Some names just stick with you, and Brooke Shields is one of them. For anyone who grew up watching her on magazine covers, on the big screen, or later on the sitcom that made her a household name, she’s always been more than a single role. Her career has run through modeling, acting, Broadway, publishing, business, and advocacy, and she keeps finding new rooms to walk into.
Most people remember her for the iconic campaigns and the early films. Lately, though, the more interesting question is how she has reinvented herself. She went from child star to studied actress to author to union president to first-time founder, and she did it all in the public eye. That kind of reinvention is exactly the sort of story Lauryn and Michael love to dig into.
When inviting actor, model, and icon Brooke Shields onto The Bossticks, Lauryn and Michael talked to her about reinvention, aging on her own terms, and building something after decades in front of the camera. You can tune into the full episode below. But for now, we’re hitting the highlights.
What Is Brooke Shields Doing Now?
Brooke Shields is busier now than most people are at the peak of their careers. She’s running a company, leading a national union, writing bestsellers, and still acting.
She stays relevant because she never got stuck being one thing. The “child star” and “Hollywood icon” labels are real, but they describe a chapter, not the whole book. Today, Brooke is a case study in career reinvention, and that makes her current projects just as newsworthy as anything she did decades ago.
From launching her haircare line, Commence, to being elected president of Actors’ Equity Association, Brooke is far from slowing down. Here’s who she is, where she came from, and what she’s doing now.
Who Is Brooke Shields?
Brooke Christa Shields was born on May 31, 1965, in New York City to Frank and Teri Shields. So when we say Shields was born into the spotlight, we mean it almost literally.
Shields started working as a model at 11 months old, and her first appearance was in an ad for Ivory Snow soap, shot by legendary fashion photographer Francesco Scavullo. From baby model to runway to film, she climbed fast.
Initially a child model, she gained critical acclaim at age 12 for her leading role in Louis Malle’s controversial film Pretty Baby (1978), in which she played a child in a New Orleans brothel at the turn of the 20th century.
(It’s important to note: the subject matter of that film drew heavy scrutiny and later became the focus of a documentary about how she was treated. Shields herself has reframed that period as a story of resilience.)
However, Brooke told Michael and Lauryn, “I was never put in a position to actually grow as an actress. And my modeling career took over so quickly, and it was all about being on the covers of magazines and being in ads, and you got more money and your day rate got bigger. So that was it.” Little did she know, she’d become the face of so many iconic films.
From there, the transition from child star to established actress took real work. In 1983, she took a break from her modeling career to attend Princeton University, where Shields graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Romance languages.
What Is Brooke Shields Famous For?
While Brooke Shields may be known for plenty now, she still gives credit to the roles that helped make her a global name. Here are the projects that defined her early career:
Pretty Baby
Pretty Baby (1978) is the film that launched Brooke Shields into the cultural conversation. As mentioned earlier, the documentary Pretty Baby: Brooke Shields later revisited that era. The original Pretty Baby in which she played a young girl named Violet remains one of the most discussed debuts in film history, both for the acclaim and for the controversy around casting a child in that role.
Calvin Klein Jeans Campaign
If the films made her famous, the Calvin Klein jeans campaign made her unforgettable. At just 15 years old, Brooke delivered the now-iconic line: “Want to know what comes between me and my Calvins? Nothing.” The ad instantly became one of the most talked-about campaigns of the era and cemented her status as a fashion legend.
The Blue Lagoon
After Pretty Baby, Brooke’s career continued to soar with The Blue Lagoon (1980). The coming-of-age drama became a box office success and further established her as one of Hollywood’s biggest young stars. By the early 1980s, Brooke Shields was impossible to miss.
Endless Love
Just one year later, Brooke starred in Endless Love (1981), directed by acclaimed filmmaker Franco Zeffirelli. With two major films released back-to-back, Brooke solidified her place as one of the most recognizable actresses of the generation.
Modeling Career
While Brooke’s acting career was taking off, she never stepped away from modeling. She appeared on hundreds of magazine covers throughout her career, including Time, which famously dubbed her the “Face of the Eighties.” Between the campaigns, editorials, and high-profile fashion work, Brooke became just as influential in the modeling world as she was in Hollywood.
Television and Broadway
Brooke successfully reinvested herself in the years that followed, proving her career extended far beyond teen stardom. She starred in the NBC sitcom Suddenly Susan (1996–2000), earning two Golden Globe nominations for her comedic performance, before later leading Lipstick Jungle (2008–2009).
Brooke has also built an impressive Broadway resumé, taking on iconic roles including Morticia Adams in The Addams Family, Sally Bowles in Cabaret, and Roxie Hart in Chicago. She told Lauryn and Michael, “Going on Broadway made me realize that I was a really hard worker and I could really learn. It’s a lot of work.”
Whether on screen or on stage, Brooke continued to evolve, showing a versatility that has kept her career thriving for decades.
Brooke Shields Over the Years
To really understand the reinvention, it helps to lay the milestones out in order. Here is a simple timeline of how Brooke Shields evolved over the years:
1965 to 1977: Early Childhood and Modeling Beginnings
Born in New York City in 1965, Brooke Shields entered the entertainment industry before most kids started school. She began modeling as a baby and, by the mid-1970s, had become one of the most recognizable child models in the world. Those early years laid the foundation for what would become one of Hollywood’s most fascinating and admirable careers.
