Laetitia Casta

Laetitia Casta

Birth Place: Pont-Audemer, France

Date of Birth: May 11, 1978

Heritage: French

Famous for: Guess? Jeans girl in 1993

Background:

Former Rolling Stone's Hottest Model of the Year, French model and actress Laetitia Casta gained worldwide fame for her work as the Guess? Girl in her debut advertising campaign. She was also the lead model of Victoria's Secret, became the spokesperson for the cosmetics company L'Oreal as well as appeared on over 100 covers of such popular magazines as Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Rolling Stone and Glamour.

As an actress, Laetitia began her career in the most expensive French film ever made, Astérix et Obélix contre César, in 1999, opposite Gerard Depardieu and Oscar winner Roberto Benigni. She again gained notice when she played the starring role of Léa Delmas in the French television miniseries "Bicyclette bleue, La." (2000). She will also play a role in Fille aux yeux d'or, La (2005, aka The Girl with the Golden Eyes).

Blue-eyed beauty Laetitia measures 35-24-35 and was once voted one of the hottest Victoria Secret models. As for her private life, she is engaged to Stefano Accorsi. Casta is the mother of her only daughter Sahteene Sednaoui (father Stephane Sednaoui).

Joy

Childhood and Family:

Daughter to a Corsican father (Dominique Casta) and a native Normandy mother (Line Casta), Laetitia Marie Laure Casta was born on May 11, 1978, in Pont-Audemer, France. Raised in the middle of an animal-filled forest in Normandie and Corsica, she grew up as a tomboy. She has one older brother, Jean-Baptiste, and a younger sister named Marie-Ange.

Laetitia, which means joy in Latin, was a creative child. At an early age, she enjoyed writing stories and drawing. After a teacher told her she was not as bright as her brother, she became withdrawn. Laetitia was also uncomfortable with her body and a daydreamer while in school.

5' 7" inch tall Laetitia is the mother of a beautiful daughter named Sahteene Sednaoui (born October 19, 2001) from her relationship with fashion photographer Stephane Sednaoui. Besides her flat in London, she also owns a house in New York. During her off time, Laetitia, who is a brown belt in judo, enjoys her hobbies, go-cart racing, rollerblading, traveling, cooking with her mom, going to the cinema, dancing, painting and writing.

The Girl with the Golden Eyes

Career:

"I don't believe in God, but when I see Laetitia, I might change my mind." Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood

Fifteen-year-old Laetitia Casta was spotted while building sand castles on a beach in Corsica by a photographer and modeling agent from the Madison Models' Agency. After her father took her to Paris for some test photographs, Laetitia's amazing sheer beauty caught the attention of the founder of Madison models and her career started to take flight when the director of the French magazine Elle was also impressed by her look. Shortly after, modeling contracts and appearances in magazines knocked on her door.

Laetitia's debut advertising campaign arrived when founder and art director of Guess? Paul Marciano signed her up as the Guess? Girl.

Shot by Neil Kirk in Jamaica in October 1994, Laetitia soon gained worldwide fame and recognition.

1996 saw Laetitia as one of the Angels, the name attributed to the other four models of Victoria's Secret who grace covers of the Victoria's Secret catalog. The subsequent year, she appeared in the popular Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, joining the rank of fellow models for three consecutive years before she posed nude for Rolling Stone's hot issue. To honor her, Rolling Stone named Laetitia Hottest Model of the Year. In addition to Rolling Stone, Laetitia also appeared on over 100 covers of such popular magazines as Cosmopolitan, Vogue and Glamour. Following in fellow model Kate Moss and actress Jennifer Anniston's footsteps, Laetitia became the spokesmodel for the cosmetics company L'Oreal in 1998.

Next came her work with the Pirelli calendar. Laetitia then posed for a controversial ad when she appeared nude for diamond e-tailer Diamond.com for its billboards and print advertisements. Laetitia was featured as a representative of the women of the 1950s in the 1999 issue, themed Women Through the Decades.

In 1999, Laetitia was highly praised by her native country when she was elected by the French mayors to be the representative of Marianne's image, the embodiment of the French Republic, by appearing on French stamps and coins for ten years.

Laetitia added acting to her endeavors in 1999 when she costarred with Gerard Depardieu and Oscar winner Roberto Benigni in her feature film debut Astérix et Obélix contre César (1999, portrayed Falbala), the most expensive French film ever made and a smash hit in Europe.

Her acting career gained momentum when she starred as Léa Delmas in the French television miniseries "Bicyclette bleue, La" (2000) and next played Lucía Junco, opposite Spanish dancer Joaquin Cortes, in Gitano (2000).

Already modeling and acting, Laetitia ventured into music when she appeared in the controversial video for Chris Isaak's "Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing."

Laetitia is credited with several other films including Âmes fortes, Les (2001), Rue des plaisirs (2002) and Rue des plaisirs (2002). She also worked for another French TV miniseries titled "Luisa Sanfelice: (2004). Fans will soon see her in Fille aux yeux d'or, La (2005, aka The Girl with the Golden Eyes).