Claudia Schiffer
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Claudia Schiffer is a German model who reached supermodel status during the 1990s. She has also appeared in around ten motion pictures.
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Biography
Schiffer was born August 25, 1970 in Rheinberg, North Rhine-Westphalia. She began modelling in 1987, after being spotted in a nightclub in Düsseldorf. Weeks later she appeared in Elle magazine. Within a short time she modelled for Chanel. In the early 1990s she starred in Guess? jeans ads in North America. In more recent years, she has starred in advertising campaigns for brands such as Mango and Accessorize.
From 1994 to 1999, Schiffer was married to the American illusionist, David Copperfield. They first met in 1993, when Schiffer attended one of Copperfield's shows and he invited her on stage to participate in his "Flying" illusion. Later in the same year, she joined Copperfield on an appearance on live German TV. During this appearance, Schiffer assisted Copperfield in a traditional "Thin Model" version of the famous stage illusion, "Sawing a Woman in Half", with Schiffer being sawed in half by Copperfield and the show’s host, who used a large two-person saw to cut her in half. Having sawed Schiffer in half and separated her halves, Copperfield then tickled her feet, causing her to scream with laughter and complain (in German) that she was ticklish. While she was still in two pieces, she was interviewed by the show's host, who asked her what it felt like to be sawed in half. Copperfield then asked her out on a date and, after she agreed, he finally put her back together in one piece. Shortly after this, they became engaged, and married the following year. While they were married, and when not otherwise occupied with her modelling work, Schiffer often joined her husband in his stage shows as a special guest assistant in a number of illusions. During the show, she would be levitated high into the air, made to vanish and re-appear, and finally sawed in half.
“I really love working with David in his shows, especially being sawed in half. Feeling the saw go through me is such an amazing sensation, and it’s always such a thrill to look over and see my legs on the other side of the stage and know I’m in two pieces…”
Following the end of her marriage to Copperfield in 1999, Schiffer became romantically involved with the heir to the Green Shield Stamp empire, Tim Jeffries.
On May 25, 2002 she married film producer Matthew de Vere Drummond, né Matthew Vaughn, son of George Albert Harley Drummond (also known as George de Vere Drummond). It was widely reported at the time of the wedding that one day Schiffer could become the Countess of Oxford because her father-in-law was in line of succession to the Earldom of Oxford and Mortimer. She is disqualified on two counts: Matthew's illegitimacy would bar him from any succession and George Harley Drummond is not in line for succession as he is not descended from the male line.
Claudia and Matthew have two children: a son, Caspar Matthew De Vere Drummond, born in London on January 30, 2003 and a daughter, Clementine, born in London on November 11, 2004.
Filmography
Acting:
- Love Actually (2003) .... Carol
- In Pursuit (2001) .... Catherine Wells
- Life Without Dick (2001) .... Mary
- Black and White (1999) .... Greta
- Friends & Lovers (1999) .... Carla
- Desperate But Not Serious (1999) .... Gigi
- The Blackout (1997) .... Susan
- Richie Rich (film)|Richie Rich (1994) .... Claudia, the Aerobics Instructor
Playing Herself:
- Í skóm drekans (2002) .... Herself (presenter)
- 666 - Traue keinem, mit dem Du schläfst! (2002) .... Herself
- Zoolander (2001) .... Herself
- The Sound of Claudia Schiffer (2000) .... Herself
- Beautopia (1998) .... Herself
- 1997 VH1 Fashion Awards (1997) (TV) .... Herself
- An Audience with Elton John (1997) (TV) (uncredited) .... Herself
- Happy Birthday Elizabeth: A Celebration of Life (1997) (TV) .... Herself
- The 68th Annual Academy Awards (1996) (TV) .... Herself - Co-Presenter: Best Costume Design
- Catwalk (1996) .... Herself
- Perfectly Fit (1996) (V) .... Herself
- Around Claudia Schiffer (1995) (TV) .... Herself/Interviewer
- Schönsten Frauen der Welt - Claudia Schiffer, Die (1995) (TV) .... Herself
- Prêt-à-Porter (film)|Prêt-à-Porter (1994) (uncredited) .... Herself
- The Magic of David Copperfield: 15 Years of Magic (1994) (TV) .... Herself
- Noche de tu vida, La (1993) (TV) .... Herself - Hostess
