Josie Maran
Encyclopedia
Johanna Selhorst "Josie" Maran (born May 8, 1978) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....

 and actress.

Early life

Maran was born in Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California
Menlo Park, California is a city at the eastern edge of San Mateo County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, in the United States. It is bordered by San Francisco Bay on the north and east; East Palo Alto, Palo Alto, and Stanford to the south; Atherton, North Fair Oaks, and Redwood City...

. She attended Castilleja School
Castilleja School
Castilleja School is an independent school for 415 girls in grades six through twelve, located in Palo Alto, California. Castilleja is the only non-sectarian all-girls middle and high school in the San Francisco Bay Area...

, an all-girls' school in Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto, California
Palo Alto is a California charter city located in the northwest corner of Santa Clara County, in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, United States. The city shares its borders with East Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Stanford, Portola Valley, and Menlo Park. It is...

. She is of Russian
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....

-Jewish descent on her paternal side. Her first cover was Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....

in 1998. In 1990, an appendectomy left Maran with a noticeable scar that is typically edited out of photos.

Career

Maran's modeling career began at the age of 12; when an agent spotted her at a local barbecue restaurant, she then began to model part time
Part time
A part-time job is a form of employment that carries fewer hours per week than a full-time job. Workers are considered to be part time if they commonly work fewer than 30 or 35 hours per week...

. Maran graduated from the Castilleja School in Palo Alto, then began her pursuit of modeling more seriously. The fashion industry generally consider her height of 5'7" to be too short for runway modeling. Maran works mainly in editorial modeling and advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...

/image modeling.

Signed at age 17 with the Elite
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management is a large modeling agency based in New York and Paris. It is a subsidiary of Elite World S.A.-History:Founded in France in 1972 by John Casablancas and Alain Kittler, it was rebought in 1990 by Nicholas Farrae. Elite World S.A. is the parent company of Elite Model...

 modeling agency of Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

, Maran appeared on her first cover with Glamour
Glamour (magazine)
Glamour is a women's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications. Founded in 1939 in the United States, it was originally called Glamour of Hollywood....

magazine in 1998; she was then the featured Guess?
Guess?
Guess is a American clothing line brand. Guess also markets other fashion accessories besides clothes, such as watches, jewelry and perfumes. The company also owns the line Marciano.-Founding:...

 Girl in their summer 1998 and fall 1998 campaigns. After building a résumé of over 25 commercials and advertisements, including playing Howie D
Howie Dorough
Howard Dwaine "Howie D." Dorough is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, musician, entertainer, actor and member of American music group Backstreet Boys-Biography:...

's companion in the music video of Backstreet Boys
Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...

 hit Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
Everybody (Backstreet's Back)
"Everybody " is the first single from the Backstreet Boys' second international album Backstreet's Back in 1997, and the third single and fourth track from their debut US album in 1997. It is one of their signature songs. The US debut was originally released without the song, which references the...

, in which she was bitten on the neck by Count Dracula
Count Dracula
Count Dracula is a fictional character, the titular antagonist of Bram Stoker's 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula and archetypal vampire. Some aspects of his character have been inspired by the 15th century Romanian general and Wallachian Prince Vlad III the Impaler...

 (played by Howie D), Maran moved cross-country to join with Elite
Elite Model Management
Elite Model Management is a large modeling agency based in New York and Paris. It is a subsidiary of Elite World S.A.-History:Founded in France in 1972 by John Casablancas and Alain Kittler, it was rebought in 1990 by Nicholas Farrae. Elite World S.A. is the parent company of Elite Model...

 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

. In 1999, she landed a multi-year deal with Maybelline
Maybelline
Maybelline is an American makeup brand sold worldwide and owned by L'Oréal. Their motto is Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's Maybelline.-History:...

