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Tiegs, now 77, started her modeling career after a friend suggested she had the right look. Initially, she worked small fashion shows for minimal pay, but her big break came at 17 when she was featured in Glamour magazine, which led to worldwide fame.
From that point, her career flourished with multiple appearances in Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions, Time, and even earning a spot in Men’s Health magazine’s list of the 100 Hottest Women of All Time in 2012.
Looking back on her career, Tiegs has spoken about how different the modeling industry was back then compared to today, explaining that models in her era didn’t have the same visibility as they do now with the rise of social media and entertainment shows like Entertainment Tonight. “It was more in the moment, and I liked that,” she told Artful Living.
In the 1980s, Tiegs explored acting, appearing in shows like Moonlighting and Just Shoot Me, as well as movies like The Brown Bunny and Sharknado 4 in the 00s and 10s.
Despite this foray into acting, she ultimately chose to focus on other aspects of her life, including her personal relationships and motherhood. She was married multiple times and had three children, including twin sons born via surrogate in 2001.
Tiegs has also been committed to environmental advocacy. Her efforts have included raising awareness about global warming and supporting conservation initiatives. She has traveled to places like the Canadian Arctic and the Copper Canyon in Mexico to better understand environmental challenges.
However, Tiegs faced controversy in 2016 when she criticized Sports Illustrated for featuring plus-size model Ashley Graham on the cover, stating that it glamorized unhealthy body standards.