-> 

v

"You know all those models who say, 'I was so tall and lanky and everyone picked on me at school' - I was not that girl. I hear that and I'm like, Oh, you poor thing!" Sophie Monk is nothing if not confident. The English model, actress, and musician has been a mainstay in the zeitgeist of international pop-culture ever since she first appeared on camera in 1999.

 -> 

v

Since Monk's first appearance on television, she has traveled all over the world for her work. Monk has appeared in 15 films, 13 television shows, and countless photo shoots. Despite starting her career as a model, Monk has had tremendous amounts of crossover success in a variety of different industries. She's worked as a radio DJ, a solo musician, and even a reality TV star.

While Sophie is largely known for her looks, there is more going on than meets the eye!

 -> 

v

Growing Up As a Model

Sophie Monk was born on December 14, 1979, in London, England. Originally from the Gold Coast in Queensland, her parents were of Australian and English descent. Her parents would move their family to the Gold Coast to live there full-time in 1982. At the time, Monk was just two years old.

Sophie would go on to attend Helensvale Primary School before attending Somerset College. She graduated from high-school as a school captain.  During her formative years, Monk was a voracious talent who was always looking for something to work on. Monk had vocal training in the area of classical opera, thus laying the foundation for her future as a musician.

 -> 

v

Before making it big as a model, Monk would work as a Marilyn Monroe impersonator for Warner Bros at their location on the Gold Coast. Funnily enough, Monk would later play Marilyn Monroe in the 2004 film, The Mystery of Natalie Wood. While Monk was a natural bombshell, she credits her good looks to her parents. Sophie's mother had worked as a model for years, even appearing in an issue of Playboy.

Sophie's Many Talents

Sophie would get her professional career started in 1999 after competing for a spot in the pop group Bardot (1999). Against more than 100 other aspiring musicians, Monk was selected. The group would go on to release two records. Their first album was titled, Bardot, and it released in 2000. The record peaked at #1 on Australia's musical charts. The group would go on to release Play it Like That in 2001 and that record, too, would receive commercial acclaim. Their most famous song was 'Poison' from their debut record. The band would break up in 2002 after mutually deciding that they wanted to put the group to rest.

 -> 

v

While Sophie was in love with the Gold Coast, she knew that her career couldn't thrive in Queensland. In order to get to where she wanted to go, Monk would have to set up shop in Los Angeles. However, before Monk made her move to the United States, she worked hard to establish herself as a renowned model. Monk would appear on FHM's 100 Sexiest Women list for 11 out of 12 years, starting in 2000.  During this period of time, Monk also began modeling for promotions that she felt strongly for. Monk would work with PETA in order to promote a vegetarian lifestyle. Monk says of the promotion, "There's no doubt in my mind that going vegetarian has made me feel better."

In 2002, Monk would sign a contract with Warner Music Australia in order to begin working on her own solo album. She would release 'Inside Outside' in 2002. The track was produced by Rob Davis, a Grammy Award-winning producer. Monk would release the entire album in 2003 and it would peak at #35 on the ARIA Albums Chart.  Since then, Monk has appeared intermittently on stage, most famously collaborating with Kasey Chambers at the Byron Bay Bluesfest. Monk says that she wants to release more music in the future.

 -> 

v

Outside of the music and modeling world, Monk had a deep passion for acting. In 2004, Monk would make her debut in the film, The Mystery of Natalie Wood. She would portray Marilyn Monroe in her brief part. With momentum on her side, Monk would get cast in the Blink-182 music video, Always. 

By this point in time, Monk had made the jump to Los Angeles so that she could pursue her career in earnest. She was quick to land a supporting role in Date Movie (2005) and this would serve to be her breakout performance. Monk would follow up that performance with an appearance on the hit HBO comedy, Entourage.  As Monk became more and more comfortable in front of the camera, her opportunities began to grow. Monk would work with Amy Poehler and Parker Posey in the film Spring Breakdown. The film would get lost in post-production and it wouldn't see daylight until 2009. 

While Monk has had continual success as an actress, she is quick to admit that she isn't entirely comfortable with the work. Monk revealed that she had filmed five separate TV pilots in a single year without any of the projects getting picked up for production. Monk would have significantly more success as a reality TV star with appearances on The Choice (2012), Australia's Got Talent (2015), The Celebrity Apprentice Australia (2015), and The Bachelorette Australia (2017). Monk would famously win her season of Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

Monk has also established herself as a presence on the radio. First appearing on Fifi and Jules as a stand-in host, Monk would soon find herself appearing on more and more programs. Eventually, Sophie would get her own show on the 2Day FM network. The program would eventually be canceled but Monk wouldn't stop there. Monk has since been a regular voice on the Kyle and Jackie O Show on KIIS 1065.

With regard to her personal life, Monk has never been a closed book. Monk is famously hounded by paparazzi and that has left her with precious little privacy. Monk dated musician Benji Madden for a number of years before getting engaged. However, the couple decided to call it quits in 2008. Since then, Monk has been connected to Jesse Esberg though the two are no longer together. Currently, Monk is not seeing anyone.