The path to becoming a movie star isn't a clear-cut one. Many actors over the years have transitioned from completely different careers to taking their place in front of a camera. From stand-up comedians to singers who became great actors, no path is the same, yet many may share similarities. For some, modeling was their jumping point into the limelight.

While it may seem like an easy switch, moving from still photography to live-action scenes with dialogue can be a difficult feat. However, these former models have all managed to grow their skill sets and become some of Hollywood's favorite thespians. Here are 13 actors that made the transition from models to superstars.

Update December 18, 2023: This article has been updated with even more models turned actors, including MovieWeb's interview with one of the stars.

13 Rebecca Romijn

The first of many stars from the X-Men franchise is Rebecca Romijn. Romijn actually studied acting before getting into modeling, but at 5ft 11, she had a natural fit for modeling. She appeared on covers for Elle, Marie Claire, Esquire, GQ, and Sports Illustrated to name a few. She also was part of advertising campaigns for a wide variety of topics, including Got Milk?, Victoria's Secret, and Christian Dior.

Transition to the Big Screen

In 1999 she cameoed as herself in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, but it was the following year that she would be featured in her most iconic role. She was cast as Mystique in the 2000s X-Men, and the nude blue body image, which was an original creation for the film, launched Mystique and Romijn to new heights. She reprised her role in X2: X-Men United and X-Men: The Last Stand, as well as a cameo in X-Men: First Class. Romijn has specialized in comic book projects as she starred in 2004's The Punisher and voiced Lois Lane in The Death of Superman, Reign of Supermen, Batman: Hush, and Justice League Dark: Apokolips War. She now stars as Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

12 Diane Kruger

Diane Kruger in Inglourious Basterds
The Weinstein Company

Best known for her role in Troy as Helen, Diane Kruger was once a high fashion model in Germany after an injury forced her to retire early from ballet. At the suggestion of screenwriter and producer Luc Besson (The Fifth Element, Lucy, and Nikita), she began her transition into acting. Her first major role — after portraying the woman whose face launched a thousand ships — was in the 2004 adventure film, National Treasure as Abigail Chase.

Transition to the Big Screen

The massive success of National Treasure led to a sequel and many other characters for her to play even though, according to People, some auditions were quite uncomfortable for her. She even took on the challenge of working with Quentin Tarantino for Inglorious Bastards as Bridget von Hammersmark. Here, she took method acting to a whole new level when she allowed the director to strangle her until she lost consciousness to make the scene look more authentic.

Related: Actors Who Became Great Directors

11 Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz in There's Something About Mary
20th Century Fox

Some may forget that before she was dazzling audiences with her endearing charisma on the silver screen, Cameron Diaz was actually a highly sought after model taking the fashion industry by storm. She began her modeling career at the age of 16 when she signed a contract with Elite Model Management, and even appeared in lucrative campaigns for both Levi's and Calvin Klein while also gracing the cover of Seventeen magazine at just 17 in 1990.

Transition to the Big Screen

After an Elite agent recommended that Diaz should audition for 1994's The Mask, she took acting classes in preparation after nabbing the role of sultry jazz singer Tina Carlyle. The Jim Carrey-led comedy was a blockbuster hit and both launched Diaz's Hollywood career while also establishing her as a bonafide sex symbol. She has since gone on to appear in countless cinematic hits like My Best Friend's Wedding, There's Something About Mary, Charlie's Angels, and Shrek. Diaz took a step back from acting in 2014 but is set to make her highly-anticipated return alongside Jamie Foxx in the action comedy Back in Action.

10 Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum in Magic Mike
Warner Bros. Pictures

Hailing from a small town in Alabama, Channing Tatum has become a very popular actor after a string of jobs that didn't quite satisfy him. What propelled his career in the entertainment industry was his stint with modeling. Featured in campaigns for Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, American Eagle, Pepsi, and more, his first appearances were in television commercials.

Transition to the Big Screen

With a background in both sports and dance, he managed to snag roles in films such as Coach Carter and Step Up. He even had the opportunity to take on a more serious role in the Nicholas Sparks film, Dear John. However, one of his most notable roles was in the 2012 film Magic Mike, which spawned two direct sequels including 2023's Magic Mike's Last Dance. His most recent films to hit theaters include Dog and The Lost City, in which he starred alongside Sandra Bullock in the blockbuster hit.

