Denise Richards is an American actress, television personality, author, philanthropist and former fashion model. Her most recognized roles are Carmen Ibanez in Starship Troopers, Kelly Van Ryan in Wild Things and Bond girl Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough. Take a look below for 28 more awesome and interesting facts about Denise Richards.

1. Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, to Joni, who owned a coffee shop, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer, whose father’s surname was Reichert.

2. Her ancestry is German, French-Canadian, Irish, English, Welsh, and distant Dutch.

3. She has a younger sister, Michelle.

4. Richards grew up in both Mokena and Downers Grove.

5. When Richards was 15 years old, she and her family moved to Oceanside, California where, in 1989, she graduated from El Camino High School.

6. As a child, she was the “only girl on the baseball team”.

7. Richards was raised Roman Catholic.

8. At the age of 15, she appeared in the U.S. version of the music video “The Captain of Her Heart” by Double.

9. After her high school graduation, she began working as a model and traveled to big cities such as Paris, New York, and Tokyo to do photo shoots and commercials.

10. In the 1990s, Richards appeared in several films and television shows such as Loaded Weapon 1 (1993), Tammy and the T-Rex (1994), Lookin’ Italian (1994), and guest starring in episodes of Saved by the Bell, Married… with Children and Doogie Howser, M.D.

11. In 1993, she portrayed Joe Willie Clemons’ (portrayed by Ben Affleck) girlfriend named Jodi Collins, in the short-lived drama series Against the Grain.

12. Her first starring role in a wide theatrical release was Starship Troopers in 1997 for which Richards was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Female Newcomer.

13. In 2012, Slant Magazine ranked the film #20 on its list of the 100 Best Films of the 1990s.

14. Richards was cast as the nuclear physicist Christmas Jones in the 1999 James Bond film The World Is Not Enough (1999).

15. Though she considered her role “brainy”, “athletic”, and having depth of character, she was criticized as not credible in the role. Her outfit, which often comprised a low-cut tank top and tight shorts, elicited unfavorable comments.

16. Richards was nominated for the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress – Action, for the film.

17. In 2001, she guest-starred in Friends as Ross and Monica Geller’s cousin, Cassie Geller in the episode “The One with Ross and Monica’s Cousin”.

18. In December 2004, she posed for a nude pictorial in Playboy magazine, five months after giving birth.

19. Richards posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation.

20. In 1999, she ranked 9th in Maxim’s 50 Sexiest Women and in 2001 she was voted 2nd in FHM’s USA 100 Sexiest Women, 5th in FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women and 19th in AskMen.com’s 50 Most Beautiful Women.

21. She was named one of the “100 Hottest Women of All-Time” by Men’s Health.

22. Richards got engaged to actor Charlie Sheen on December 26, 2001, and married on June 15, 2002, at the estate of Spin City creator Gary David Goldberg. They have two daughters together.

23. In March 2005, while pregnant with their second daughter, Richards filed for divorce from Sheen. She sought a restraining order against Sheen, alleging death threats against her.

24. On April 19, 2006, Richards filed formal legal papers seeking a divorce from Sheen under the laws of the state of California. On November 30, 2006, Richards and Sheen’s divorce became final, with Sheen being ordered to stay 300 feet away from his ex-wife and their daughters, except during supervised visits.

25. By mid-2012, Richards and Sheen were on good terms, often spending time together with their children. In 2012, he made a cameo appearance in her movie Madea’s Witness Protection and she appeared in Sheen’s television series, Anger Management, on the FX network.

26. In June 2011, Richards adopted a third daughter, Eloise Joni Richards as a single parent. Her middle name is that of Richards’ mother, who died from cancer in December 2007. Richards adopted her at birth domestically within the United States, following a two-year adoption process.

27. In December 2017, Richards began dating Aaron Phypers.

28. On September 8, 2018, Richards and Phypers got married in Malibu, California. In May 2019, Richards announced that Phypers is adopting her youngest daughter, Eloise.