FAMOUS PAGEANT WINNERS
Some of the most famous women in the world began their careers as winners of pageants. Some, like Vanessa Williams and Diane Sawyer, managed to win major titles such as Miss World, Miss Universe, America’s Junior Miss, or Miss America. Other future superstars like Michelle Pfieffer, Shanna Moakler, and Sharon Stone, have comptete in local or state pageants. But whether or not their quests for the crown made them local – or international – titleholders, each woman listed below has gone on to achieve success, fame and fortune.
Oprah Winfrey
Before becoming an Emmy Award-winning television talk show host, Oprah Winfrey won the 1971 Miss Fire Prevention and Miss Black Tennessee titles. When asked what she would do with a million dollars, Winfrey delighted the judges when she blurted out, “I’d be a spending fool!” She competed in the Miss Black America Pageant, but failed to make the finals.
Vanessa Williams
The first African-American woman ever to win the Miss America Pageant, Williams won both the swimsuit and talent competitions at the national contest. Sadly, she was asked to resign when Penthouse magazine published sexually-explicit photos she had posed for earlier. Despite initially appearing to be ruined by scandal, she rebounded and achieved fame as a recording artist (The Right Stuff), film star (Under The Gun, Eraser), and Broadway star (Kiss of the Spider Woman).
Jeri Ryan
Sexy Jeri Ryan, who starred as the sexy Borg character, “Seven of Nine,” in Star Trek: Voyager, competed as Miss Illinois in the 1990 Miss America Pageant. There, resembling the ‘Toon character, Jessica Rabbit, she won the swimsuit competition and placed as 4th runner-up.|
Halle Berry
Berry, whose pageant titles include Miss Teen All American, Miss Ohio-USA, and first runner-up to Miss USA, won the coveted role of Queen in the Alex Hailey mini-series,Queen, on the TV series Knots Landing and Living Dolls, and starred in the movies Jungle Fever and The Flintstones. She made history as the first African-American woman to win the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Diane Sawyer
Chosen as America’s Junior Miss in 1962, Diane used her pageant scholarship money to attend Wellesley College, worked as a weathergirl, then press aide to Richard Nixon during his presidency and after his Watergate resignation. In 1981 she was named co-anchor of the CBS Morning News. Initially dismissed by some critics as an unqualified beauty queen, Sawyer earned high marks and was hired as a Sixty Minutes correspondent, co-anchor of Day One, Turning Point, and, finally, ABC’s PrimeTime Live. Sawyer ranks as one of the highest paid newswomen in television history.
Sharon Stone
Screen queen Sharon Stone, of Basic Instinct fame, honed her instincts for performing in small town pageants where she won the titles Saegertown’s Spring Festival Queen and 1976 Miss Crawford County. When a Miss Pennsylvania Pageant judge suggested she try modeling, she contracted with the Eileen Ford Agency and her career was launched. Stone eventually switched to acting, starring in Basic Instinct, Sliver, and Intersection, and rapidly becoming one of the highest paid actresses in film history.
Delta Burke
One of the best known “losers” at the Miss America Pageant, Delta competed as Miss Florida in the 1974 contest. She failed to make the top ten after performing her British dramatic recital about soon-to-be-executed Queen Anne Boleyn, with a Southern accent. Later, she trademarked the role of former beauty queen as Suzanne Sugarbaker on the hit series, Designing Women, and starred in Filthy Rich and Love and Curses and All That Jazz. Delta’s other pageant titles included Miss Florida Flame, Miss Veteran’s Day, Miss Orlando Action Princess, and Miss All-American Girl.
Kathie Lee Gifford
Before rising to TV fame as star of Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, Gifford represented Maryland in the America’s Junior Miss Pageant. She was quietly disqualified when she inadvertently broke the rules by chatting with a man in public. Reeeeege?!
Cloris Leachman
The renowned actress competed as Miss Chicago in the 1946 Miss America Pageant where she was named a semifinalist. Although she failed to win that national title, she later won four Emmy awards and an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the film, The Last Picture Show. Leachman’s dozens of credits include The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Texasville, Kiss Me Deadly, and Danielle Steel’s Fine Things.
Tiffani-Amber Thiessen
Thiessen parlayed her titles, Miss Junior America and winner of the ‘Teen Magazine Model Search, into a successful television career. The actresses roles include Saved by the Bell and Valerie Malone on Beverly Hills 90210 (She replaced Shannen Doherty).
Paula Zahn
After competing in numerous pageants and making the finals of the 1973 Miss Teenage America Pageant, Zahn entered television journalism, wracking up credits on The Health Show, ABC’s World News This Morning, and CBS This Morning with Harry Smith.
Raquel Welch
Once considered one of the world’s sexiest women, movie queen Raquel Welch only placed second in the Miss Southern California Pageant. Her film credits include the memorable role of prehistoric babe in One Million B.C.
Imelda Marcos
Before reigning as First Lady of the Philippines by the side of Ferdinand Marcos, Imelda Romualdez reigned as Miss Manilla 1953.
