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Heidi Klum.

Heidi Klum — Actor
Born Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
Citizenship Germany
Age 53 yr Today

11 min read

Reading time

2,024

Words

Published

96

Film credits

4

Awards

TL;DR

Heidi Klum landed the cover of Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Issue in 1998, a milestone that made her a top model. She became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and hosted Project Runway, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program. Klum has also acted in films like The Devil Wears Prada and released a single called Wonderland in 2006.

Identity & family.

KIN · 5

Names, aliases, and relatives of Heidi Klum — birth name, kin, and personal ties.

Nicknames The Body
Aliases Heidi Kaulitz, Heidi Samuel
Parents
Günther Klum
Spouses
Tom Kaulitz Seal Ric Pipino
Children
Leni Klum

At a glance.

STATS

Heidi Klum by the numbers — life, work, and family.

53 Age
96 Film credits
4 Awards
3 Marriages
1 Child

Who is Heidi Klum?

BIOGRAPHY

Heidi Klum — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

In 1973, Heidi Klum was born in Bergisch Gladbach, a small city near Cologne, Germany. Her father Gunther worked in a cosmetics company and her mother Erna was a hairdresser. Klum’s entry into modeling came almost by accident when she submitted photos to a competition hosted by Petra magazine, which she won. This victory led to a contract with Metropolitan, a German modeling agency, and early work across Europe.

Career

Klum’s profile rose sharply in 1998 when she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated‘s Swimsuit Issue. She became a Victoria’s Secret Angel and served as a spokesmodel for the brand, earning $3.8 million in 2008 alone. In 2004, she launched her own line of maternity fashion called Lavish, and began hosting Project Runway, for which she won a Primetime Emmy Award. Klum also acted, playing herself in The Devil Wears Prada 2006 and appearing on shows like How I Met Your Mother. She released her first single Wonderland in 2006, which reached #13 on the German singles chart.

Personal life

Heidi Klum married hairstylist Ric Pipino in 1997, but they divorced in 2002. She later married British singer Seal on May 10, 2005, on a beach in Mexico, and the couple had four children together: Leni born 2004 with ex-boyfriend Flavio Briatore, Henry born 2005, Johan born 2006, and Lou born 2009. Klum and Seal separated in 2012 and divorced that year. In 2018, she became engaged to German guitarist Tom Kaulitz, and they married secretly in February 2019. Klum legally changed her surname to Samuel in 2009 after her marriage to Seal, and now uses Kaulitz in private life.

Legacy

Heidi Klum transitioned from modeling to television hosting, winning a Primetime Emmy Award for Project Runway. She inspired a generation of models to diversify their careers, and her business sense led to lines of jewelry, clothing, and beauty products. Klum also used her fame for charitable causes, donating $250,000 to the Twin Towers Fund after 9/11 and dedicating a painted sculpture to rescue dogs. She is most remembered for her Victoria’s Secret runway appearances and her long-running role as host of Project Runway.

Filmography.

FILMS · 96

The complete filmography of Heidi Klum — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. Movie Poster for The Devil Wears Prada

    The Devil Wears Prada

  2. Movie Poster for The Devil Wears Prada 2

    The Devil Wears Prada 2

  3. TV Poster for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

    The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

  4. TV Poster for The Daily Show

    The Daily Show

  5. TV Poster for Late Night with Seth Meyers

    Late Night with Seth Meyers

  6. TV Poster for CSI: Miami

    CSI: Miami

  7. TV Poster for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

    The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

  8. TV Poster for Malcolm in the Middle

    Malcolm in the Middle

  9. TV Poster for How I Met Your Mother

    How I Met Your Mother

  10. TV Poster for The Jennifer Hudson Show

    The Jennifer Hudson Show

  11. TV Poster for The Kelly Clarkson Show

    The Kelly Clarkson Show

  12. TV Poster for The Late Late Show with James Corden

    The Late Late Show with James Corden

  13. TV Poster for Sesame Street

    Sesame Street

  14. TV Poster for Hot Ones

    Hot Ones

Showing 14 of 96 View all 96 films

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 4

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Heidi Klum — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
  • Great Immigrants Award
  • Bavarian TV Awards
  • Bambi Award

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 9

A wall of memorable lines from Heidi Klum — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

  • I’m Very Lucky. as I Get a Lot of Roles Because of My Name as a Model and I Probably Wouldn’t Have Got Them Without It. You Have to Make the Best of Your Situation.

  • Going Blonde Is Like Buying Yourself a Light Bulb!

  • I Believe That When You Put a Smile Out There, You Get a Smile Back.

  • When I Came to America, I Was Really into All the Things People Eat Here. . . . People Called Me Muffin Because I Would Eat Muffins All the Time.

  • Seal and I Feel Very Lucky That We Found Each Other. He’s My Best Friend. He Would Never Go in Through a Door First. He Always Opens the Door for Me and Steps Back so I Walk Through.

  • I’d Say I’m a Good Cook. I Have a Lot of German Recipes That I Can Make – Schnitzel, Meatballs and Things with Cabbage. I Love Cabbage.

  • You Shouldn’t Wait for Other People to Make Special Things Happen. You Have to Create Your Own Memories.

  • I’ve Been Heartbroken. I’ve Broken Hearts. That’s Part of Life, and Its Part of Figuring Out Who You Are so You Can Find the Right Partner.

  • Would It Be Nice If My Skin and Body Still Looked the Way It Did When I Was 25? Sure. but the Fact Is, Your Body Changes When You Have Children; You Get Wrinkles as You Get Older. I Like That I Have Laugh Lines from Smiling Too Much.

Did you know?

FACTS · 39

Little-known facts about Heidi Klum — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 30

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Heidi Klum.

Audited & updated by

Michael Hayes

Senior Copy Editor & Editorial Fact Reviewer

Michael is the last person to read a profile before it goes live, which makes him the one who catches what everyone else missed. 5 years as a copy editor has given him a sharp sense for what's off. A wrong year, a vague credit, a sentence that almost makes sense but doesn't quite. He's especially thorough with filmographies. He'll tell you that's where most of the errors hide. He's right.

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