Facts About Rebecca Romijn From Modeling To X-Men
Model, actor, wife, and mother. Rebecca Romijn does it all, and she does it well. The former "X-Men" and "Ugly Betty" star has enjoyed a long and lucrative onscreen career starring in action films, comedies, dramas, and even reality television. Behind the scenes, she has built an equally impressive life filled with love, laughter, and companionship. Following her public split from actor John Stamos, Romijn picked up the pieces of her life and continued moving forward until she met another handsome actor, Jerry O'Connell. They hit it off, proving second chances do happen. Together they make an in sync and unstoppable team. Romijn once told Redbook, "We're each other's assistants. We pick up each other's slack. Whoever is less busy helps the busier one: 'Can you go pick this up for me?' or 'Can you book my flight?' That's what real life is. Once you start paying somebody else to do the grunt work, who are you?"
Their true partnership, mutual respect, and understanding of one another's busy careers, dreams, and goals have helped them become one of Hollywood's longest-standing couples. These high-powered, proud parents to teen twins prove that when you find the right person to share your life and dreams with, you really can have it all... career, love, kids, the works.
Please write a book on love and success in the limelight, Ms. Romijn. We will read it.
Rebecca Romijn made Sports Illustrated history
A number of popular entertainers started their careers in front of the cameras modeling the latest fashions, and Rebecca Romijn is among this elite group who went from runways to red carpets. She started her catwalk career in 1991, where she modeled looks for major brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria's Secret, and J. Crew. She also graced the covers of notable magazines, including GQ and Sports Illustrated. In fact, the statuesque blonde beauty made history when she became the first person to wear body paint in lieu of a swimsuit for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot.
From modeling, she branched out into television, scoring a small role on the hit sitcom, "Friends" in 1997. Romijn played Ross' super hot girlfriend, who had all the looks but no domestic goddess qualities. (In the end, Ross couldn't quite get past his lady's untidy apartment.) Romijn continued working on the small screen, veering further away from her modeling roots before she finally landed her first major film role in 2000, portraying the villain Mystique.
While she no longer works in the modeling industry, she still keeps herself in the know regarding who is hot and what is trending. For example, she told BuzzFeed that she is all about Lara Stone. "I'm a sucker for a gap tooth," she shared. She also revealed to Fashionista that she believes models should be adults to work the runways. A wise Romijn knows modeling is hard work and children shouldn't be strutting 'til they drop.
She sometimes misses her ex-husband
It's a weird thing to admit to your husband and the father of your children, but Rebecca Romijn confessed to Jerry O'Connell she does occasionally miss the times she and ex-hubby actor John Stamos once shared. Romijn wed the "Full House" actor in 1998, and the pair stayed together for about a decade before parting ways. The split was hard on Romijn, who once said on "The Talk" (via Us Weekly), "Going through a divorce is awful. It's terrible. I was with him for 10 years. Divorce feels like a failure, and there were a lot of things that I had to let go of that were very sad."
She healed, found love again, and now reflects fondly on that whole chapter of her life with Stamos. Her hubby played host/interviewer when the two appeared together on "The Talk "(via People), and O'Connell made light of the fact that his wife holds her ex in high regard. "I have a lot of fond memories of him. A lot of things about him that I miss," Romijn explained. "It's a very hard decision to come to when you decide to end a marriage. It was heartbreaking."
Everything worked out as it should, though. Romijn is a happily wed mother to twins, and Stamos has also remarried and stepped into fatherhood.
She fell for Jerry O'Connell in Vegas
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas... sometimes. The romance between Rebecca Romijn and actor Jerry O'Connell started in the City of Sin but thankfully transferred over to real life once the party ended. The couple recalled how they met when they appeared together on "The Wendy Williams Show," where O'Connell was co-hosting, and Romijn was making a guest appearance. The beautiful duo connected at a Maxim Hot 100 party in 2004 where hottie Romijn was chilling in the VIP section. O'Connell, who had met his future wife before briefly, managed to get Romijn's attention and steal a moment of her time. A friend of Romijn's slipped O'Connell her digits, and the two had a few pleasant dates in Vegas.
The Vegas vacay ended, but the romance between these two didn't. Romijn asked O'Connell for a ride home from the airport, and O'Connell happily obliged. The rest was romantic history. In 2022 the pair celebrated fifteen years of wedded bliss and are still going strong. They showed one another the love on their special day with sweet social media messages. He posted on his Instagram how he adores the woman who is, in O'Connell's opinion, way out of his league. She expressed similar sentiments on her page, honoring her hubby with plenty of pics of the lovebirds.
