Amber

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Smith's transition from modeling to acting was catalyzed by her uncanny resemblance to 1940s and 1950s icon Rita Hayworth. This likeness opened doors that might have otherwise remained closed; she was cast as Susan Lefferts, a Rita Hayworth lookalike, in Curtis Hanson's L.A. Confidential. The connection extended to HBO's cable telefilm The Rat Pack, where her resemblance to the legendary star proved integral to her role. Her modeling career itself was marked by rapid success and high-profile campaigns. She became the first model for the Wonderbra campaign and later posed for photographer Helmut Newton in a Wolford advertising campaign. In 2002, she modeled for the lingerie campaign of Venus Victoria, the European sister company to Victoria's Secret. Her face graced the covers of major fashion and women's magazines including Vogue, Elle, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, and the March 1995 issue of Playboy.

In Their Own Story

Amber Smith's personal life has been marked by significant public challenges regarding addiction. During her appearances on reality television in 2008 and 2009, she sought treatment under Dr. Drew Pinsky. On the program Celebrity Rehab, she discussed a 16-year struggle with opiate and alcohol addiction. In the third episode of Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, she revealed that both her father and mother had long histories with addiction. She stated that her father died as a result of a drinking problem, an event that devastated her despite his absence during much of her childhood. During these appearances, Smith also recounted experiences involving date rape and prostitution, which she explained played a part in the development of her addictions. Following a year and a half of sobriety, she returned to the Pasadena Recovery Center in 2009 as a panel speaker for a new group of addicts.

Reader's Guide

For those following Smith's career trajectory, her work spans two distinct eras of public visibility: her peak modeling years in the 1990s and her reality television appearances in the late 2000s. In the fashion world, she was a consistent presence, appearing in back-to-back issues of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue (1993 & 1994) and walking runways for designers like Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier. Her acting portfolio includes roles in Faithful, The Funeral, Barbra Streisand's The Mirror Has Two Faces, and her biggest role to date as Angelica, a Las Vegas entertainment consultant, in the 2007 series Sin City Diaries. In terms of legal matters, her name surfaced in January 2008 regarding the bankruptcy of Axium, an entertainment payroll firm, where partners were accused of misusing funds for her apartment and car. As of January 2010, Dr. Drew Pinsky noted she was living with her mother in Los Angeles.

Did You Know?

• Smith was Esquire magazine's first Vargas Girl of the 1990s.
• She appeared in back-to-back issues of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1993 and 1994.
• Her naturally blonde hair was dyed red to create a strong resemblance to Rita Hayworth, which influenced several of her acting roles.
• She was the first model for the Wonderbra campaign.
• In 2007, she starred as Angelica in the Cinemax TV series Sin City Diaries.