Born on February 17 1972, in Downers Grove, Illinois, Denise Lee Richards moved to Oceanside, California, with her younger sister, her father, Irv, and mother, Joni, who owned a string of coffee shops called Jitters, when she was 15 years old.

In 1989, Denise went on to graduate from El Camino High School in Oceanside. After completing high school, she began modeling in Paris, Tokyo and New York, and became the makeup girl for Bonne Bell cosmetics.

But despite her achieved fame via modeling, Denise wanted more and began attempting her hand at acting by trying out for various parts in television shows and movies.

Acting came easily for Denise and she found much success from the get go. Her first appearances took place on weekly television shows such as Life Goes On (1990), Saved by the Bell, Married... with Children (both in 1991), Eerie, Indiana, Beverly Hills: 90210, (both in 1992), Seinfeld (1993).

Her stint on Seinfeld catapulted her into the limelight. In the episode, Denise played the 15-year-old daughter of the NBC executive that's about to cut a deal with George (Jason Alexander and Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld), but because they got caught looking down her blouse, the deal was lost.

After having a recurring role on Aaron Spelling's TV nighttime soap, Melrose Place, in 1992, Denise starred in a film entitled Tammy and the T-Rex and the made-for-TV movie 919 Fifth Avenue in 1994.

After that, in 1996, while Denise had another recurring role on television's Spin City, starring Michael J. Fox Denise starred in other forgettable TV movies including In The Blink of An Eye and Pier 66. Then in 1997, after having starred in the big screen movie Nowhere, which tanked, Denise co-starred in the popular hit film Starship Troopers.

While Denise's star was hot, Denise starred in, Wild Things (1998), opposite Neve Campbelland Matt Dillon Her sexy role in the film, not to mention her threesome scene, transformed Denise into one of the most sought after celebrities in Hollywood.

In 1999, Denise starred in the appropriately titled film, Drop Dead Gorgeous, but the film didn't see the same critical success in theaters that her two previous films did. But that same year, Denise did her duty as a Bond girl starring opposite Pierce Brosnan in The World Is Not Enough.

In 2001, Denise starred in more forgettable movies: Valentine and Good Advice (which is where she met her future husband Charlie Sheen whom she married the following year in June). Then, in 2002, after the movie Empire, co-starring John Leguizamo, flopped at the box office, Denise starred in the surprise hit comedy of the year, Undercover Brother.

Also in 2002, Denise teamed up with talented buddies Matt Damon and Ben Affleckin the movie The Third Wheel and also starred in You Stupid Man.

In 2003, Denise moved on to the romantic comedy Love, Actually, alongside Keira Knightleyand Hugh Grant then the horror-flick comedy Scary Movie 3.

In March 2004, Big and her husband Charlie Sheenwelcomed their daughter, Sam, into the world.