Marisa Miller
Marisa Lee Miller (née Bertetta; born August 6, 1978)[1][2] is an American model best known for her appearances in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue and her work for Victoria's Secret. After a stint shooting with photographer Mario Testino for fashion magazines such as Vogue,[3] Miller began working for both companies in 2002. In 2007, she became a Victoria's Secret Angel, and appeared on the cover of the 2008 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue to record-setting numbers.[4] Her accomplishments have led to her being dubbed the "return of the great American supermodel."[5]
Marisa Miller
2
5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Blonde
Hazel
Excel Sports Management
She is known for contracts with companies such as Harley-Davidson, for whom she is the first spokesperson in the history of the company, and the NFL, for whom she became a spokesperson in 2010.[6] Miller is considered a sex symbol;[6] she ranked No. 1 on Maxim magazine's 2008 "Hot 100" list[5] and in FHM's global 2010 "Sexiest Women in the World" poll. Aside from modeling, she was an ambassador for both the American Cancer Society[7] and the USO.[8] Miller made her film debut in R.I.P.D. (2013).
Early life[edit]
Miller was born Marisa Lee Bertetta in Santa Cruz, California, to Krista (née Useldinger) and Marc Bertetta.[9][10] She has two younger sisters.[10] Miller attended high school at Aptos High[11] and Monte Vista Christian School.[9] She considered herself a tomboy growing up, with mostly male friends and little awareness of anything girly.[12]
Out of shyness, she often wore large t-shirts to hide her body and would get fully dressed just to go to the trash-can while at the beach.[13]
Miller was first "discovered" at age sixteen walking through a San Francisco café by two Italian modeling agents.[9]
After talking to her mother, she was on a plane to Italy with her mother a few months later, despite her "shy and conservative" personality.[3] During the 1990s, fashion modelling was going through a phase of the androgynous look, and Marisa thought herself too curvy and too short to fit that trend.[7] Miller gained attention in 1997 when she appeared nude in the first issue of Perfect 10 magazine. Although she came in third behind Ashley Degenford and Monica Hansen in Perfect 10 magazine's first annual model search,[2] she was repeatedly showcased in following issues, including the covers of the Winter 1998 and August/September 1999 editions,
as well as a reprint for the Fall 2004 edition cover.[14][15]
Media recognition[edit]
The swell in publicity resulting from her 2008 work served to land Miller in the number one spot on Maxim magazine's "Hot 100" rankings for 2008, beating out list regulars such as Scarlett Johansson, Jessica Biel, and Eva Longoria. This marked the first time anyone has debuted on the list in the number one position.[5]
In her subsequent cover story for the July issue, Maxim proclaimed her as the "return of the great American supermodel." Of such acclaim, Miller admits, "I get a kick out of it, but it would be stupid to let it go to my head. It's modeling—I didn't find the cure for cancer."[41] Miller continued to be highly rated and appeared on the list in 2009 in 18th place, and in 2010 in 10th place.[42]
She also finished first place in The Best Damn Sports Show Period "Smokin' Sixteen" competition in 2008,[43] repeating her 2007 win over competitors such as Gisele Bündchen and Adriana Lima. Miller ranked second in AskMen.com's "Top 99" for 2010, after ranking third in 2009, ninth in 2008, twelfth in 2007, and fourteenth in 2006.[44][45][46][47][48] She added to her popular accolades with the "Hot N' Fresh" award at the second annual Spike Guys' Choice Awards.[49]
In 2010, Miller came in third in FHM magazine's UK edition of the 16th annual "Sexiest Women in the World" poll, placing behind actress Megan Fox and winner, British singer Cheryl Cole.[50][51]
Miller topped the poll in the US edition of FHM and was declared the global winner of the poll, receiving the most combined votes from FHM's 24 international editions.[52][53][54][55]
Personal life[edit]
She married Jim Miller,[1][56] a Los Angeles surfing contest promoter and lifeguard from California, in 2000. The couple separated in 2002;[57] they divorced soon after. Following the divorce, Marisa continued using the surname Miller. She married music producer Griffin Guess on April 15, 2006.[1] Miller gave birth to the couple's first child, a son, on December 13, 2012.[58] She gave birth to the couple's second son on May 29, 2015.[59]
From an early age she loved surfing, and her aunt was on the pro tour.[16] In 2004, she placed second in the celebrity division of the Kelly Slater Surf Invitational[1] and says of the sport, "I feel my absolute best—physically, mentally and spiritually—when I'm surfing every day."[12] She also won the most valuable player award at the 4th annual Celebrity Beach Bowl.[60] She was a standout volleyball player in high school[1] and has taken up boxing.[7] After signing with Harley-Davidson, Miller received her motorcycle license[61] and rides a Harley Nightster. She has said that she would like to be a sportscaster.[62] Miller comes from a family of nurses. Her mother returned to college to become a pediatrics nurse and her sisters are also nurses. She has expressed an interest in following the same career path if she stops modeling.[63][64]
As of 2009, Miller is an ambassador for the American Cancer Society.[7][65] Proceeds from her online store are donated to the charity. She also supports the Young Survival Coalition, which raises awareness of breast cancer in women under 40,[5] as well as environmental organization the Surfrider Foundation, which aims to preserve the world's oceans and beaches.[65] In 2014 she was honored with the inaugural Paul Walker Ocean Leadership Award.[66][67]
In October 2009, Miller hosted the Monte Foundation music festival, an annual fundraiser for schools in the Aptos area, where she and Guess own a home.[16]
She is also an ambassador for the USO; she visits military bases and receives frequent fan mail from American troops worldwide.[8]
In May 2015, Miller posed while pregnant with her second child as part of a PETA campaign against SeaWorld's practice of separating baby orcas from their mothers.[68]