Susan Anton
Anton nearly won the Miss America title at age 18, when she competed as Miss California. After winning the talent competition singing Happy Days Are Here Again, she placed as second runner-up. Anton then contracted as the Muriel Cigar Girl, and eventually starred in Mel & Susan Together, Presenting Susan Anton, Cliffhangers, Baywatch, and in the movies Spring Fever, Cannonball Run II, and Goldengirl with James Coburn.
Mary Frann
The late Frann, who starred as Joanna Loudon on the hit sitcom, Newhart, won the 1961 America’s Junior Miss title.
Marla Maples
Before becoming the second Mrs. Donald Trump, Marla was named Miss Photogenic and placed fourth in Georgia’s Miss Teen Pageant.
Deborah Norville
Norville, the Inside Edition anchor who was embroiled in controversy when she replaced Jane Pauley on Today, was Georgia’s Junior Miss in the 1976 America’s Junior Miss Pageant.
Vera Miles
She won the 1948 Miss America swimsuit competition, but placed only third to a marimba-playing Minnesota farm girl (BeBe Shopp), who won the crown. Still, Miles went on to enjoy a successful acting career, appearing on Marcus Welby and Kojak, and in the Alfred Hitchcock films, Psycho (1960) and The Wrong Man (1957) with Henry Fonda.
Loni Anderson
Before the busty blond dazzled fans on WKRP Cincinnati and married Bert Reynolds, Loni was a busty brunette Miss Roseville in the Miss Minnesota Pageant.
Phyllis George
Phyllis, who won the 1971 Miss America title as Miss Texas, was the only winner to drop her crown on live television. She went on to become the first successful female sports anchor (NFL Today) and starred on Candid Camera, People, and CBS’s The Morning News. She later served as First Lady of Kentucky with (now ex-) husband, John Y. Brown.
Ali McGraw
McGraw, who achieved overnight fame playing the dying lover in the film, Love Story, was a contestant in a “prettiest waitress” pageant in 1957.
Mary Hart
Famed for her insured legs and perennial perkiness, the anchor of Entertainment Tonight competed as Mary Johanna Harum, Miss South Dakota, in the 1970 Miss America Pageant. She made the top ten, but lost to Phyllis George. Hart later co-hosted PM Magazine and co-hosted with Regis Philbin before moving on to E.T. fame.
Bobbie Eakes
Eakes, who competed as Miss Georgia in the 1982 Miss America Pageant, won the role of Macy on The Bold and the Beautiful.
Michelle Yeoh
Americans know her as Pierce Brosnan’s sidekick, Chinese secret agent Wai Lin, in the James Bond flick, Tomorrow Never Dies. But the former Miss Malaysia (1983) is known throughout Asia as a kung-fu queen who has starred in nine movies including the mega-hit, Police Story III: Supercop. And, yes, she performs her own dangerous stunts.
Lindsay Bloom
Bloom, the 4th runner-up at Miss International, achieved fame playing sexy blonds on TV sitcoms: Daisy on The Dukes of Hazards, Ray Krebb’s girlfriend on Dallas, and Vega$. Later, she dyed her trademark blond tresses brunette to play Stacy Keach’s sidekick, Velda, on Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.
Jayne Kennedy
The former NFL Today co-host broke racial barriers when she competed as Miss Ohio in the 1970 Miss USA Pageant.
Nancy Stafford
After winning the Miss Florida title in 1976, Stafford won roles on The Doctors and St. Elsewhere, and as Andy Griffith’s junior law partner, Michelle Thomas, on the series, Matlock.
Anita Bryant
Miss Oklahoma 1959 and second runner-up to Miss America 1959 (Mary Ann Mobley), Anita achieved fame as the quintessential patriotic performer and spokesperson for the Florida orange juice industry. She later became embroiled in scandal after taking a public stand against gay rights.
Mary Ann Mobley
Mobley, Miss Mississippi 1958, won the 1959 Miss America title after she switched from a prim aria to a mock strip tease in the talent competition. She later appeared in two Elvis Presley movies, and co-hosted the Miss America Pageant with husband Gary Collins.
Shanna Moakler
Appearing in numerous magazines she eventually went on to win the title of Miss USA 1995, making the move to Los Angeles to pursue her acting career she has appeared in many film projects, such as The Wedding Singer, Seeing Other People and transitioned over to her favorite media that of television, best know for her parts on Pacific Blue she gained much notoriety from her Reality Television shows, MTV’s Meet the Barkers, Crowned the Mother of all pageants and Dancing With The Stars. Shanna has also Hosted on many networks from E! to VH1! She has recently launched her own cosmetic line SMOAK cosmetics.
If you have what it takes to be the next Miss California USA Apply Here
We are now selecting contestants to participate in this year’s MISS CALIFORNIA USA® and
MISS CALIFORNIA TEEN USA® state pageant, the official preliminaries to the prestigious
MISS USA® and MISS TEEN USA® pageants.Take control of your future and apply Today
Must be at least 18 and under 27 years of age as of February 1, 2011 You must
Never have been married and not presently be married. You must never have had a
Marriage annulled. You must never have given birth, be pregnant, or currently be a parent.
MISS CALIFORNIA TEEN USA 