Adriana Lima

Birthname: Adriana Francesca Lima
Birthplace: Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Height: 5' 1
Nationality: Brazilian
Profession: actress, model

Adriana Francesca Lima (born June 12, 1981 in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil) is a Brazilian supermodel, best known for her work with Victoria's Secret.

Biography

Adriana Lima, commonly known as "the best face in the industry" and "the most in demand runway model in the world", rose to stardom out of less than glamorous conditions. Lima was discovered while shopping at a local mall at the age of 13. At the age of 15, she finished in first place in a Ford Supermodel of Brazil model search. Lima later followed with a second place finish in the 1996 Ford Supermodel of the World contest. Adriana Lima, biography by Maybelline, accessed August 28th, 2005
Shortly after, Lima moved to New York City, and eventually moved on from Ford, signing with Elite Model Management. Her early career consisted mostly of fashion editorial work (with early appearances in international editions of Vogue and Marie Claire in 1997/1998), as well as runway work (Christian Lacroix, Valentino, and others). Lima's first big break came when she was featured in a Vassarette billboard in Times Square. Her print career followed, and like many other famous names (Claudia Schiffer, Laetitia Casta, Eva Herzigova), Lima became a GUESS? Girl in their 2000 Costanoa and has face campaign.
Lima continued to build upon her entry, doing more print work (Maybelline, bebe, Mossimo, BCBG) and gracing the cover and editorials of more high fashion magazines (Harper's Bazaar, ELLE). Probably best known for her Victoria's Secret work and Angel status (along with Heidi Klum and Gisele Bündchen), Lima first graced the VS runway in 2000, and was the show opener for the 2003 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.
In 2001 Adriana Lima starred in BMW Films short, The Follow alongside actors Mickey Rourke, Clive Owen, and Forest Whitaker. In the film, Owen's character is hired to follow Lima's, who is suspected of cheating on her famous husband, played by Rourke. The film had a runtime of 8:47 including credits, was written by Andrew Kevin Walker, and directed by Wong Kar-Wai. Even though her performance received rave reveiws and she was offered other big parts for movies such as Kill Bill, Terminator III, and The Matrix Revolutions Lima made it clear that acting is not her priority and that she only did The Follow because it was a short film.
Adriana Lima is currently one of the most respected and in demand models in the business and is the third highest paid model in the world (behind Gisele Bundchen and Kate Moss). She is currently represented by New York's DNA Models, Brazil's Elite Models and the European Ford Models.

Personal life

Lima has has been romantically linked to celebrities in this past, including a rumored engagement with rocker Lenny Kravitz and Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter. She is currently known to be dating Prince André Wenzeslaus of Liechtenstein. This relationship has been a relatively "hot" topic for the society spy columns and celebrity watchers, specifically Page 6, New York Post and Hola! online magazine.
Lima gained a massive amount of fame in Italy after her mega contract with the Italian cellphone carrier TIM grew very popular. In total it earned her 6 million dollars and she has said she is not able to walk down the street in Italy:

Lima does charitable work helping with an orphanage, "Caminhos da Luz" (Ways of Light), located in her hometown. She helps with construction to expand the orphanage, and buys clothes for poor children in Salvador, Bahia. Adriana Lima, biography by Ask Men, accessed August 28th, 2005 (sometimes described as green)

Hair: Dark Brown

Ethnicity: Swiss, African, Amerindian.

Lima has a cult like fan following called the "LimaHolic Mafia" Many compare these fans to Clay Aiken's Claymates

Nationality: Brazilian

Languages Spoken: Portuguese, English, Spanish

Religion: Roman Catholic.

Ranked #97 in Forbes.com's Highest Paid Celebrities list (2006)

Ranked #99 in Forbes.com's 100 Most Powerful People list (2006)

Ranked #57 in Maxim's Hot 100 (2003)

Ranked #1 in AskMen.com's Top 99 Women (2005) Top 99 Women, by Ask Men, accessed August 28th, 2005

Ranked #4 in AskMen.com's Top 99 Women of 2006

She likes "simple people".

Spokesmodel of XOXO, Armani Jeans, GUESS? Adriana Lima, biography by Guess Advertising, accessed August 28th, 2005 and Victoria's Secret

Close friends and family call her "Leah" which is beleived to be a reference to her grandmother's name.

Her eyes tend to change colour from blue to grey to green.

She has a pierced navel.

She owns a female maltese poodle named Ivy.

She is said to be "the easiest person in the world to make laugh."

She owns a bar in Mexico.

Many of her dedicated fans desperatly want to see a picture of Lima's mother and father.

She is bookish : her favourite author is Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

She would like to pursue acting or photography.

Her best friend is Oluchi Onweagba.

She is afraid of tapeworms and flying.

She meditates every morning.

She does not like to travel.

She was romantically linked with Lenny Kravitz.

She claimed Lenny was just a friend on The Late Show with Jay Leno.

She wears a scapular around her neck.

She is trained in Capoeira and Mixed Martial Arts.

She is always listed as one of the top five models in the world.

She never leaves the house without sunglasses.

She is the favourite model of famed photographer Ellen von Unwerth who specializes in erotic feminity editorial photography.

When she is asked what colour her eyes are she says she doesn't know, though her mother says they are blue.