Denise Richards is a model and actress known for movies like Wild Things, Starship Troopers, and Drop Dead Gorgeous, as well as television series like Melrose Place, Spin City, and Blue Mountain State. She joined the cast of The Bold and the Beautiful as Shauna Fulton in 2019.
Hailing from Downers Grove, Illinois, Richards' first love was baseball -- she claims she was the "only girl on the baseball team" when she was a child. However, her passion eventually turned to acting and modeling, which she began seriously pursuing after her family moved to California when she was 15. That same year, Richards appeared in the music video for Double's "The Captain of her Heart" and then went on to do modeling and commercials in cities like Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
Some of Richards' early acting credits include television shows like Saved by the Bell, Married with Children, Beverly Hills, 90210, Seinfeld, Lois and Clark, and Melrose Place. She later went on to appear on Friends, Two and a Half Men, Sex, Love & Secrets, and Blue Mountain State.
The actress began her film career in 1997 with a role in Starship Troopers, which landed her a Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination for Favorite Female Newcomer. She followed this with films like Wild Things, James Bond's The World Is Not Enough, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Love Actually, and Edmond.
Richards starred in E!'s confessional reality program Denise Richards: It's Complicated in 2008, and she appeared on the 8th season of Dancing with the Stars in 2009 (but was the second to be eliminated). She joined the Bravo reality show The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills in 2019.
Richards shares two daughters, Sam and Lola, with actor Charlie Sheen, whom she married in 2002 and divorced in 2006. Sheen granted Richards full custody of their two children in 2010. In June 2011, the actress adopted a third daughter, Eloise Joni Richards, as a single parent. The girl's middle name is that of Richards' mother, who died from cancer in December 2007. Richards remarried in 2018 and now calls Aaron Phypers -- ex-husband of actress Nicollette Sheridan -- her husband.
Richards has given her time to various charities and volunteer efforts over the years, including teaming up with Best Friends Animal Society on several projects, including its Pup My Ride program, which transports dogs from high-kill animal shelters to other parts of the US for adoption. She has regularly appeared on Access Hollywood's monthly pet segment showcasing shelter dogs rescued by Best Friends and available for adoption. Richards also appeared in the NOH8 Campaign as part of her support of gay marriage and posed semi-nude for the July 2006 issue of Jane magazine to raise money for the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation.
FraXtur
Susan
2019
The Secret Lives of Cheerleaders (TV Movie)
Candice
2019
Paper Empire
Bentley
2019
The Bold and the Beautiful
Shauna Fulton
April 4, 2019 to present
Christmas Break-In (TV Movie)
Heather
2018
Alone Together
Jackie
2018
Tomboy (TV Movie)
Shelley
2017
Girlfriend's Guide to Divorce
Temple Hampton
2017
A Girl Is a Gun
Nenuphar
2017
Roch in a Hard Place
Heather
2016
Jane the Virgin
Denise Richards
2016
A Christmas Reunion (TV Movie)
Amy Stone
2015
Vanity
Marion Bellerose
2015
Significant Mother
Pepper Spinner
2015
Fatal Acquittal (TV Movie)
Nora Grant
2014
Twisted
Karen Desai
2013
Anger Management
Lori
2012
90210
Gwen Thompson
2012
Kickin' It
Leona
2012
Blue Lagoon: The Awakening (TV Movie)
Barbara Robinson
2012
30 Rock
Denise Richards
2012
Blue Mountain State
Debra
2010
Secrets of a Small Town
Brenda Rhodes
2006
Sex, Love & Secrets
Jolene Butler
2005
I Do (But I Don't) (TV Movie)
Lauren Crandell
2004
Two and a Half Men
Lisa
2003
Spin City
Jennifer Duncan
2001
Friends
Cassie Gellar
2001
Time Well Spent (TV Movie)
1st Girl
1996
919 Fifth Avenue (TV Movie)
Cathy Damore
1996
Pier 66 (TV Movie)
Carlin Mills
1996
Melrose Place
Brandi Carson
1996
In the Blink of an Eye (TV Movie)
Tina Jacobs
1996
Weird Science
Valerie
1996
P.C.H. (TV Movie)
Jess
1995
High Tide
Alex
1995
One West Waikiki
Deidre Mansfield
1995
Lois and Clark: The New Adventures of Superman
Angela
1994
Burke's Law
Jennifer
1994
Against the Grain
Jodi Collins
1993
In Living Color
1993
Bodies of Evidence
Jennifer Ivey
1993
Seinfeld
Molly
1993
The Ben Stiller Show
Sunbathing Girl
1993
Beverly Hills, 90210
Robin McGill
1992
Eerie, Indiana
Girl #2
1992
Doogie Howser, M.D.
