Rebecca Gayheart

Rebecca Gayheart was born on August 12, 1971, in Hazard, Kentucky. She began her career as a teen model in the 1980s, which led her to New York City. There, she completed her high school education at the Professional Children’s School and furthered her acting training at the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute. During this period, Gayheart also appeared in commercials for brands such as Campbell’s soup and Burger King, and modeled for J. C. Penney catalogs. Her initial breakout in television was through a series of national commercials for Noxzema in the early 1990s, earning her the recognition as “The Noxzema Girl.”

Gayheart transitioned into acting with her first major television role in the soap opera “Loving” as Hannah Mayberry from 1992 to 1993. She gained further television experience with recurring roles in “Vanishing Son” (1993-1994) and “Earth 2” (1994-1995), along with a notable arc as Antonia Marchette in “Beverly Hills, 90210” in 1995. Her film career began with a debut in “Nothing to Lose” (1997), followed by a minor role in “Scream 2” (1997). She took on lead roles in late 1990s horror and black comedy films, including “Urban Legend” (1998) and “Jawbreaker” (1999), the latter of which gained a cult following.

Throughout the 2000s, Gayheart continued to work in film and television, with roles in films like “From Dusk Till Dawn 3: The Hangman’s Daughter” (2000) and “Santa’s Slay” (2005), as well as prominent television appearances in “Nip/Tuck” (2004-2006), “Vanished” (2006), and a guest role in “Ugly Betty” (2007). She also had a significant presence on Broadway, starring in “Steel Magnolias” (2005) and “Boeing-Boeing” (2008). More recently, she appeared in Darren Stein’s comedy “G.B.F.” (2013) and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019).