Supermodel-turned-actress who parlayed her looks into one of the major modeling careers of the 1970s and 80s. Hutton made her film debut in "Paper Lion" (1968) and won interesting notices for her performances in James Toback's "The Gambler" (1974) opposite James Caan, and as the wealthy adulteress in "American Gigolo" (1980). Important roles in major films were relatively few, however, and her acting career slowly diminished during the 80s with most of her appearances being in minor European features or American films ("Lassiter" 1985, "Once Bitten" 1985, "Guilty as Charged" 1992) which fizzled at the box office. Hutton's career blossomed anew in the 90s with a highly successful return to modeling, and acting offers following suit. Considerable media coverage as she approached age 50 highlighted her still exceptional, unashamedly middle-aged beauty, her love of world travel and anthropology, and her mature, mellow attitude towards the trappings of fame.
1995 was a banner year for Hutton: she was cast in the ensemble of the CBS soap "Central Park West" playing wealthy socialite Linda Fairchild and her late night talk show "Lauren Hutton and ..." also debuted. The talk show was short-lived but Hutton continued to work steadily, appearing in film roles and in the occasional hosting gig. The actress, an avid motorcycle enthusiast, made headlines in October 2000 when at age 55 she was in a serious motorcycle accident while on a 100-mile ride near Las Vegas with bikers and fellow celebrities including Dennis Hopper and Jeremy Irons-who reportedly gave her a full face helmet just minutes before her crash-to celebrate a planned motorcycle exhibit at the Hermitage-Guggenheim museum. After losing control on a curve, she skidded about 100 feet and went airborne, ultimately suffering multiple leg and arm fractures, broken ribs, a punctured lung, cuts and bruises. The actress subsequently traveled down a long road of physical rehabilitation. Ever the survivor, Hutton endured and soon became the spokeswoman for her own signature brand of cosmetics, Lauren Hutton's Good Stuff, sold via the Home Shopping Network.
- Also Credited As:
Mary Laurence Hutton
- Born:
November 17, 1943 in Charleston, South Carolina
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Job Titles:
Actor, Model, Playboy bunny, Waitress
Family
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Father: Lawrence Hutton. was stationed in England during WWII as part of the Royal Canadian Air Force when Hutton was born; worked as a newspaperman after the war and died of a heart attack at age 36
Significant Others
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Companion: Bob Williamson. nicknamed 'Bob God' by Hutton; got together in the mid-1960s and lived and traveled together for the next 20 years; died of cancer in the 1980s
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Companion: Luca Babini. Italian; producer of Hutton's talk show "Lauren Hutton and . . ."
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Companion: Malcolm McLaren. became involved with Hutton in 1985; produced the music of the Sex Pistols and many other iconoclastic rock bands
Education
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University of Southern Florida, Florida
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Sophie Newcombe College, New Orleans, Louisiana
Milestones
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1960 Moved to New York; worked for a time as a Playboy bunny during the day only because of her age; left after a while because the city terrified her (dates approximate)
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1965 Returned to NYC; got a job as the house model at Christian Dior for $50 per week
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1966 Discovered by legendary "Vogue" magazine editor Diana Vreeland; appeared on the cover of "Vogue" several dozen times over the next several years; often photographed by the famous and influential Richard Avedon
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1968 Film acting debut, "Paper Lion"
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1977 First major TV role, acting one of the leads of the historical war miniseries, "The Rhinemann Exchange"
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1984 Played Colette Ferrier on the short-lived ABC drama series set in a modelling agency, "Paper Dolls"
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1991 Returned as Revlon model-representative for "Eterna 27" skin treatments
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1995 Played recurring role of Linda Fairchild in CBS sudser "Central Park West/CPW"
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1998 Hosted the Travel Channel's "Three Perfect Days"
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1998 Made cameo appearance in "54"
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2000 Seriously injured in motorcycle accident while participating in a celebrity race in southern Nevada
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2002 Launched signature cosmetic line, Lauren Hutton's Good Stuff
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2007 Cast in a recurring role on FX's "Nip/Tuck" as a Hollywood publicist
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Appeared as a model for a very popular catalog from Barney's (among others) which highlighted her middle-aged beauty (dates approximate)
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Made stage debut in a production of "Extremities"
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Moved from Charleston, SC after her parents divorced and her mother remarried; settled first in Missouri and later in Tampa, FL
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Produced and hosted late-night talk show, "Lauren Hutton and . . . "
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Signed an exclusive contract with Revlon's to appear as "Ultima II" model; at the start of the contract was signed for $200K a year for 20 days' worth of work