Denise Richards

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Denise Richards

Denise Richards in 1999.
Born Denise Lee Richards
February 17, 1971 (1971-02-17) (age 37)[1]
Downers Grove, Illinois, U.S.
Spouse(s) Charlie Sheen (2002-2006) (divorced)

Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971[1]) is an American actress and former fashion model. She became famous in the late 1990s, after a string of films that highlighted her sex appeal, including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough. Richards was chosen as "Worst Supporting Actress" at the 1999 Razzie Awards for her role in "The World Is Not Enough"[2].

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[edit] Early life and career

Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois,[3] the daughter of Joni, a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer. She is of Croatian and Welsh descent.[4] She has one sister, Michelle, and grew up in both Mokena, Illinois and Downers Grove, Illinois. She graduated from El Camino High School in 1989, Oceanside, California. As a child, she was a 'tomboy', the only 'girl on the baseball team.'[5]

Before she was an actress, Richards was a fashion model. Richards spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in lower-budget films and TV shows like Saved by the Bell, television movies, and guest starring in episodes of several television shows. Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Starship Troopers in 1997, which was followed by her role in the moderately successful cult film Wild Things in 1998.

Richards was cast as the geo-physicist Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999), which had a high box office gross. Though she considered her role "brainy", "athletic", and having depth of character,[6] she was criticised as not credible in it.[7][8] Her outfit, which often comprised a tank top and shorts, elicited comments.[9] She was ranked as the worst Bond girl of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 2008.[10] In addition to her film work, Richards made regular appearances in the situation comedies Spin City, Two and a Half Men, Friends and Seinfeld. She also starred in the short-lived UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets in 2005. Throughout the early 2000s, Richards appeared in several film roles which both parodied and utilized her image as a sex symbol, including Valentine, Undercover Brother and Scary Movie 3. In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine. Richards also posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation. In 1999 she ranked 9 in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in FHM 100 Sexiest Women and 19 in AskMen.com 50 Most Beautiful Women.

[edit] Personal life

In 2002, she married actor Charlie Sheen, with whom she appeared in Scary Movie 3, in which she played his character's wife who was pinned to the tree in a car accident. The couple had two daughters: Sam J and Lola.[11] Richards was named the Sexiest Mom of 2005 by In Touch Weekly magazine.

In March 2005, Richards filed for divorce from Sheen.[12] The couple briefly reconciled and were seeking marriage counseling to mend their relationship. However, on January 4, 2006, Richards' representative announced that she was continuing with the divorce, and she later sought a restraining order against Sheen, citing his alleged death threats against her.[13] Richards briefly dated Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora shortly after their respective separations from Sheen and Heather Locklear, ending what Locklear had considered to be a close friendship. Richards once dated actor Patrick Muldoon;[14] she has also been linked to actor John Stamos, whom she dated during her teenage years.[15]

On April 19, 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers asking for divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California.[16] In her court filing, Richards alleged that Sheen's behavior was increasingly erratic, making their marriage impossible, and that she feared for her safety and the safety of their daughters.

Richards claimed that Sheen was physically and verbally abusive and threatened to kill her or have her killed, and that despite having accidentally shot his previous fiancée, Kelly Preston, he wanted to place firearms under their coffee table to protect them. Richards claimed that Sheen had become paranoid and obsessive, citing his belief in 9/11 conspiracy theories, a belief that baby formula caused brain damage, a desire to purchase gas masks, and an "abnormal fascination" with Nicole Simpson's death.

Further, Richards alleged that Sheen visited prostitutes and was addicted to gambling, prescription drugs (which he bought over the Internet), and pornography. Richards also alleged that Sheen posted a picture of his erect penis on his online profile of a "sex-search type" website and that he frequently viewed pornography featuring "very young girls," and websites "involving gay pornography also involving very young men who also did not look like adults."[17] Based on these allegations, Richards sought and received a restraining order against Sheen.[18]

Sheen denied the allegations. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, he described Richards' actions as a "smear campaign" and insisted that he was a responsible father who would "give his life for his children." He added that Richards is "the only one entirely culpable for putting these radical allegations out for public consumption... my children included."[19]

On November 8, 2006, officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were called to the River Rock Casino in Richmond, B.C., where Richards was making a movie. After seeing two photographers taking her picture from a nearby balcony, she confronted them, and threw their two laptop computers over the balcony. One laptop struck an 80-year-old woman in a wheelchair. The other laptop grazed the arm of a 91-year-old woman. Neither woman suffered serious injury, and no charges were pressed against Richards.[20][21][22]

On December 1, 2007, it was announced that Richards's mother, Joni, died from cancer.

