She also appeared on the cover of Teen magazine, instructional video 'Modeling: What It Takes' and later went on to appear in Max Factor's Premiere 2K advertising campaign. Richards began her career as a teenager in modeling and appeared in print ads for Bonne Bell cosmetics in 1991. Career 1990–2008: Career beginnings and breakthrough After her high school graduation, she began working as a model and traveled to cities such as Paris, New York, and Tokyo to do photo shoots and commercials. She was voted best looking in her high school yearbook. In 1989, she graduated from El Camino High School. When Richards was 15 years old, her family moved to Oceanside, California. As a child, she was the 'only girl on the baseball team'. She grew up in both Downers Grove and Mokena, Illinois. Her mother died of cancer in November 2007. Richards was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, to Joni (née Braden), a coffee shop owner, and Irv Richards, a telephone engineer, whose father's surname was Reichert. In 2011, Richards published a memoir, The Real Girl Next Door, which became a New York Times Best Seller.

Richards starred on the E! reality show Denise Richards: It's Complicated (2008–2009) and Bravo's reality television series The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills (2019–2020). Her television roles include Paramount Network's sitcom Blue Mountain State (2010–2011), ABC Family's mystery- thriller series Twisted (2013–2014) and CBS' soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful (2019–present). She has also appeared in films Drop Dead Gorgeous (1999), Valentine (2001), Undercover Brother (2002), Scary Movie 3 (2003), Love Actually (2003), and Madea's Witness Protection (2012). Her most recognized roles are Carmen Ibanez in Starship Troopers (1997), Kelly Van Ryan in Wild Things (1998) and Bond girl Christmas Jones in The World Is Not Enough (1999). Denise Lee Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress and television personality.

Teen nudism nudist pageant