Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress and former fashion model. She has appeared in films including Starship Troopers, Wild Things, and The World Is Not Enough. She appeared on the reality TV show, Denise Richards: It's Complicated, which was carried by American cable channel E!.
Early life
Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, the daughter of Joni, a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer. She has one sister, Michelle, and grew up in both Mokena and Downers Grove, Illinois. She graduated in 1989 from El Camino High School in Oceanside, California. As a child, she was the "only girl on the baseball team."
Before she was an actress, Richards was signed by the Judith Fontaine Modeling & Talent Agency as a model.
She spent the majority of the 1990s appearing in lower-budget films and TV shows such as Saved by the Bell, television movies, and guest starring in episodes of several television shows such as Married with Children (1991), a five-second walk through. She later made guest appearances in shows such as Beverly Hills, 90210 (1992), Seinfeld (1993), Lois and Clark (1994) and a guest-arc in Melrose Place (1996).
Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers in 1997. The film grossed over $121,214,377 worldwide and Richards was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favourite Female Newcomer. She followed this with a role in the 1998 erotic thriller, Wild Things. Variety praised Richard's transition from good girl type roles to manipulative villainess and the review continued to include her as part of "an ensemble that appears to be enjoying the challenge of offbeat roles and unusual material. There's not a wrong note struck by the game group of players."
In 1998, she appeared in the music video for the Blues Traveler song "Canadian Rose".
Denise Richards attending Susan G. Komen's 8th Annual Fashion For The Cure event — Hollywood, 2009
Richards was cast as the nuclear-physicist Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999). Though she considered her role "brainy", "athletic", and having depth of character, she was criticized as not credible in the role. Her outfit, which often comprised a low-cut tank top and tight shorts, elicited comments. She was ranked as one of the worst Bond girls of all time by Entertainment Weekly in 2008, and was chosen as "Worst Supporting Actress" at the 1999 Razzie Awards for the role, although, Richards was also nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Action for the same film.
Later that year, Richards starred alongside Kirsten Dunst in the beauty pageant satire, Drop Dead Gorgeous. Richards, playing a spoiled princess, was praised for her performance by Los Angeles Times for being "as rightly nasty as she is pretty."
In 2001, she guest-starred in Friends as Ross and Monica Geller's cousin, Cassie Geller in the episode "The One with Ross and Monica's Cousin". Later that year she appeared in four episodes of Spin City as Jennifer Duncan, a love interest of Charlie Sheen's character. She starred as Sheen's character's ex-girlfriend two years later in two episodes of Two and a Half Men. In 2005, she starred in the short-lived UPN series Sex, Love & Secrets
Richards appeared in films such as Valentine (2001), Undercover Brother (2002) and Scary Movie 3 (2003). In 2003, she also appeared as part of the ensemble in the British romantic comedy, Love Actually. The film went on to gross $246,942,017 worldwide. In 2005, she starred in the ensemble drama, Edmond alongside Julia Stiles.
In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, five months after giving birth. Richards 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 9th in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women and 19th in AskMen.com's 50 Most Beautiful Women. She was named one of the "100 Hottest Women of All-Time" by Men's Health.
In 2008, she reunited with her Wild Things screen-mother, Theresa Russell in Jolene. The independent drama, also starring Jessica Chastain was praised by the The New York Observer as it "boasts a terrific cast" and that "you go away exhilarated" from this "engaging" film.
Richards appeared on the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars, paired with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. She was eliminated second on March 24, 2009. Richards sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field on May 1, 2009.
In 2010 she joined the cast of Blue Mountain State, a Spike comedy series. Richards plays Debra, the ex-wife of Coach Daniels. In July 2011, Richards published a memoir The Real Girl Next Door, a New York Times Best Seller.
Richards will be a part of TV Guide Network's upcoming show, Hollywood Moms' Club, which airs in November 2011.
In September 2011, Richards reportedly turned down $100,000 to appear as an ex-girlfriend at Charlie's funeral in Two And A Half Men. A month later, she began filming a guest spot for a forthcoming episode for the sixth season of NBC comedy 30 Rock.
Marriage to Charlie Sheen
In 2002, Richards married actor Charlie Sheen with whom she appeared in Good Advice and then Scary Movie 3, in which she played his character's wife. They have two daughters, Sam J. Sheen (born March 9, 2004) and Lola Rose Sheen (born June 1, 2005).
In March 2005, Richards filed for a divorce from Sheen. The couple briefly reconciled and sought marriage counseling. However, on January 4, 2006, Richards' representative announced that she was continuing with the divorce. She later sought a restraining order against Sheen, citing alleged death threats against her.
On April 19, 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers seeking a divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California.
On December 1, 2007, it was reported that Richards' 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". On January 25, 2008, Richards won a court case against Sheen so that she could include her daughters in the show. When a judge rejected Sheen's request to block it, Sheen urged fans to boycott it.
An agreement was reached between Sheen and Richards in the custody of the children, with Sheen stating in April 2009 that “we had to do what’s best for the girls.”
Confrontation with paparazzi
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 filed against Richards.
Animal welfare work
Richards has worked with Best Friends Animal Society on several projects, including its Pup My Ride program, which transports small dogs from high-kill animal shelters to other parts of the US where there's a greater demand for small dogs. She has regularly appeared on Access Hollywood's monthly pet segment showcasing shelter dogs rescued by Best Friends and available for adoption.
Religion
In a May 18, 2008 interview with Larry King on Larry King Live, when asked about her Catholicism, Richards said, "I do have faith."
Adoption of a daughter
Richards adopted a baby girl in 2011 whom she named Eloise Joni. Her middle name is that of Richards' mother.
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