Model, actress, producer, and Simian's head of development Elizabeth Hurley has been described as a diamond in the rough. The famous model for Estée Lauder has made a place for herself in the movies. Her career didn't take off until she appeared at the London premiere of Four Weddings and a Funeral (Hugh Grant's 1994 movie), where she wowed the crowd by wearing a black Versace dress that was held together by nothing more than safety pins. This and her signing with Estée Lauder as a model can be directly attributed to her success in the movie industry.

Hurley was born an army brat in Hampshire, England on June 10, 1965. Her mother was an elementary school teacher, and her father was an officer in the army. Hurley had a desire to be a dancer as a child, so at the age of 12 her parents sent her to boarding school for ballet lessons. She stayed at the school for just a short time. When Hurley was 16 she went through the punk stage with pink spiked hair and a nose ring.

At the age of 21 she got her first role in Bruce Beresford's movie Aria in 1987. After a few roles in television, Hurley met Hugh Grant when they worked on the film Remando al viento (1987). Hugh Grant later became Hurley's beau. Hurley didn't make her mark in the movie scene until Austin Powers role of Vanessa Kensington. She stated in an interview that the role in Austin Powers didn't come naturally to her. While in England she worked in a series, and melancholy roles. She has proven that she can be funny and terribly sexy as well as play the more dramatic roles such as her work in Dangerous Ground (1997).

In addition to acting, Hurley is the head of production for Simian Films which was formed by herself and Hugh Grant with Castle Rock Entertainment in 1994. Hurley produced the movie Extreme Measures (1996), which she found the script for. The script so intrigued her that she convinced Simian Films partners to take on the project. Extreme Measures became the first film produced by Simian Films. Since then, Hurley has produced Mickey Blue-Eyes (1999).

In addition to her work as producer and spokesmodel, Hurley continues to pursue her acting career. She starred in several films that were released within a year of each other -- Permanent Midnight (Fall 1998), My Favorite Martian (Spring 1999), Ed TV (Spring 1999), and Austin Powers 2: The Spy Who Shagged Me (Summer 1999). To her credit are: The House on Haunted Hill (1999), Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999), EDtv (1999), My Favorite Martian (1999), Permanent Midnight (1998), Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), Dangerous Ground (1997), Mad Dogs and Englishmen (1995), Beyond Bedlam (1993), Passenger 57 (1992), The Long Winter (1991), Kill Cruise (1990), Aria (1987), and Rowing in the Wind (1987). We are sure to see more of her work in the coming years.