Julie Hayek

Julie Lynne Hayek is an American actress, model, charity worker, and beauty pageant titleholder born on October 4, 1960. She is best known for winning the Miss USA 1983 title and representing the United States at the Miss Universe 1983 pageant, where she finished as the first runner-up.

Hayek comes from a diverse background, with Czech and German descent on her father's side and Norwegian, Scottish, Irish, and English ancestry on her mother's side. Her father worked as an airline pilot, while her mother was a high school guidance counselor. While attending UCLA, she performed with the UCLA Showgirls dance team and was featured in a Sports Illustrated article titled Eight Beauties and a Beat. During her student years, she shot a poster for 20th Century Fox, completed a screen test for Paramount Studios, and appeared in an NBC Nightly News story. She graduated from UCLA a year after holding the Miss USA title, earning a bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in psychology.

Hayek's major pageant breakthrough came when she won the Miss California USA title in 1983. She went on to represent California at the national Miss USA pageant in Knoxville, Tennessee, in May 1983, becoming the fourth titleholder from her state. As Miss USA, she met various international leaders, including presidents and prime ministers. She also partnered with Bob Hope and the USO to support military personnel, appearing as a celebrity guest and entertainer on Bob Hope's USO Christmas in Beirut TV special aboard an aircraft carrier.

Following her national victory, Hayek represented the United States at the Miss Universe 1983 pageant in St. Louis, Missouri. Wearing a cowgirl outfit for her national costume, she earned the highest preliminary score and won both the swimsuit and evening gown competitions during the finals before placing as first runner-up.

As an actress, Hayek appeared in television series such as Dallas, Twin Peaks, Moonlighting, Matlock, Hunter, Hardball, and As the World Turns. She co-hosted the 1985 revival of the game show Break the Bank and was a guest on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Her film credits include Commando, as well as the television movies Scandal in a Small Town and Seduction: Three Tales from the Inner Sanctum.

Hayek later relocated to New York, where she worked as a model and stock trader. Throughout her modeling career, she served as a model or spokesperson for brands including Kodak, Victoria's Secret, Christian Dior, Warnaco, Natori, Mary McFadden, Tissot, and Mattel. She appeared in publications such as Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated, Tattler, Health and Fitness, and Hamptons, and featured on the cover of Manhattan magazine. In 2011, she joined 30 other former Miss USA winners for a Time magazine photo shoot at the Miss USA pageant.