9 Riley Keough

Riley Keough in Daisy Jones & the Six
Prime Video

The daughter of singer Lisa Marie Presley and granddaughter of music icon Elvis Presley, Riley Keough has crafted a decorated career for herself in Hollywood and has emerged as a highly sought after performer. Before breaking into the entertainment industry, Keough started modeling at just 15 and appeared in ready-to-wear fashion shows for Christian Dior and Dolce & Gabbana while posing on the cover of American Vogue and the French magazines Jalouse and L'Official.

Transition to the Big Screen

In 2010, the 20-year-old Keough starred in her very first picture as singer Marie Currie in The Runaways, sharing the screen with Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart in the biographical drama about the influential '70s all-girl band. She would subsequently appear in films like The Good Doctor, Mad Max: Fury Road, Logan Lucky, and American Honey, before being cast as the titular lead in the 2022 Prime Video drama miniseries Daisy Jones & the Six, for which she garnered both a Primetime Emmy and Golden Globe nomination.

8 Halle Berry

Storm Powers X-men
20th Century Fox

After winning the title of First Runner-Up for the 1986 Miss U.S.A. Pageant as Miss Ohio, Halle Berry was able to find work as a model easily before venturing into the world of filmmaking. Grabbing the attention of casting directors, she began snatching up roles in prominent movies throughout the 1990s including The Flintstones, Solomon & Sheba, and Losing Isaiah.

Transition to the Big Screen

At the dawn of the new millennia, she secured a recurring role in the original X-Men films as Storm. She then took home an Academy Award for her role in Monster Ball, becoming the first African American woman to win the prestigious accolade for Best Actress. This groundbreaking feat ultimately led her to other iconic performances in Catwoman, Gothika, and Cloud Atlas. Her most recent projects will be the upcoming Netflix original films The Mothership and The Union, though official release dates have yet to be released.

7 Eddie Redmayne

the theory of everything
Focus Features

Although he studied drama from a young age, Eddie Redmayne was first placed in front of a camera during his teenage modeling years. The future Oscar-winner had made a living as a knitwear model and in 2004 he posed for the knitting pattern book Denim People at 22-years-old. Redmayne's modeling days were ultimately short-lived and he ended up focusing his attention to the stage and movies, making his feature film debut in the 2006 thriller Like Minds after being discovered by casting director Lucy Bevan while performing in a play.

Transition to the Big Screen

Some of his first notable roles include the 2012 film, Les Misérables, and the 2015 romance known as The Danish Girl. His portrayal of Lili and her journey as a trans woman earned him an Academy Award Nomination for Best Actor. However, most fans will recognize him from the Harry Potter spin-off, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. This Potterverse film sparked a whole new series with Redmayne revising his role as Newt Scamander each time. The third installment in the wondrous franchise, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, was released in 2022.

6 Milla Jovovich

resident evil apocalypse milla jovovich
Sony Pictures Releasing

Becoming a professional model at the tender age of 12, Milla Jovovich has been in front of a camera lens for most of her life. She was featured in Revlon's "Most Unforgettable Women in the World" campaign, and she has appeared on the cover of hundreds of international magazines including Vogue and Cosmopolitan. Modeling for Dior, Versace, Calvin Klein, Armani, and many more, her success in the fashion world is quite noticeable.

Transition to the Big Screen

She landed many television guest appearances until she was finally cast in the iconic film, The Fifth Element. Later, she portrayed Katinka in the 2001 comedy Zoolander, alongside Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, and Will Ferrell. However, the Ukrainian-born actress's most notable role is as Alice in the Resident Evil franchise. With six Resident Evil films, this series has become the most successful and profitable science fiction horror series in cinematic history.

5 Jamie Dornan

Netflix to Premiere Jadotville Starring Jamie Dornan
Netflix

Decorated Irish actor Jamie Dornan may perhaps be best known for portraying Christian Grey in the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, but before he was dominating Hollywood the star was making a name for himself as one of the fashion industry's brightest talents. He began his modeling career in 2001 after participating in the reality show Model Behaviour, and after being eliminated, signed with Select Model Management. Dornan has modeled for major brands like Armani, Hugo Boss, Calvin Klein, and Dolce & Gabbana, and was even named one of the "25 Biggest Male Models of All Time" by Vogue in 2015.