Rebecca Romijn is part of the twin mom club
In 2009, Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell welcomed two bundles of joy. With the arrival of their fraternal twins, Dolly and Charlie (daughter Dolly is named after none other than Dolly Parton, and Charlie is named after O'Connell's brother), the actors became part of Hollywood's twin club. It is no great surprise that beautiful Romijn and strapping O'Connell produced ridiculously cute kids, but they were never chomping at the bit to keep the cute kid streak going. She told the Daily Mail that she and her husband were all done having kids after the twins' birth. "Two was always the goal, and we got that, and here we are," Romijn said.
As for wanting a son to take after himself, O'Connell could care less on that matter. As he told People, "It's just so cute having girls. My relationship with them, just having little girls, and I can't speak from experience because I only have girls, but I just think I like girls more than I like boys." Romijn really has it all. She found love a second time around and has two happy and healthy children. What more could a person want out of life?
Rebecca Romijn is a big Prince fan
Rebecca Romijn isn't only part of Tinseltown's twin mom club; she is also part of the Prince fan club. The late entertainer had a lot of love from notable celebrities, including Kesha (who famously broke into the musician's home to hand him a demo tape), Queen Latifah, Anderson Cooper, Gabrielle Union and of course, Rebecca Romijn.
When ET asked Romijn about her love of Prince days after his death, she shared that she took the loss hard. "My very first concert was Purple Rain when I was 13. I have had the honor of seeing Prince perform at least 20 times. I feel like everything I know — everything I have learned — about style, sex appeal, attitude, and generosity in performance comes from him," the actor revealed. She went on the note that her twins were well versed in everything Prince, and the family made sure to honor the late artist by playing his music nonstop following his passing. "I think he would have wanted: for us all to have a party rather than to go into grief."
Agreed. Go party like it's 1999, Romijn and company.
Rebecca Romijn watches a lot of Bravo
Bravo has created a mega-reality monster with "The Real Housewives" franchise, and the shows have plenty of devoted fans and followers, including Rebecca Romijn and her husband, Jerry O'Connell. Romijn's hubby disclosed to Us Weekly that the two tune into Bravo each night, and if they run into a Real Housewife about town, they flip. Considering Romijn and O'Connell's celebrity status, you'd think it would be the other way around, but nope. Housewives get these two totally starstruck.
In a 2013 chat with Chatelaine, Romijn shared that a certain reality TV franchise is a surefire way to bring her bliss. "And I'm an equal opportunity 'Real Housewives' watcher, but my favorites are Atlanta and Beverly Hills," the actor exclaimed. So any chance Romijn tries her hand at Housewives-ing? If her husband has anything to do with it, perhaps. When the pair appeared on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in October 2022, Connell shamelessly pitched the idea of his wife becoming the next "RHOBH" star. Romijn laughed the notion off, as did host Andy Cohen, but maybe O'Connell is onto something here. On a previous episode of the "WWHL" after show, O'Connell said he and Romijn had talked about her becoming a Real Housewife. He went on to say that though they would be good at bringing it for the cameras, they are content with being audience members.
Playing Mystique was basically a 24-hour job
After dabbling in smaller acting roles, Rebecca Romijn landed the part of a lifetime playing "X-Men" villain Mystique. She portrayed the character in three of the franchise films, "X-Men," "X2," and "X-Men: The Last Stand," before Jennifer Lawrence took over the role. While both actors brought something unique to the character, they agreed on one thing: the makeup was intense. The role required long hours in front of the camera but even longer hours prepping for the shoot; Lawrence told Entertainment Weekly that the body paint was almost enough to drive her away from the franchise entirely.
In an ET interview, Romijn broke down how many hours went into transforming her into the blue villain fans loved to hate. "The first time they did my makeup test for Mystique, it was 12 hours. We eventually got it down to nine for the second movie. For the third one, we got it down to seven. But still, to be on set by 9 a.m.? My call time to get to work was midnight." She told BuzzFeed that the Mystique costume consisted primarily of prosthetics, and each time she filmed, new prosthetics were used. As if the application time wasn't enough of a drag, the getup wasn't exactly comfortable either. "I would ask them to leave my hands clear for as long as possible, because it was like my only connection to sanity," she said. "Leaving my palms clean was all I had!"
She and her husband have sailed into reality TV
Not all couples can live together and work together onscreen, but Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell are giving it a try. Per People, the two have joined forces to host on the CBS reality television show "The Real Love Boat." The show, which premiered in October 2022, set sail for the high seas, hoping passengers make real love connections before pulling into ports, where they compete not to be the lonely one left behind when the anchor is lifted. Strangers stand to win love, a cash prize, and a cruise. Romijn told "CBS Mornings" that landing the hosting role was a dream come true because she and her husband both grew up watching the original "Love Boat" television show. O'Connell chimed in about their shared love of all things unscripted television, noting the chance to be on a reality series was an opportunity for the pair that they simply could not pass on.
