quit school to concentrate on her modeling career (though three years later she would resume her education as a wiser homo sapien).

Nicknamed 'The Wild Child' by blatantly unoriginal and non-creative people (I was thinking Bridget "The Corporate Destroyer Goddess of Zyros III" Hall was more apt), she was nevertheless recognised as a hard working individual who would do the job, and do it well.

For the next handful of years, Bridget worked hard to make a name for herself (which didn't include the word 'Destroyer') and in 1992 she came to the attention of some highly respected corporate fashion moguls, namely the Ford Modeling Agency. Signing on with one of America's biggest modeling outfits resulted in almost instantaneous success for the stunningly attractive American, and her place as a celebrity was quickly solidifying, attending the launches of movies, nightclubs, and other assorted events.

Despite being listed alongside Christy Turlington and Cindy Crawford in Forbes magazine in the early '90s as one of the highest paid models in the world, not to mention having graced the cover of almost every fashion magazine you can think of, Bridget's rebellious nature brought her unstuck and she was summarily ejected from Eileen Ford's (the President of Ford Modeling Agency) home for her "uncontrollable" behaviour. Is Eileen just a crusty old sourpuss, or did Bridget Hall really slide off the rails at this soirée?

While nothing has been divulged about what this purported behaviour was, many have speculated that it may have involved a Slippery Nipple, a laser pointer and a Tibetan Sherpa wise in the ways of the Tashi Taki, otherwise known as the Eight Auspicious Symbols of Buddhism.

Beyond her unruly behaviour in such esteemed fashionista company, to her credit Hall has worked on ad campaigns for names such as Valentino, Maybelline, Guess, Christian Dior, Gucci and Ralph Lauren. In addition to these she has starred in countless catwalk and ready-to-wear events for the likes of Oscar de la Renta, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Donna Karan, Sonia Rykiel, Chanel, Givenchy, MaxMara, Valentino, Vivienne Westwood, Christian Lacroix, Nicole Miller, Roberto Cavalli, Paco Rabanne, Prada, Tommy Hilfiger and Chloé. And if that list doesn't impress you, you're probably a better person than Donald Trump.

Though her 'bad girl' name tag and party attitude haven't enamoured her with all those people whose paths she has crossed, it is a widely accepted truth that Bridget Hall is in fact an incredibly good worker and is fairly easy to get along with, with only one or exorbitant demands.

As well as appearing in the highly sought-after Pirelli calendar (circa 1999), Bridget Hall has also made a few movies, including the largely forgettable Scratch the Surface alongside Brooke Shields and Whitney Houston.

These days, Bridget spends her time travelling between New York and Dallas (work and family) and appears in the odd Victoria's Secret catalogue and sometimes the Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit issue as well, a testament to her popularity amongst the XY chromosomal set.

The incredibly photogenic top model is an extreme sportswoman too, as she loves jet skiing, wake boarding and is an accomplished snowboarder thanks to regular sojourns to the Rocky Mountains in America - my kind of girl.

She's also a dab-hand with the latest video games, saying she loves the Tony Hawk skateboarding games and any games to do with snowboarding. Slower, quieter hobbies don't seem to be her cup of tea, as she was once quoted as saying "I don't remember ever having finished a book".*

Like many top models, she desires exposure and wants to make a better go of acting at some stage in her life. Who knows, perhaps she will even give Leonardo DiCaprio a run for his money?

 * Other famous identities who have allegedly uttered these same words include Michael Jackson and Barney the Dinosaur.