Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, television personality, and former fashion model. Her most recognized roles are Carmen Ibanez in Starship Troopers (1997), Kelly Van Ryan in Wild Things (1998) and Bond girl Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough (1999). She has also appeared in films Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), Valentine (2001), Undercover Brother (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Love Actually (2003), and Madea's Witness Protection (2012). Her television roles include Paramount Network's sitcom Blue Mountain State (2010–2011), ABC Family's mystery-thriller series Twisted (2013–2014) and CBS' soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2019–present). Richards starred on the E! reality show Denise Richards: It's Complicated (2008–2009) and Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2019–2020). In 2011, Richards published a memoir, The Real Girl Next Door, which became a New York Times Best Seller. Early life Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, to Joni (née Braden), a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer, whose father's surname was Reichert. Her mother died of cancer in November 2007. She is of German and French descent. Richards has a younger sister, Michelle. She grew up in both Downers Grove and Mokena, Illinois. As a child, she was the "only girl on the baseball team". When Richards was 15 years old, her family moved to Oceanside, California. In 1989, she graduated from El Camino High School. She was voted best looking in her high school yearbook. Richards was raised Catholic. After her high school graduation, she began working as a model and traveled to cities such as Paris, New York, and Tokyo to do photo shoots and commercials. Career 1990–2008: Career beginnings and breakthrough Richards began her career as a teenager in modeling and appeared in print ads for Bonne Bell cosmetics in 1991. She also appeared on the cover of Teen magazine, instructional video "Modeling: What It Takes" and later went on to appear in Max Factor's Premiere 2K advertising campaign. In the 1990s, Richards appeared in several films and television shows such as Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Tammy and the T-Rex (1994), Lookin' Italian (1994), and guest starring in episodes of Saved by the Bell, Married... with Children and Doogie Howser, M.D. In 1993, she portrayed Ben Affleck's character's girlfriend named Jodi Collins, in the short-lived drama series Against the Grain. Richards made guest appearances in several television