Rebecca Gayheart
A 1990s screen siren and model whose career navigated the spotlight's glare, from teen magazine covers to Hollywood fame and personal challenges.
Born 1971 (age 55)·American actress·Birthday: August 12·Generation X
Biography
Rebecca Gayheart first entered the public eye as a fresh-faced teen model, her smile becoming a fixture in magazines and as the original 'Noxzema Girl'. That all-American beauty smoothly transitioned to acting in the early 1990s, with roles in cult films like 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' and the slasher 'Urban Legend'. Her profile soared with a starring role on the TV drama 'Wasteland' and marriage to actor Eric Dane. However, her career became intertwined with personal tragedy following a fatal car accident in 2001, an event that profoundly shaped her life thereafter. She stepped back from consistent acting, focusing on family and philanthropy, her public narrative evolving from that of a rising star to a figure who experienced the complex weight of fame and its consequences.
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.
Rebecca was born in 1971, 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 Rebecca Was Born
The biggest hits of 1971
#1 Movie
Fiddler on the Roof
Best Picture
The French Connection
#1 TV Show
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Rebecca's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1971Born
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1976Started school
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1984Became a teenager
Apple Macintosh introduced
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $59,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"When Doves Cry" — PrinceBest Picture: Amadeus
1987Could drive
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1989Could vote
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1992Turned 21
LA riots after Rodney King verdict
Gas: $1.13/galHome: $84,300Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"End of the Road" — Boyz II MenBest Picture: Unforgiven
2001Turned 30
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2011Turned 40
Osama bin Laden killed; Arab Spring sweeps the Middle East
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $138,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Rolling in the Deep" — AdeleBest Picture: The Artist
2021Turned 50
January 6 Capitol breach; COVID vaccines roll out globally
Gas: $3.01/galHome: $298,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Levitating" — Dua LipaBest Picture: CODA
2026Age 55 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Gained national recognition as the original 'Noxzema Girl' in a popular series of skincare commercials in the late 1980s.
- Starred as the lead, Brenda, in the short-lived but critically noted television drama 'Wasteland' created by Kevin Williamson.
- Played a key role in the late-90s horror hit 'Urban Legend', contributing to the genre's revival at the time.
- Appeared in the cult classic film 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' (1992) in one of her first major acting roles.
Did You Know?
She was married to actor Eric Dane from 2004 to 2018; they have two daughters together.
She was involved in a tragic car accident in 2001 where a young boy was killed; she pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter.
She and her then-husband Eric Dane were named 'The Sexiest Couple Alive' by People magazine in 2008.
She is a native of Hazard, Kentucky.
“That smile on a billboard was a mask; the real work was behind the camera.”