In 2008, Richards decided to include her two daughters with Charlie Sheen in her confessional reality program on E!, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which premiered on May 26, 2008. He deemed her plans "greedy, vain and exploitative".[23] On January 25, 2008, Richards won a court case against Sheen so that she can include her daughters in the show.[24] When a judge rejected Sheen's request to block it,[25] the latter urged fans to boycott it.[26]

An agreement was reached between Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards regarding the custody of the children. [27]

[edit] Filmography

Film Portal
Year Title Role Notes
1993 Loaded Weapon 1 Cindy #1 First film appearance
cameo appearance
1994 Tammy and the T-Rex Tammy
1995 919 Fifth Avenue Cathy Damore Television film
P.C.H. Jess Television film
1996 In the Blink of an Eye Tina Jacobs Television film
Pier 66 Colleen Television film
1997 Starship Troopers Carmen Ibanez
Nowhere Jana
1998 Wild Things Kelly Lanier Van Ryan first film in which she appears topless, more so in the unrated version
Lookin' Italian Elizabeth
1999 The World Is Not Enough Dr. Christmas Jones
Drop Dead Gorgeous Rebecca 'Becky' Ann Leeman
Tail Lights Fade Wendy
2001 Good Advice Cindy Styne
Valentine Paige Prescott
2002 Empire Trish
Undercover Brother Penelope White/White She Devil
You Stupid Man Chloe
The Third Wheel Diana Evans
2003 Scary Movie 3 Annie Logan cameo appearance
Love Actually Carla
2004 I Do (But I Don't) Lauren Candell Lifetime Television movie
Whore Rebecca
2005 Edmond B-girl
2008 Blonde and Blonder Dawn St. Dom

[edit] Television

Television Portal
Year Title Role Notes
1991 Saved by the Bell Cynthia Slater's secret admirer, fakes drowning to be rescued by him.
1993 Seinfeld Molly Credited as Denise Lee Richards.
1994 Lois and Clark Angela Credited as Denise Richards.
1996 Melrose Place Brandi Carson 3-episode appearance
2001 Friends Cassie Geller one-time guest appearance
2003 Two and a Half Men Lisa Charlie Sheen's favorite ex-girlfriend
2005 Sex, Love & Secrets Jolene Butler cancelled after four episodes
2008 Denise Richards: It's Complicated herself debut May 2008

[edit] References

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
  1. ^ a b People magazine biography. Retrieved on 2008-06-06.
  2. ^ Awards for The World Is Not Enough. Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2007-12-25.
  3. ^ [2004] (2004-12-09) "Section 17", Mr. Skin's Skincyclopedia, Paperback, St. Martin's Press, pg. 466. ISBN 0312331444. 
  4. ^ [1]
  5. ^ The Cosmo Interview
  6. ^ Thomas, Rebecca. "One girl is not enough", BBC NEWS, 1999-11-19. Retrieved on 2007-12-23. 
  7. ^ Lisanti, Tom & Paul, Louis (2002), Film Fatales: Women in Espionage Films and Television, 1962-1973, Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Co, ISBN 978-078641194-8 
  8. ^ Howe, Desson, 1999-11-19, 'World': Bond without end, Washington Post.
  9. ^ Herincx, Gareth. "Bond 19: More than enough", BBC NEWS, 1999-11-19. 
  10. ^ Rich, Joshua (2008-01-08). "James Bond Babes: Best and Worst". 
  11. ^ "Denise Richards is ready to face reality on E! show", New York Daily News. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 
  12. ^ Celebrity News - The Movie Insider
  13. ^ Newstrack. Richards, Sheen divorce gets ugly. Retrieved on April 21, 2006.
  14. ^ Denise Richards interview
  15. ^ www.m16.co.uk. Actor News - 26-02-06. Retrieved on April 15, 2006.
  16. ^ http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0421061sheen1.html Thesmokinggun.com
  17. ^ http://www.eonline.com/News/Items/0,1,18862,00.html Eonline.com
  18. ^ http://cbs5.com/entertainment/entertainment_story_111211459.html CBS5.com
  19. ^ http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=domesticNews&storyid=2006-04-23T031406Z_01_N22177268_RTRUKOC_0_US-SHEEN.xml&rpc=22 Today.reuters.com
  20. ^ "Elderly woman hit after actress throws laptop", The Vancouver Sun, 2006-11-09. Retrieved on 2008-04-08. 
  21. ^ "Laptops thrown by actress hit seniors: police", CBC News, 2006-11-09. Retrieved on 2008-04-08. 
  22. ^ "No charges against actress Richards, RCMP say", CBC News, 2006-11-10. Retrieved on 2008-04-08. 
  23. ^ "Denise Richards "greedy, vain and exploitative"", Sydney Morning Herald, 2008-02-14. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 
  24. ^ Denise Richards Wins Bid to Put Kids on TV, MSNBC.com January 25, 2008
  25. ^ "Sheen wants boycott", Chicago Sun-Times, Digital Chicago, 2008-03-04. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 
  26. ^ "Sheen Asks Fans To Boycott Richards' Reality Show", SFGate. Retrieved on 2008-03-08. 
  27. ^ Charlie Sheen, Denise Richards Reach Agreement on Children's Custody, NewKerala.com, March 8, 2008

[edit] External links