Paulina Porizkova
A supermodel who defied the Iron Curtain to grace a million magazine covers, then reinvented herself as a candid writer on beauty and aging.
Born 1965 (age 61)·Czech-born model and author·Birthday: April 9·Generation X
Biography
Paulina Porizkova's life reads like a cinematic epic. She was born in Cold War Czechoslovakia, and her family's defection to Sweden when she was a child set the stage for an improbable rise. Discovered in Paris at 15, her striking, intelligent beauty quickly made her one of the most recognizable faces of the 1980s and '90s. Her 1984 Sports Illustrated cover was a landmark, breaking barriers for models from Eastern Europe. But Porizkova was never content to be just a photograph. She acted in films, wrote a novel, and, in her fifties, found a powerful new voice on social media and as an author. Her essays and books, particularly 'No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful,' tackle the modeling industry, marriage, loss, and the societal pressures on women's aging with unflinching honesty and wit. This second act has resonated deeply, transforming her from an icon of youthful perfection into a relatable advocate for self-acceptance, proving that her most compelling work began long after the camera flashes faded.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Paulina was born in 1965, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Paulina Was Born
The biggest hits of 1965
#1 Movie
The Sound of Music
Best Picture
The Sound of Music
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Paulina's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1965Born
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1970Started school
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1978Became a teenager
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Could drive
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1983Could vote
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Turned 21
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1995Turned 30
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
2005Turned 40
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 50
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 60
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 61 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Became the first Central European model to appear on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1984.
- Authored the bestselling memoir 'No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful' in 2022.
- Served as a judge on the reality competition series 'America's Next Top Model' during its twelfth cycle.
- Appeared on the cover of major fashion magazines including Vogue, Elle, and Harper's Bazaar throughout the 1980s.
Did You Know?
She was left out of the will of her late husband, Ric Ocasek of The Cars, despite being his wife and caregiver.
She is fluent in Czech, Swedish, English, and French.
At age 19, she was the highest-paid model in the world.
She published a well-received novel, 'A Model Summer,' in 2007.
““There is nothing more beautiful than a woman who is comfortable in her own skin.””
