The gorgeous Gretchen Mol has joined the cast of ABC’s Life On Mars, playing the lead female role of feminist cop Annie Norris. Mol, who wowed critics with her performance in The Notorious Life of Bettie Page, first made waves as a fashion model in the mid-1990s, but it was her goal to be an actress. In fact, Mol moved to New York after high school to study acting. (It’s hardly her fault a modeling scout took notice along the way, right?)

Mol is not alone — some of Hollywood’s most popular actresses were first noticed for their beauty, landing in the pages of fashion magazines before they made it to the silver screen. When you consider that Hollywood legends like Lauren Bacall and Marilyn Monroe modeled before they acted, you realize the model-turned-actress is practically a Tinsel Town tradition.

Of course, not all models belong on the silver screen. Mol and a handful of others, including Academy Award winners Charlize Theron and Halle Berry, always had acting as their goal; but take, for example, women like Cindy Crawford and Christie Brinkley. They've made it clear that acting requires much more than a pretty face. (To Brinkley’s credit, she never ventured beyond her esteemed work in the role of Red Ferarri Girl in the National Lampoon’s Vacation movies.) … continue reading