. Maran appeared in the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue is published annually by Sports Illustrated. It features fashion models wearing swimwear in exotic locales. According to some, the magazine is the arbiter of supermodel succession. In addition, the issue is a media nexus that in 2005 carried in advertising....

 for two consecutive years; from 2001 to 2002. Maran is also signed with London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 agency Storm Model Management, and 1/One Management in New York City.

Maran's interest in the arts extends beyond film. When not in acting class, she is training herself in "dance classes... violin classes, speech classes, everything. I'm just trying to train myself in the arts, you know? Nobody else is gonna do it so I'm going to. I'm gonna take on the world". Her interest in music led her to play casually in two bands: Darling, with socialite
Socialite
A socialite is a person who participates in social activities and spends a significant amount of time entertaining and being entertained at fashionable upper-class events....

 Nicole Richie
Nicole Richie
Nicole Camille Richie is an American fashion designer, author, actress, singer and television personality. Her father was Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who played for a brief time with Lionel Richie, and her mother Karen was the executive assistant for Sheila Escovedo...

, and Hollywood 2000, where she sang and played violin.

In 2001, Maran appeared in an independent film
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...

, as title character Mallory in The Mallory Effect. Maran followed this by appearing as Susan in Swatters in 2002. In 2004, she appeared in three films - as a French model in Little Black Book
Little Black Book
Little Black Book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by Nick Hurran.-Plot:Stacy Holt , an associate producer on a daytime talk show , is convinced that her boyfriend Derek is the right man for her, though he has an apparent phobia of commitment, and he's vague about his past relationships...

, as one of Dracula
Dracula
Dracula is an 1897 novel by Irish author Bram Stoker.Famous for introducing the character of the vampire Count Dracula, the novel tells the story of Dracula's attempt to relocate from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor...

's brides, Marishka, in Van Helsing
Van Helsing (film)
Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...

, and briefly as a cigarette girl
Cigarette girl (person)
Cigarette girl refers to a person that sells or provides cigarettes from a tray held by a neck strap. They may also carry cigars, and many novelty items like lighted roses, lighted jewelry, and lighted yoyo's on their trays....

 in The Aviator. Maran appeared in a short film "The Confession" alongside Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Miller
Wentworth Earl Miller III is an English-born American actor; model and screenwriter who rose to stardom following his role as Michael Scofield in the Fox Network television series Prison Break.-Early life:...

 in 2005, and as Kira Hayden in The Gravedancers
The Gravedancers
The Gravedancers is a 2005 American horror film. It was chosen as one of the 8 Films To Die For in 2006 and screened at that year's After Dark Horrorfest film festival.-Synopsis:...

in 2006.

She was recruited in 2005 by EA Games
Electronic Arts
Electronic Arts, Inc. is a major American developer, marketer, publisher and distributor of video games. Founded and incorporated on May 28, 1982 by Trip Hawkins, the company was a pioneer of the early home computer games industry and was notable for promoting the designers and programmers...

 to appear as a main character in the street-racing computer and video game, Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted
Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. The game features street racing-oriented game play, with certain customization options from the Need for Speed: Underground series...

, which was released on November 17, 2005. She plays the game's second lead Mia Townsend, who guides the lead character through the game.

In June 2007, Maran launched her own natural cosmetics product line, named Josie Maran Cosmetics. Beyond her business activities she commits herself to the protection and improvement of nature and the environment.

Maran competed in the 2007 season of Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

, but she and dance partner Alec Mazo
Alec Mazo
Alec Mazo is a Russian-born American professional ballroom dancer based in San Francisco. He became known for his participation in the American edition of the reality television series Dancing with the Stars, the first season of which he won with partner Kelly Monaco.-Early life and...

 were the first couple eliminated. Maran subsequently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live
Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...

and in reference to getting voted off first, said, "I should have cut my legs off".

