In 1994, Elizabeth Hurley accompanied her then-boyfriend Hugh Grant to the premiere of his film Four Weddings And A Funeral in a tight-fitting Versace dress held together by safety pins. Hugh may have been the star, but it was his curvaceous British partner who stole the limelight.
Life in the limelight
Elizabeth, who was born on June 10, 1965, had met the actor in 1987 while they were both shooting Rowing With The Wind in Madrid. "At the time I had an offer to do a serious BBC project," Hugh said later, adding: "I couldn't decide between that and this absurd, career-damaging Spanish thing. Then I saw Elizabeth and went for the absurd Spanish film."
The pair soon became an item. Despite weathering the storm surrounding Hugh's highly public 1995 encounter with an LA prostitute, the relationship hit the rocks five years further down the line, however. While they never formalised their 13-year union, the two did establish a business venture together - the production company Simian Films.
Acting career
Among its output were Bedazzled, starring the pretty brunette, plus two films for which she acted as producer - the medical thriller Extreme Measures and mob comedy Mickey Blue Eyes, starring Hugh. An astute businesswoman, the actress-model has also made a splash on the fashion scene with her eponymously named swimwear line, Elizabeth Hurley Beach. A role in the first Austin Powers flick increased her profile in Hollywood as an actress, but Elizabeth is perhaps best known as the face of Estée Lauder, a lucrative contract she picked up at the age of 28 with zero modelling experience.
Modelling
Suddenly the face of the hard-working girl from Basingstoke was everywhere, Elizabeth's English rose charm has proved enduring. "It's hard not to love her," says Estee Lauder chairman Leonard Lauder, adding: "I think she is beautiful, and she is just coming into her own." The Covergirl has also branched into the fashion business, launching her luxury range of swimwear, called Elizabeth Hurley Beach, at Harrods in April 2005.
High-profile romances
Following her amicable break-up with Hugh - the two remain firm friends - Elizabeth was linked to executive Ted Forstmann, the late Friends actor Matthew Perry and the late Hollywood producer Steve Bing. The latter became the focus of a high-profile dispute over the paternity of her son Damian Charles, who was born in April 2002 following a relationship with the American multimillionaire.
It was to wealthy Indian businessman Arun Nayar that she finally lost her heart, though. And after becoming a regular fixture at red carpet events, the couple tied the knot in March 2007 with lavish ceremonies in the UK and India. By December 2010 the fairytale was over, though - and the star's alleged 'affair' with the late cricket ace Shane Warne was exposed in a British tabloid. Elizabeth was quick to tweet about the scandal - informing her followers that her marriage had been over for a number of months on the same day the story broke. "Not a great day," she told fans, who voiced their support for the actress. "Thank you for all your very, very nice messages," she wrote later.
Her long-distance, on-off relationship with Shane last four years, during which he presented her with a large sapphire engagement ring - although they never made it down the aisle. They separated in November 2013. The former cricketer died in March 2022 aged just 52 following a heart attack. Shortly after his death, Elizabeth wrote: "I feel like the sun has gone behind a cloud forever. RIP my beloved Lionheart @shanewarne23."