Transition to the Big Screen

Dornan has gone on to star in an impressive array of television and film projects since his shift to acting in 2006, most notably appearing as the Belfast serial killer Paul Spector in the drama The Fall, sharing the screen with Gillian Anderson. His other cinematic contributions include Marie Antoinette, A Private War, The Siege of Jadotville, and Belfast, and the Golden Globe-nominated actor currently headlines the thriller BBC One series The Tourist, with a second season scheduled to premiere in January 2024.

4 Famke Jannsen

Famke Janssen in X2: X-Men United
20th Century Fox

Dutch actress Famke Jannsen moved to the United States in 1984 at just 20-years-old in order to pursue a professional modeling career, and upon her arrival she quickly signed with Elite Model Management and dominated the fashion industry, working with major fashion houses like Chanel, Giorgio Armani, and Yves Saint Laurent. Jannsen also partnered with Victoria's Secret and shot a commercial for a perfume by Coty, before retiring from modeling in the early '90s to try her hand at acting.

Transition to the Big Screen

After a series of guest roles on television shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Melrose Place, and The Untouchables, Jannsen was cast as femme fatale and assassin Xenia Onatopp in 1995's GoldenEye, shining in the villainous role alongside Pierce Brosnan and Sean Bean. She then appeared in Rounders, The Faculty, and House on Haunted Hill before landing arguably her most memorable role as Jean Grey in the X-Men franchise. In recent years, Jannsen has acted in How to Get Away with Murder, The Blacklist, and most recently in the 2023 Netflix thriller Locked In.

3 Charlize Theron

Charlize Theron in Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Warner Bros. Pictures

Originally from South Africa, Charlize Theron got her start in modeling after a knee injury stopped her from performing ballet. After spending a year modeling in Europe, Theron moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career as a print/commercial model and she was discovered by an acting agent in line at a local bank. Because the teller refused to cash her out-of-state check, she made a scene - which ended up being the best thing to ever happen for her career.

Transition to the Big Screen

Her first major role was in the 1995 film Mighty Joe Young. Several years later, she earned an Academy Award for her stunning performance as Aileen in Monster, swiftly establishing herself as one of the industry's most brilliant up-and-coming actors. Other incredible works in her decorated filmography include Prometheus, Mad Max: Fury Road, Snow White and the Huntsman, Atomic Blonde, and Old Guard. As of now, Atomic Blond 2 and Old Guard 2 are currently in the works, with the latter film set to be released in 2024.

Related: 10 Major Roles Charlize Theron Turned Down or Didn't Get

2 Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher in Vengeance
Focus Features

Before he was was making audiences laugh with his hilarious portrayal of the lovable pretty boy Michael Kelso in That '70 Show, Ashton Kutcher was striking a pose in front of the camera and was signed with Next Model Management after participating in a life-altering 1998 IMTA competition. Though his modeling career was ultimately short-lived, Kutcher still managed to shoot commercials for Calvin Klein and even headed to Europe to model in Milan and Paris. He headed to sunny Los Angeles to check out the acting world, with his first audition being for That '70s Show.

Transition to the Big Screen

Kutcher would go on to star as the goofball Michael Kelso from 1998 to 2006, during which he would also venture into film work, starring in movies like Dude, Where's My Car?, Just Married, and The Butterfly Effect and create the prank show Punk'd. When the sitcom took its final bow after 8 seasons, the actor continued establishing himself as a Hollywood leading man with roles in What Happens in Vegas, Killers, No Strings Attached, and Jobs, and also returned to television in Two and a Half Men and The Ranch.

1 Cara Delevingne

Cara Delevingne Suicide Squad
Warner Bros.

Hailing from London, Cara Delevingne is another model turned actor who managed to make the switch effortlessly. She has landed campaigns for Burberry, Chanel, and Zara, and she has walked the runway in shows for Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Oscar de la Renta, and more. She even won the title Model of the Year at the 2012 British Fashion Awards.

Transition to the Big Screen

Her first acting role was as Princess Sorokina in the 2012 film Anna Karenina. However, most fans will recognize her as June Moone or the Enchantress from Suicide Squad. Many musicians such as Taylor Swift and Die Antwoord have had her appear in their music videos, and she was the face of a Jimmy Choo campaign in 2017. As of now, she appeared in the Italian anthology film Tell It Like a Woman as well as in the smash hit television shows Only Murders in the Building and American Horror Story: Delicate.