Brigitte Neilson

Brigitte Nielsen, born Gitte Nielsen on July 15, 1963, in Rødovre, Denmark, embarked on her career in the early 1980s. At sixteen, she left home to pursue modeling, working with prominent fashion designers such as Giorgio Armani, Gianni Versace, and Gianfranco Ferré. Her modeling career saw her dividing time between major fashion hubs like New York, Paris, Milan, and Berlin. Her striking presence led her to be photographed by renowned artists like Greg Gorman and Helmut Newton, and she graced the cover of Playboy magazine in December 1987.

Nielsen transitioned into acting in 1985 with the fantasy film “Red Sonja,” starring alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger. This marked the beginning of a significant film career, including roles in “Rocky IV” (1985) and “Cobra” (1986), where she appeared with her then-husband Sylvester Stallone. Her role as Karla Fry in the 1987 film “Beverly Hills Cop II” further solidified her presence in Hollywood. Throughout the 1990s, Nielsen expanded her acting portfolio with various films such as “976-Evil II” (1992), “The Double 0 Kid” (1992), and her notable villainous role as the Black Witch in the Italian TV fantasy film series “Fantaghirò” (1992-1996). Her career has continued into recent years, with a reprisal of her role as Ludmilla Drago in “Creed II” (2018) and a role in the TV series “The Guardians of Justice” (2022).

Beyond her film work, Nielsen ventured into music in 1987, releasing her debut album “Every Body Tells a Story.” She also had success with singles like “Body Next to Body,” a duet with Falco, which charted in Germany and Austria. She later released music under the pseudonym “Gitta,” achieving a Top 10 hit in Spain with “No More Turning Back.” Her television career includes hosting Italian shows like “Festival” (1987) and the Sanremo Music Festival, as well as participating in numerous reality television series such as “The Surreal Life” (2004) and winning the German version of “I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here!” in 2012. Nielsen published her autobiography, “You only have one life – this is how I found myself again,” in Scandinavia in 2009, which became a bestseller.