Alissa
1991
Married with Children
Girl #2
1991
Saved by the Bell
Cynthia
1991
Life Goes On
Camille
1990
Amazon Lost
Jenny Chou
Alpha Code
Jo
Saturday at the Starlight
Mrs. Sproat
Timecrafters: The Treasure of Pirate's Cove
Victoria Dare
Adventures of Dally & Spanky
Kelly Banks
Reality Queen!
Angelina Streisand
2019
1st Born
Christine
2018
The Prayer Box
Karen
2018
Destined to Ride
Aunt Glo
2018
The Toybox
Jennifer
2018
A Violent Man
Victoria
2017
American Satan
Kat Faust
2017
Altitude
Gretchen Blair
2017
American Violence
Amanda Tyler
2017
A Life Lived
Elizabeth
2016
Christmas Trade
Chloe
2015
Operation: Neighborhood Watch!
Denise Sorenson
2015
Freeloaders
Denise Richards
2012
Madea's Witness Protection
Kate Needleman
2012
Cougars, Inc.
Judy
2011
Deep in the Valley
Autumn Bliss
2009
Incredible Love
Denise Richards
2009
Finding Bliss
Bliss/Laura
2009
Jolene
Marin
2008
Blonde and Blonder
Dawn St. Dom
2007
Edmond
B-Girl
2005
Elvis Has Left the Building
Belinda
2004
The Life: What's Your Pleasure?
Rebecca Smith
2004
Scary Movie 3
Annie
2003
Love Actually
Carla -- The Real Friendly One
2003
You Stupid Man
Chloe
2002
The Third Wheel
Diana Evans
2002
Undercover Brother
White She Devil
2002
Empire
Trish
2002
Good Advice
Cindy Styne
2001
Valentine
Paige Prescott
2001
Wild Things: Outtakes (Short)
Kelly Van Ryan
1999
Tail Lights Fade
Wendy
1999
The World Is Not Enough
Dr. Christmas Jones
1999
Drop Dead Gorgeous
Rebecca "Becky" Ann Leeman
1999
Wild Things
Kelly Van Ryan
1998
Starship Troopers
Carmen Ibanez
1997
Nowhere
Jana
1997
Tammy and the T-Rex
Tammy
1994
Lookin' Italian
Elizabeth
1994
Loaded Weapon 1
Cindy
1993
Northeast Film Festival Winner, Best Ensemble Cast (2017; American Satan)
Northeast Film Festival nomination, Best Supporting Actress (2017; American Satan)
Los Angeles International Underground Film Festival Winner, Best Actress at the (2016; A Life Lived)
Named one of the 100 Hottest Women of All-Time by Men's Health (2013)
Ranked as one of the worst Bond girls by Entertainment Weekly (2008)
Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards nomination, Best Ensemble Acting (2004; Love Actually)
Ranked 2nd in FHM's USA 100 Sexiest Women (2001)
Ranked 5th in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women (2001)
Ranked 19th in AskMen.com's 50 Most Beautiful Women (2001)
Ranked 9th in Maxim's 50 Sexiest Women (1999)
Razzie Awards Winner, Worst Supporting Actress (2000; for The World Is Not Enough)
Razzie Awards nomination, Worst Onscreen Couple (2000; for The World Is Not Enough, shared with Pierce Brosnan)
MTV Movie Awards nomination, Best Kiss (1999; Wild Things, shared with Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon)
Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, Favorite Actress -- Action (1999; The World Is Not Enough)
Blockbuster Entertainment Award nomination, Favorite Female Newcomer (1999; The World Is Not Enough)
PLACE OF BIRTH: Downers Grove, Illinois
DATE OF BIRTH: February 17, 1971
MARITAL STATUS: Married, Aaron Phypers (September 8, 2018 to present)
MARITAL STATUS: Divorced, Charlie Sheen (June 15, 2002 to November 30, 2006)
CHILDREN: Daughter Sam, by Sheen. Daughter Lola, by Sheen. Daughter Eloise, by adoption.