Personal life

Maran was quoted as saying on Jimmy Kimmel Live 12 August 2004: 'I don't believe in marriage. I just don't think it's necessary in this day and age. I just think if you need to get married, then you're already distrusting the person. Why do you have to sign something to show your love? You just love, everyday'. Maran talked about quitting modeling and acting to live on Hawaii and teach children on Jimmy Kimmel Live 24 October 2005.

She and her boyfriend, the Iranian American photographer Ali Alborzi
Ali Alborzi
Ali Alborzi is an Iranian-American photographer and director.He has a clothing line named Evidence of Evolution.-Personal life:Alborizi is the boyfriend of American model Josie Maran. The couple has a daughter named Rumi Joon Alborizi named after the Persian mystic poet and philosopher...

, have one daughter, Rumi Joon.

Filmography

  • Swatters (2002): Susan
  • The Mallory Effect (2002): Mallory
  • The Aviator (2004): Thelma
  • Little Black Book
    Little Black Book
    Little Black Book is a 2004 satirical comedy film directed by Nick Hurran.-Plot:Stacy Holt , an associate producer on a daytime talk show , is convinced that her boyfriend Derek is the right man for her, though he has an apparent phobia of commitment, and he's vague about his past relationships...

    (2004): Lulu Fritz
  • Van Helsing
    Van Helsing (film)
    Van Helsing is a 2004 American action horror film directed by Stephen Sommers. It stars Hugh Jackman as vigilante monster hunter Gabriel Van Helsing, and Kate Beckinsale...

    (2004): Marishka
  • The Confession (2005): Wife
  • The Gravedancers
    The Gravedancers
    The Gravedancers is a 2005 American horror film. It was chosen as one of the 8 Films To Die For in 2006 and screened at that year's After Dark Horrorfest film festival.-Synopsis:...

    (2005): Kira Hastings
  • Need For Speed: Most Wanted (VG)
    Need for Speed: Most Wanted
    Need for Speed: Most Wanted is a racing video game developed by EA Black Box and published by Electronic Arts. It is the tenth installment in the Need for Speed series. The game features street racing-oriented game play, with certain customization options from the Need for Speed: Underground series...

    (2005): Mia Townsend

Television and radio appearances

  • The Howard Stern Show (2000)
  • The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn (2004) (2002)
  • Van Helsing: Behind the Screams (2004)
  • Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien
    Late Night with Conan O'Brien is an American late-night talk show hosted by Conan O'Brien that aired 2,725 episodes on NBC between 1993 and 2009. The show featured varied comedic material, celebrity interviews, and musical and comedy performances. Late Night aired weeknights at 12:37 am...

    (2004)
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live
    Jimmy Kimmel Live
    Jimmy Kimmel Live! is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and broadcast on ABC.The nightly hour-long show made its debut on January 26, 2003, following Super Bowl XXXVII. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is produced by Jackhole Productions in association with ABC Studios...

    (2007) (2005) (2004) (2003)
  • Dancing with the Stars
    Dancing with the Stars
    Dancing with the Stars is the name of several international television series based on the format of the British TV series Strictly Come Dancing, which is distributed by BBC Worldwide – the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the format has been licensed to over 35 countries...

    (2007) (Voted off after 1 episode)
  • Karma Air (2008)
  • Music video for "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys
    Backstreet Boys
    The Backstreet Boys are an American vocal group, formed in Orlando, Florida in 1993. The band originally consisted of A. J. McLean, Howie Dorough, Brian Littrell, Nick Carter and Kevin Richardson. They rose to fame with their debut international album, Backstreet Boys...

     (1997)
  • Music video for "Morning Light" by Truman (2004)
  • America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13
    America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13
    America's Next Top Model, Cycle 13 is the thirteenth cycle of America's Next Top Model and the seventh season to be aired on The CW network. It premiered on September 9, 2009. This cycle's catch phrase is "'The Lineup Is 5' 7" And Under. Not The Usual Suspects. BOOK 'EM!", and the promotional song...

    Guest Judge, episode "Dance With Me" (October 7, 2009)

External links

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