Rebecca Gayheart
Rebecca Gayheart (born August 12, 1971) is an American fashion model, television and film actress. Gayheart began her career appearing in a student short film by Brett Ratner, and later gained notoriety as a spokesperson and model for Noxzema in the early 1990s. She had minor roles in Nothing to Lose and Scream 2 (1997) before starring in the 1998 slasher film Urban Legend (1998), and the black comedy Jawbreaker (1999). She has also had roles on the television series Dead Like Me, Vanished, and Nip/Tuck.
Rebecca Gayheart Posters
Rebecca Gayheart Poster
Rebecca Gayheart Poster
Rebecca Gayheart Poster
Rebecca Gayheart Poster
Early life
Gayheart was born in Hazard, Kentucky and raised in Pine Top, Kentucky, the daughter of Floneva (née Slone), who worked as a Mary Kay independent beauty consultant, and Curtis Gayheart, a miner and coal truck driver. She is of Irish, Italian, and German descent. She moved to New York City at the age of 15 where she completed her education at New York's Professional Children's School and the Lee Strasberg Institute.
Career
In her first film role, Gayheart appeared in Brett Ratner's New York University short film Whatever Happened to Mason Reese? (1990) starring Mason Reese. She also appeared in the Ratner-directed music video Nuttin' But Love performed by Heavy D and the Boyz.
Gayheart's break into the television industry was a series of television commercials for Noxzema in the early 1990s, earning her the moniker "The Noxzema Girl". The commercials began airing in 1991 and brought her recognition. (This was also referred to at the end of the film Urban Legend, when one of the new college students remarks, "And Brenda was the Noxzema Girl.")
In 1992, Gayheart was cast in her first major role in the soap opera Loving as Hannah Mayberry. In 1993 and 1994, she had a recurring role in the Vanishing Son action pack series. In 1994 and 1995, Gayheart played Bess Martin in the science fiction series Earth 2. In 1995, she played Antonia Marchette, a recurring character in the series Beverly Hills, 90210, and Luke Perry's character's love interest.
Gayheart has been a regular on the 1999 television series Wasteland, Dead Like Me, Vanished, and had a recurring role on Nip/Tuck. She was initially hired to play the part of Inara Serra in the 2002 series Firefly, but was replaced by Morena Baccarin after only one day of filming. None of Gayheart's scenes were used.
1999 was also the year Gayheart starred in the movie Jawbreaker with Rose McGowan, Julie Benz, and Judy Greer as girls in an exclusive clique in their high school.
Gayheart starred as the waitress in the Train music video for the 1999 song "Meet Virginia".
In 2002, Gayheart was hired for the role of Inara Serra on the television series Firefly but was fired after only one day of filming. Show creator Joss Whedon said that there was a lack of chemistry between her and the rest of the cast. The role was recast with actress Morena Baccarin who reportedly filmed her first scene the very day she was accepted for the role.
In 2007, Gayheart guest-starred on Ugly Betty as Jordan, an ex-girlfriend of Alexis Meade. The following year, Gayheart starred in the Broadway comedy, Boeing-Boeing opposite Christine Baranski, Mark Rylance, Greg Germann, Paige Davis, and Missi Pyle. She had a guest role on The Cleaner in 2009.
Personal life
For a time, Gayheart was engaged to director Brett Ratner.
She married actor Eric Dane on October 29, 2004. Dane told Flaunt Magazine about how they met: "It's probably one of the least interesting stories in the world. It went basically like this: 'You wanna go out?' 'Yeah, sure.' Ten months later, we were married." They have two daughters: Billie Beatrice (born March 3, 2010) and Georgia Geraldine (born December 28, 2011).
On June 13, 2001, Gayheart was driving a vehicle which struck nine-year-old Jorge Cruz, Jr. as he walked across a street in Los Angeles. He died the following day from his injuries. On November 27, 2001, Gayheart pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter. She was sentenced to three years of probation, a one-year suspension of her license, a $2,800 fine and 750 hours of community service.
On August 17, 2009, a nude video was posted on the website gawker.com that showed former Miss Teen USA contestant Kari Ann Peniche with Gayheart and husband Eric Dane.