Neither Romijn nor O'Connell are strangers to presenting. O'Connell was given hosting duties on "The Talk" in 2012, becoming the first male host to become a permanent panelist on the show, and Romijn has hosted three seasons of the body art reality show "Skin Wars." While the two have had plenty of practice fronting shows, doing it together is a first for the long-married team.
Rebecca Romijn is a newbie in the kitchen
Some entertainers prove to be talented both onscreen and in the kitchen. Stars like Blake Lively, Snoop Dogg, and Freddie Prinze Jr. all boast mad chef skills. Perhaps someday soon, Rebecca Romijn will be able to count herself among the top actors that can also throw down around a stove. The "X-Men" actor disclosed to BuzzFeed in 2015 that she'd only recently gotten into cooking. While still perfecting her craft, Romijn revealed that she is getting pretty good at making soups and especially enjoys how long a big, warm pot of goodness lasts. Her family is particularly down for her broccoli cheddar soup. While she likes cooking, she isn't a big fan of the cleanup required. She also said she's always up for takeout, especially when it's sushi.
She tends to cook and eat clean to maintain her supermodel physique. As she shared with Health in 2012 (via Access Online), she loves roasted veggies with parmesan cheese and olive oil, as well as a cold, crisp apple, but she doesn't turn away from comfort foods. "I'm really not about deprivation," she noted. "If I want a piece of pie, I mean, come on — you have to enjoy life! Especially if you have kids. I usually keep Sunday for whatever-you-want-to-eat-day."
She has a secret to keeping her marriage hot
Staying wed for more than five minutes in Hollywood is something of a miracle, and Rebecca Romijn and her husband, Jerry O'Connell, know just how to keep the sizzle in their relationship. Simmer down dirty minds everywhere. The secret to Rebecca Romijn and Jerry O'Connell's long-lasting and loving relationship is... badminton. O'Connell told People, "We'll play for four hours a day straight." Badminton isn't the only way these two actors deepen their connection. Romijn's hubby told Us Weekly that the pair's relationship is based on laughter. They have always been able to make each other's crack a smile, a relationship quality that no one should ever take for granted.
When they aren't whacking a birdie around or cracking up at one another's jokes, they also enjoy a date night filled with song. Yep, these two kill it at karaoke. Anytime you guys want to hang out, call us.
She is an animal lover
Celebrities love the lights, camera, action, and their pets. Rebecca Romijn, husband Jerry O'Connell, and twins Dolly and Charlie are the proud owners of multiple cats and multiple dogs. While O'Connell admitted to Us Weekly he wasn't really into cats before he was married to Romijn, his outlook sure changed. "Now I love them and they sleep on my head every night," he said.
Per People, the Romijn-O'Connells are also huge advocates of adoption over purchasing pets. "I am proud to be part of Adoption Ever After, which is committed to ensuring all shelter pets find a loving home. Promoting pet adoption, providing resources, and sharing incredible ways animals make our lives better are just a few ways that we can all make a difference," Romijn explained.
The family's animals are treated like kings, even being allowed to sleep in the married couple's bed. Romijn's hubby told Us Weekly that it's a bit of a squeeze, joking, "I could sleep on a balance beam." Kidding aside, it's clear the gang believes animals are an integral component of family life and their precious animals are lucky to have found their furever home with Romijn and company.
Rebecca Romijn lives quite comfortably
Rebecca Romijn has worked hard to get to where she is today. From modeling to acting to hosting, she and her husband, Jerry O'Connell, have amassed a nice little nest egg. With many millions in their pockets, they have put down roots on the East Coast as well as the West Coast. (She is from California, and he was born and raised in New York, so how fitting that the couple owns abodes in both home states.) Per Architectural Digest, they are the proud owners of a beautiful and eclectic brownstone in New York, where Romijn went wild filling it with thrifted furniture and decor. They also have a home in Calabasas, California, and they even used the compound as the backdrop for their wedding. Another way they put their personal stamp on their house? Romijn told InStyle (via Us Weekly) that O'Connell once had an entire vineyard planted on the property. "It was a Valentine's present," she gushed.
Now that the couple is basically rolling in cash, they can buy pretty much anything they desire, from beautiful homes to high-end candles. Go wild, Ms. Romijn; when you are as successful as you are, the world is your oyster.