Brooke Elizabeth Burns is an American actress, television presenter, and former fashion model.
She began her career on the popular TV series Baywatch and Baywatch Hawaii.
Early life Burns was born in Dallas, Texas, the daughter
of Brad and Betsy Burns.
Burns has two sisters.
She was a ballet dancer for twelve years during childhood and started modeling at age fifteen
after tearing her anterior cruciate ligament in a skiing accident.
At age 16, Burns and her family moved to Europe, where she later lived in Paris, Milan, and
Munich.
Career Television
From 1998 to 2001, Burns starred in Baywatch as the character Jessie Owens.
In 2001, she appeared as Vicki Vale in one of several "Batman" commercials for OnStar,
opposite Bruce Thomas's Batman, reprising the role made famous by Kim Basinger in the
1989 Tim Burton-directed Batman film.
Burns hosted NBC's Dog Eat Dog from June 2002 to August 2003 and was nominated for a Teen
Choice Award.
Burns starred in North Shore, a prime-time soap opera on Fox that consisted of 21 episodes
which ran from June 14, 2004 through January 13, 2005.
In 2006, she starred in the WB series Pepper Dennis playing Kathy Dinkle.
In 2009, Burns appeared in the first twelve episodes of the updated Melrose Place playing
Vanessa, the most recent wife of Dr. Michael Mancini and mother of his older son's five-year-old
son, Noah.
Burns was given the chance to participate in the first season of the ABC celebrity diving
reality competition Splash, but turned it down because of an injury she had received
when diving a few years before.
Burns has also appeared on Ally McBeal, Just Shoot Me!, Drop Dead Diva, CSI: Miami, Out
of the Blue, To Tell the Truth, and Average Joe: Hawaii.
Burns is the host of the GSN game show The Chase with Chaser Mark Labbett.
Cinema For her role in the 2001 film Shallow Hal,
the Farrelly brothers wrote a specific part for Burns after discovering in her audition
she was the "prettiest dorky girl" they'd ever met.
She appeared in a Hallmark Channel Original Christmas movie, The Most Wonderful Time of
the Year, co-starring Henry Winkler, on December 13, 2008.
Other films include Smokejumpers, Dancing Trees, Trophy Wife, Art of Travel, and Time
and Again.
Burns appears in the Nickelback video "Trying Not To Love You" opposite Jason Alexander.
Burns and Alexander both appeared in the 2001 movie Shallow Hal.
Personal life Burns was once married to actor Julian McMahon
and the two have a daughter – Madison Elizabeth McMahon – who was born in June 2000.
Burns was engaged to Bruce Willis until they broke up in 2004 after ten months together.
Burns currently resides in Los Angeles.
She is engaged to film director Gavin O'Connor.
They married on June 22nd 2013.
Injury On November 10, 2005, Burns broke her neck
in a diving accident.
Although she made a full recovery, she has a titanium fusion in her neck consisting of
a plate, rod, and ten screws.
Charitable activities When Burns was filming Baywatch, she was involved
with Camp Baywatch, teaching inner city children to swim, and perform life guard duties.
Burns has mentored for Penny Lane, a home for abused children.
She has been involved with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation.
She is actively involved in, and was honored by, the Life Rolls On Foundation started by
Josh and Jesse Billaur.
LRO helps people with spinal cord injuries get back into an active lifestyle.
She is also the spokesperson for Give Back a Smile, a program in which dentists donate
their time and expertise to restore the smiles of women who are victims of domestic violence.
In 2006, as a result of her diving injury, Burns became involved with the ThinkFirst
National Injury Prevention Foundation and the North American Spine Society, which both
aim to raise awareness of spinal injuries.
Filmography References
External links Brooke Burns at the Internet Movie Database
Brooke Burns at AllMovie