Romijn was born inBerkeley, California.[7] Her mother, Elizabeth Romijn (née Kuizenga), is acommunity college instructor ofEnglish as a Second Language (ESL) and textbook author. Rebecca's father, Jaap Romijn, is a custom furniture maker.[8] Her father is a native ofBarneveld, theNetherlands, while her mother is an American of Dutch descent.[9] Her mother met Rebecca's father as a teenager while living in the Netherlands on astudent exchange program.[9] Romijn's maternal grandfather, Henry Bernard Kuizenga, was aPresbyterian minister andseminary professor.[10][11]
OnThe Ellen DeGeneres Show, when questioned about always being glamorous and beautiful, Romijn revealed that in her early teens she was an insecure "drama geek" and that, as a result of her growth spurt, she suffered fromscoliosis and was in constant pain. Many sources say that she was once nicknamed the "Jolly Blonde Giant" because of her 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 m) height, but she has admitted to making that up "for a laugh".[12] While studying music (voice) at theUniversity of California, Santa Cruz,[13] she became involved withfashion modeling and eventually moved toParis, where she lived for more than three years.
In 2000'sX-Men, Romijn had her first major film role asMystique; she returned to the role in 2003's sequelX2 and forX-Men: The Last Stand (2006). In these films, her costume consisted of blue makeup and strategically placedprosthetics on her otherwise nude body. InX2 she shows up in a bar in one scene in her "normal" look and inX-Men: The Last Stand, as a dark-haired "de-powered" Mystique. The role has since been recast withJennifer Lawrence playing the younger version of the character.[15] She had her first leading role inBrian De Palma'sFemme Fatale (2002).[4][5][6] She also has starred in films such asRollerball,The Punisher, andGodsend. She played the leading role inPepper Dennis, a short-lived TV series onThe WB.
In January 2007, Romijn made her first appearance on theABC seriesUgly Betty as a full-time regular cast member.[16] She playedAlexis Meade, atransgender woman and the sister of lead characterDaniel Meade. In April 2008, it was reported that Romijn would only be appearing as a recurring character in Season 3 due to a change in direction by the writing staff (aligning with Romijn's pregnancy, which would have been inconsistent with her character's storyline).[17] In November 2007, Romijn made a guest appearance on the ABC seriesCarpoolers, where she played the ex-wife of the character Laird, played by her real-life husbandJerry O'Connell.[18]
Romijn starred in the ABC seriesEastwick,[19] reuniting her with her formerPepper Dennis co-star,Lindsay Price, before ABC canceled the show on November 9, 2009.[20] She appears in an uncredited cameo in the 2011 feature filmX-Men: First Class, appearing as an older version of the character played byJennifer Lawrence.[21] Romijn appeared as lab worker Jessie on theAdult Swim live-action showNTSF:SD:SUV:: for two seasons.Between June and September 2013, she starred inTNT's seriesKing & Maxwell as Michelle Maxwell, a formerSecret Service agent who works as a private investigator.[22]
In addition to her film ventures, Romijn has also recorded music, performing a cover ofPrince's "Darling Nikki" for the 2005 albumElectro Goth Tribute to Prince. She was also featured on the song "Color Me Love" forRuPaul's eighth studio albumRealness in 2015.
Romijn atThe Heart Truth's Red Dress Collection Fashion Show, 2012
Romijn began dating actorJohn Stamos in 1994 after they met at aVictoria's Secret fashion show where she was modeling. They became engaged onChristmas Eve 1997, and married on September 19, 1998, at theBeverly Hills Hotel.[26] During the marriage, she used the name Rebecca Romijn-Stamos personally and professionally. They announced their separation in April 2004.[27] Stamos filed for divorce in August 2004,[28] and it became final on March 1, 2005.[29]
Romijn resumed using her maiden name, but revealed in an August 2013 interview onConan—after a Conan staff member noticed "Romijn-Stamos" on her driver's license—that she had never legally changed her name back from Romijn-Stamos.[3]
In 2004, Romijn started dating actorJerry O'Connell. They became engaged in September 2005,[30] and married at their home inCalabasas, California, on July 14, 2007.[31] They have twin daughters, born on December 28, 2008.[32]
^Rebecca Romijn (YouTube). The Wendy Williams Show. February 14, 2019. Event occurs at 10:40.We've been married for 11 years. Why did it take you 9 years of marriage to legally change your name to O'Connell?
