Brooke Shields: Model, actor – and college student

Brooke Shields in "Blue Lagoon" in 1980.

Source: https://www.catwalkyourself.com/fashion-biographies/brooke-shields/

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At the dawn of the decade she had made a name as a model and the beginnings of an acting career. By the end of the decade, she had done what few other child actors did – she went back to school to get a degree. She would return to acting and craft a pretty good career, which continues to this day.

Today, I heard Brooke Shields is coming out with a new movie.

It is the latest role in a career that started way back then.

The years before
I had not heard of Brooke Shields early in her career. I rely on Wikipedia to tell me she started modelling at 11 months old in 1966, when her first job was for Ivory Soap. She would appear in “Vogue”, “New York Magazine”; and many others.

Her first acting role was a TV movie in 1974 called “After the Fall”. Her first movie was the horror film “Alice, Sweet Alice” in 1976. In 1978 she was in the movie “Pretty Baby” where, at age 11, she played the child of a prostitute, played by Susan Sarandon, who lived in a brothel.

Shields also appeared in the TV movie “The Prince of Central Park” in 1977; the movies “Pretty Baby” and “King of the Gypsies” which both came out in 1978; and “Tilt” and “Wanda Nevada” which both came out in 1979.

The first time I ever heard of Brooke Shields was when she starred opposite George Burns in “Just You and Me, Kid”, which came out in 1979. It features Burns as a former vaudeville performer who makes friends with a 14-year-old runaway girl being chased by drug dealers.

By the dawn of the 1980s, Brooke Shields was 14 years old, and poised to break out as a movie actor.

Dawn of the decade
Shields continued modelling as the ‘80s got under way. She was the youngest fashion model ever to appear on the cover of “Vogue”, and modelled Calvin Klein jeans with the tag line “You want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.”

Her next film was “The Blue Lagoon” in 1980, where she starred opposite Christopher Atkins. They played two children marooned on an island who grow up together and find each other, both metaphorically and physically. The role earned Shields the People’s Choice Award for Favourite Young Performer in Motion Pictures. She would win that award four straight years, in 1981, 1982, 1983 and 1984.

I remember hearing a lot about “The Blue Lagoon”, but never saw it.

Shields was also the youngest guest ever to appear on “The Muppet Show” in 1980.

Her next film was “Endless Love” in 1981, another movie I have never seen. It was a box office success, but was panned by the critics, if that means anything. It tells the story of a romance between two teens.

What I will always remember is the song from the movie. “Endless Love”, performed by Diana Ross and Lionel Richie is an amazing ballad, that went all the way to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received an Oscar nomination and five Grammy nominations.

I knew about the song “Endless Love”, and loved it, long before I learned it was from a movie of the same name.

Shields would appear in the adventure drama “Sahara” in 1983, which was a bomb both commercially and critically. In 1984, she starred in the TV movie “Wet Gold” and appeared as herself in the television special “Blondes vs. Brunettes”. She also had a bit in “The Muppets Take Manhattan” in 1984.

Then she took a break.

Back to school
At the height of her popularity, Brooke Shields decided to focus on herself. She enrolled at Princeton in the Fall of 1983, then took a break to focus on her studies. At the age of 18, she was becoming a college student, like most teenagers her age.

I remember “Entertainment Tonight” covering that story extensively. I always thought she was older when she decided to go to college, but that was just because she had been in the spotlight for more than 15 years. I still recall how unique and unheard of it was for her to do that

Brooke Shields graduated from Princeton with a Bachelor of Arts in French Literature in 1987. That was the same year I graduated high school and started university in the Fall.

The return
Brooke Shields was not that active on screen in the latter part of the decade. She appeared in the TV movie “The Diamond Trap” in 1988, and the theatrical release “Speed Zone” in 1989. Wikipedia reveals she also starred in “Brenda Starr”, which was shot in 1986, had a limited release in 1989, but not a full release until 1993.

However, she would soon get rolling on a career that continues to this day.

The years after
Although Brooke Shields has appeared in more than 30 movies, she has really made her mark on television.

She has had guest starring roles in “Quantum Leap”; “The Simpsons”; “Tales from the Crypt”; “Friends”, for which she was nominated for an American Comedy Award; “Just Shoot Me!”; “That ‘70s Show” for seven episodes; “Entourage” as herself; “Law and Order: Criminal Intent”; “Nip/Tuck” for three episodes; “Two and a Half Men”; “Hanna Montana”; “The Middle” for six episodes; “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”; ”Jane the Virgin” for 14 episodes; the “Murphy Brown” reboot; “911”; and much more.

Shields starred in the series “Suddenly Susan” from 1996 to 2000 for 93 episodes; and “Lipstick Jungle” from 2008 to 2009 for 20 episodes.

She was also married to tennis star Andre Agassi from 1997 to 1999, although they had been together since 1993.

Parting thoughts
What will always impress me about Brooke Shields is that, at the height of her fame and stardom, she put that part of her life on pause so she could go to college. That almost doesn’t seem real to me, especially given the value placed on fame and money.

More than that, she got involved in campus life and did something many do not, especially celebrities. I am looking specifically at athletes – she graduated with a degree.

That speaks louder to me than any of her other accomplishments – and it’s darn good role modelling.