1978 to 1981: Breakout Stardom
Brooke’s transition from modeling to acting happened quickly. After starring in Pretty Baby, she followed it with The Blue Lagoon and Endless Love. In just a few years, she became one of the most recognizable young actresses in Hollywood while continuing to model for some of the biggest names in fashion.
1982 to 1999: Expanding Her Career
Rather than following the expected path of nonstop Hollywood projects, Brooke made a decision that surprised many people: she attended Princeton University, where she earned a degree in Romance languages.
After graduating, she returned to acting throughout the 1990s, appearing in film and television before landing the starring role in NBC’s Suddenly Susan. The sitcom ran for 4 years and earned Brooke two Golden Globe nominations, introducing her to an entirely new audience and proving she had serious comedic talent.
2000 to 2015: Reinvention and Advocacy
As Brooke entered a new era of her life, she also became increasingly open about her personal experiences. After welcoming her daughter Rowan, she spoke candidly about infertility and postpartum depression, topics that weren’t widely discussed by public figures at the time.
Now, Brooke tells Michael and Lauryn: “The more educated I got on the range of baby blues to postpartum psychosis, and then I went through extensive therapy to alleviate myself from the ‘failure’ that I thought that I was.”
Her memoir, Down Came the Rain: My Journey Through Postpartum Depression, helped bring national attention to maternal mental health and encouraged countless women to seek support. Long before conversations around postpartum wellness became mainstream, Brooke was helping move them forward.
2016 to Present: Entrepreneur, Advocate, and Media Personality
If there’s one theme that defines Brooke’s career, it’s reinvention.
In recent years, she’s expanded far beyond acting, launching new business ventures, writing another bestselling book, hosting a podcast, advocating for performers, and becoming one of the most visible voices in conversations around aging with confidence.
Here’s what Brooke Shields is up to now:
What Does Brooke Shields Do Now?
President of the Actors’ Equity Association
In May 2024, Brooke was elected president of Actors’ Equity Association, the labor union representing stage actors and stage managers across the United States. After spending decades working in the entertainment industry herself, Brooke now advocates for performers on issues including contracts, workplace conditions, and fair compensation.
While she hadn’t previously held a formula union leadership role, her lifelong experience as a working actress gives her firsthand experience into the challenges members face.
Founder of Commence Hair care
Brooke’s latest venture is Commence, a haircare brand created specifically for women over 40. Rather than simply attaching her name to a celebrity beauty company, Brooke built the brand around conversations she had already been having with women in midlife.
During the pandemic, she launched Beginning Is Now, a community platform centered on confidence, female empowerment, aging, and reinvention. Listening to that audience ultimately inspired Commence, which debuted in 2024 with products designed to address the changing needs of aging hair.
A quick note in our usual honesty: we are not dermatologists or hair experts, we are just sharing what Shields has said about her own brand and what works for her community. Always talk to your own doctor or a professional before starting anything new. This post is informational and culture focused, not medical advice.
Podcast Host
Brooke has also stepped behind the microphone with Now What? With Brooke Shields, where she sits down with guests to discuss the defining moments that shaped their lives and careers. The conversations explore reinvention, resilience, and navigating life’s unexpected turns. These are topics that feel especially relevant to anyone building a career or embracing a new chapter.
Public Speaker
Beyond television and business, Brooke has become a sought-after speaker at conferences and leadership events. She frequently shares lessons from her decades in the public eye, discussing confidence, aging, career pivots, and what it means to keep evolving instead of staying defined by your past.
Author
Writing has remained a constant through Brooke’s career. Following the success of Down Came the Rain, she continued sharing personal stories through multiple books, including the New York Times bestseller Brooke Shields Is Not Allowed to Get Old, released in 2025. The book explores aging, confidence, and the pressure women face to remain “forever youthful,” while encouraging readers to embrace every stage of life.
Television Guest Appearances and Acting Projects
Although Brooke has expanded into business and advocacy, she never really stepped away from acting. She recently starred in and executive produced Netflix’s Mother of the Bride while continuing to appear on television, including Hallmark’s’ When Calls the Heart. Between producing, guest appearances, and leading roles, she has continued building a career that spans nearly six decades.
Industry Advocate
Across every chapter of Brooke’s career, one thing remains constant: she’s used her platform to make difficult conversations feel easier to have. Whether speaking openly about postpartum depression, challenging outdated ideas about aging, advocating for performers, or creating products for women who felt overlooked by the beauty industry, Brooke continues to champion the people she represents.
Brooke Shields is the perfect example that a successful career doesn’t have to be defined by one chapter.
From child star and supermodel to bestselling author, entrepreneur, and advocate, Brooke has continued to evolve without losing sight of who she is. If there’s one takeaway from her story, it’s that reinvention isn’t something to fear; it’s something to embrace.
That advocacy is why she fits so perfectly beside the founders, executives, and thought leaders Lauryn and Michael sit down with each week. If Brooke Shields’ reinvention lit a fire under you, hit subscribe on The Bossticks YouTube Channel. And if you want to keep leveling up your own beauty and wellness routine, browse the brands and codes on the offers page.