Notable TV Guest Appearances:
- Corazón de... 19 July 2005 .... Herself
- Wetten, dass..? episode: "Wetten, dass..? aus Klagenfurt" (episode # 1.147) 28 February 2004 .... Herself
- Arrested Development (TV series)|Arrested Development (uncredited) in episode: "Charity Drive" (episode # 1.5) 30 November 2003 .... Balboa Towers Security
- Dharma & Greg episode: "This Diamond Ring" (episode # 5.19) 2 April 2002 .... Gretchen
- Dharma & Greg episode: "I Think, Therefore I Am in Trouble" (episode # 5.16) 19 March 2002 .... Gretchen
- Wetten, dass..? episode: "Wetten, dass..? aus Braunschweig" (episode # 1.133) 26 January 2002 .... Herself
- The Howard Stern Radio Show 7 October 2000 .... Herself
- Russell Gilbert Live (episode # 1.11) 17 June 2000 .... Herself
- Late Night with Conan O'Brien 13 April 2000 .... Herself
- Futurama (voice) in episode: "A Head in the Polls" (episode # 2.7) 12 December 1999 .... Herself
- Caiga quien caiga 19 October 1997 .... Herself
- Mad TV (episode # 1.17) 6 April 1996 .... Herself
- De tú a tú 18 February 1993
- Wetten, dass..? episode: "Wetten, dass..? aus Basel" (episode # 1.70) 2 November 1991 .... Herself
Trivia
- She didn't get her ears pierced until she was 35, when she had them pierced specially for the photoshoot for her 2006 Accessorize advertising campaign. Her contract for the campaign included an additional payment to cover the need for her to pierce her ears so as to be able to wear the pierced earrings she was required to model during the photoshoot.
"It does feel quite strange after all these years to finally have my ears pierced. I'm still getting used to the fact that I've now got bits of metal going through holes in my earlobes, but I've got to admit that I do like how they look and I kind of regret not having them done a long time ago"
- The version of the "Sawing a Woman in Half" illusion she performed with Copperfield is called "Clearly Impossible". In this version of the illusion, she would lay down on the "table", and her head and feet would be firmly held by members of the audience. She would then be covered by a special clear-sided box, from which her head and feet projected, and which allowed an uninterupted view of her body throughout the illusion. Once her neck and ankles had been firmly locked in place by stocks, the audience member who had been holding her head would join Copperfield in sawing through her middle using a large two-person saw. After she had been completely sawed through, two large metal divider blades would be inserted through the cut and her two halves separated. As her feet had been firmly held by the second audience member all the time from before she was covered by the box, and because the box allowed her body to be clearly seen throughout the sawing through and separation, the illusion gave the impression that she had indeed been divided into two pieces.
Quotes
- (Claiming that supermodels are now extinct) "In order to become a supermodel one must be on all the covers all over the world at the same time so that people can recognise the girls. That is, for now, not least because the advertising industry is very much taken nowadays by pop stars and actresses. Supermodels, like we once were, don't exist any more.
- "I've met women who have way better bodies in their 40s because they've been working on them for all these years."
- "I just love to shock people. Yesterday my friend said, "What a great top, is it Stella?" I said, "No, it's Mango, £25." I'm never head-to-toe in anything. I like to mix things from Prada, things from Marc Jacobs. But, you know, you can spend several thousand pounds on something, wear it for one day and the button falls off. I get really ****** off when you spend so much money."
- "I love wearing flat shoes, but I am not one of those girls who walks around in sweat pants and sneakers. I think I have something going on with shoes. Flat shoes. I buy them in several colors at once. High heels are for work and they have always been uncomfortable for me. I'm amazed when I see mothers wearing high heels. If your kids run off you can't run after them."
- "I'm not really a big jewelry person - never have been. Normally, all I wear is my wedding ring, a watch, and a small cross on a chain around my neck. Of course, now I've got pierced ears, I'll often wear earrings too, but not always. If I do, its usually a pair of diamond studs my husband gave me, although if I'm feeling especially bold, I've got some big hoops I love to wear too."
