Carré Otis
Encyclopedia
Carré Otis is an American model and actress.
, and raised in Marin County, California
along with her older sister Chrisse and her younger brother Jordan. She attended Marin Academy in San Rafael, California
and the John Woolman School in Nevada City, California
.
by John Casablancas. She first achieved fame while working for Elite in Paris, when she appeared on the cover of French Elle
in April 1986. Over the next several years, she appeared on covers in the American and foreign editions of Vogue
, Harper's Bazaar
, Cosmopolitan
, Allure
, Mirabella
, and Marie Claire
.
Otis appeared in ads for Guess jeans (1988), Calvin Klein
jeans ("biker chick" look, 1991), the 1996 Pirelli
calendar, and also posed for the Sports Illustrated
swimsuit edition (2000). Otis was also featured in 1990 and 2000 issues of Playboy
magazine.
swimsuit issue. Shortly thereafter, she began an enduring recovery from anorexia. As part of that recovery, she experienced a weight gain that offered her the opportunity to work as a plus-size model, most notably as the face for iconic Marina Rinaldi
clothing (of MaxMara Group) and in commentary and editorials for Mode Magazine; since then Otis has served as a spokesman for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in 2003. She also appeared periodically as a correspondent on Channel 4 News in San Francisco.
In 2005, she represented the Breil jewelry line.
filmed an unsimulated sex scene
. Stills from the film's climactic sex scene were sold to Playboy, and were the subject of a lawsuit filed by Otis. Otis would later appear in another Rourke film, Exit in Red
.
.
), was released by It Books / HarperCollins Publishers in October 2011
Early life
Carré Otis was born in San FranciscoSan Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and raised in Marin County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
along with her older sister Chrisse and her younger brother Jordan. She attended Marin Academy in San Rafael, California
San Rafael, California
San Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
and the John Woolman School in Nevada City, California
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
.
Early modeling career
Otis began modeling at age 16. Discovered in San Francisco, she was initially signed to Elite Model ManagementElite Model Management
Elite Model Management is a large modeling agency based in New York and Paris. It is a subsidiary of Elite World S.A.-History:Founded in France in 1972 by John Casablancas and Alain Kittler, it was rebought in 1990 by Nicholas Farrae. Elite World S.A. is the parent company of Elite Model...
by John Casablancas. She first achieved fame while working for Elite in Paris, when she appeared on the cover of French Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
in April 1986. Over the next several years, she appeared on covers in the American and foreign editions of Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
, Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
, Allure
Allure (magazine)
Allure is the leading U.S. women’s beauty magazine, published monthly by Condé Nast in New York City. It was founded in 1991 by editor in chief Linda Wells, who has been at the helm of the magazine ever since. From its inception, the magazine has been widely recognized for its intelligent,...
, Mirabella
Mirabella
Mirabella was a women's magazine published from 1989 to 2000. It was created by and named for Grace Mirabella, a former Vogue editor in chief....
, and Marie Claire
Marie Claire
Marie Claire is a monthly women's magazine first published in France but also distributed in other countries with editions specific to them and in their languages. While each country shares its own special voice with its audience, the United States edition focuses on women around the world and...
.
Otis appeared in ads for Guess jeans (1988), Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein
Calvin Richard Klein is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc. in 1968. In addition to clothing, Klein has also given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and jewelry....
jeans ("biker chick" look, 1991), the 1996 Pirelli
Pirelli
Pirelli & C. SpA is a diverse multinational company based in Milan, Italy. The company, the world’s fifth largest tyre manufacturer, is present in over 160 countries, has 20 manufacturing sites around the world and a network of around 10,000 distributors and retailers.Founded in Milan in 1872,...
calendar, and also posed for the Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
swimsuit edition (2000). Otis was also featured in 1990 and 2000 issues of Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazine.
Later modeling career
After the end of her marriage to Rourke, Otis gradually resumed modeling. In 2000, she became one of the oldest models to appear in the Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
swimsuit issue. Shortly thereafter, she began an enduring recovery from anorexia. As part of that recovery, she experienced a weight gain that offered her the opportunity to work as a plus-size model, most notably as the face for iconic Marina Rinaldi
Marina Rinaldi
Marina Rinaldi is a ready-to-wear, plus-size women's clothing brand of the Italian Max Mara Fashion Group, one of the best known of the company’s 35 different labels...
clothing (of MaxMara Group) and in commentary and editorials for Mode Magazine; since then Otis has served as a spokesman for National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in 2003. She also appeared periodically as a correspondent on Channel 4 News in San Francisco.
In 2005, she represented the Breil jewelry line.
Acting career
In 1990, Otis made her acting debut in the film Wild Orchid. The film became notorious due to unsubstantiated rumors that she and co-star Mickey RourkeMickey Rourke
Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke, Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter and retired boxer, who has appeared primarily as a leading man in action, drama, and thriller films....
filmed an unsimulated sex scene
Unsimulated sex in film
Unsimulated sex in mainstream cinema was at one time restricted by law and self-imposed industry standards such as the Motion Picture Production Code. Films showing explicit sexual activity were confined to privately distributed underground films, such as stag films or "porn loops"...
. Stills from the film's climactic sex scene were sold to Playboy, and were the subject of a lawsuit filed by Otis. Otis would later appear in another Rourke film, Exit in Red
Exit in Red
Exit in Red is a 1996 film by Yurek Bogayevicz starring Mickey Rourke, Annabel Schofield and Anthony Michael Hall.- External links :* at Rotten Tomatoes...
.
Marriage to Mickey Rourke
Otis started dating Mickey Rourke shortly after the release of Wild Orchid. The couple married in 1992. In 1994, Rourke was arrested for spousal abuse, but the charges were later dropped. Otis battled anorexia and drug dependency, addictions that had tormented her since her adolescence. With Rourke's help, Otis was able to get clean from heroin in 1994, but her struggles with other substances continued until 1996. In 2001, Otis said that she had mixed everything, including "alcohol, anti-depressants, uppers, downers and diet pills". She noted in that same interview that she and Rourke "had equally explosive personalities" (and she had) her own depression. We were both drama addicts". For several years before and during their marriage, Rourke refused to allow Otis to model, forcing her to turn down lucrative opportunities and threatening photographers and agents with whom she had worked. The couple eventually divorced in 1998.Second marriage
In 2005, Otis married Matthew Sutton, an environmental scientist. She and Sutton have two daughters, Jade (born 2006) and Kaya (born 2008). They live in ColoradoColorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
.
Other
Her memoir, Beauty Disrupted: A Memoir (written with Hugo SchwyzerHugo Schwyzer
Hugo Schwyzer is an American author, speaker, activist and professor of history and gender studies at Pasadena City College...
), was released by It Books / HarperCollins Publishers in October 2011