actress.Biography
Anna Nicole Smith was born on
November 28,
1967 in
Mexia, Texas. Her father had abandoned
her, and she was shuttled between her mother and an
aunt. At 17 she met Billy Smith (16) with whom she got
married. In the same year (1984)
her son Daniel was born.
Soon after Daniel's birth Vickie abandoned Billy and
headed to
Houston. A new life, a series of new names (she
began performing on the club circuit under her childhood
nickname of "Nikki" and another pseudonym, "Robin,"
before choosing the classier-sounding name "Anna
Nicole") and thoughts of achieving an old dream -
becoming the next Marilyn Monroe - began. As a child,
she had learned many of Monroe's songs by heart. Like
Vickie,
Marylin Monroe didn't
know her father and grew up poor. Anna Nicole was
obsessed with the idea that it was her destiny to be
like Marilyn.
In Houston she was working as a dancer in topless
joints, where the only portion of her anatomy that drew
attention was her rear. It was so bounteously
proportioned that some patrons nicknamed her "Sweet
Cheeks." In one of these topless lounge she was
discovered by a photographer. But she still wasn't good
looking enough to become a well-known person. So Anna
gave fate a helping hand by using her body to make some
quick money and to become a star. She had several face
operation and her bosom was filled up with silicon.
Anna Nicole Smith started her career by becoming
1993's
Playboy playmate of the year. She was compared
to
Marylin Monroe for her full figure and blonde hair.
In an interview on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien she was asked
what her "playmate diet" consisted of. She replied
"fried chicken".
In
1993, Anna Nicole married billionaire J. Howard
Marshall when she was 26; he was nearly 90 at the time.
He passed away in
1999, and Anna Nicole was involved in a court battle
with her former stepson, E. Pierce Marshall, for half of
her late husband's $1.6 billion estate. After a series
of legal victories and setbacks, in March of
2002 she was awarded $88 million from the estate of
her late husband.
In
2002 Anna Nicole starred in a
reality TV series on the
E! cable network entitled
The Anna Nicole Show, which focused on her
personal and private life in the manner of such other
"reality" shows as the recent hit
The Osbournes. Critics blasted her show, saying
it was so bad it deserved to be pitied. The show was an
initial hit upon its debut, though ratings dropped with
each successive week. As of
September
2002, it was too early to tell if her show was a
brief fad or a genuine hit.
Her filmography includes for Anna Nicole
Smith
- Skyscraper
- To the Limit
-
Hudsucker Proxy
- Naked Gun 33 1/3
- and a great deal of
Playboy videos
