1999 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model Rebecca Romijn-Stamos joined CNN/SI and Yahoo! Chat users for an on-line chat Monday night, just
moments after she was revealed as this year's featured model. Here's the transcript:
CNNSI_Host: Welcome! We're here with Sports Illustrated 1999 Swimsuit Issue cover model Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.
CNNSI_Host: Thanks very much for joining all of us tonight, Rebecca. We're glad you are here.
CNNSI_Host: To everyone in the audience, Rebecca is ready for your questions!
OverclanPrime asks: When did you find out that you would be the cover model?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: About a week and a half ago.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I was shopping downtown by myself in downtown New York
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and I got into a cab, bored,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and I had a message on my cell phone from my booker,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: saying she had some "wicked" news...
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And she said: Youve got the COVER!
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And I raced back to my hotel room
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and called Diane Smith, the senior fashion editor at Sports Illustrated
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and tried to prod her into telling me which was the shot.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And she wouldn't tell.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And she told me I wasn't allowed to tell anybody.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: But of course I told my husband and my sister and my parents.
ForlindonIsthmus asks: Rebecca, is there any acting in your future?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm continuing with MTV's House of Style
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and I just did a bit part in the new Austin Powers movie
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and some other stuff that I cant tell you about yet.
solotoff asks: When did you do the Milk Moustache ad in Times Square? Hopefully not in the middle of winter?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I did it in the middle of summer, in July, during rush hour in Times Square.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And about five minutes after we did the shot it started pouring rain.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And it was a very, very funny afternoon.
velvetjones2000 asks: Hey Rebecca! I saw you when you hosted "Later" on NBC awhile back. I thought you were funny and smart!
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Thank you.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It was a great week.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I had some great guests.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I had Tyra Banks,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Bob Sagett, Dave Coulier,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and Sean Patrick Flannery.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Three of them are very good friends of mine.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: So we had a lot of goofy stuff to talk about.
JoeThe3 asks: When was the first time that you thought that you would like to model?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: After about a year of college, when I was 18.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I went to UC Santa Cruz.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And I only wanted to do it to travel and make a little bit of money.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I didn't really want to be a model.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I moved to Paris for the summer.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And had plans to go back to school in the fall.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: But my agency convinced me to stay in Paris.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And they got me a cover of Elle magazine within a month.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And also a contract with Biotherm, which I had for seven years.
CNNSI_Host: What are the major contracts that you have now?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm the spokesperson for Tommy Hilfiger.
OverclanPrime asks: Being on a SI cover obviously raises one's profile. Do you expect any changes ina mounts/types of jobs you will be offered now?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Forty seven more covers to tie Michael Jordan!
spongy669 asks: What type of music do you listen to?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: All types.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: My favorites are: Prince, Nina Simone, Radio Head
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and Beastie Boyz, and SHOWTUNES!
CNNSI_Host: What's your favorite Broadway show?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I've got several:
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: The Sound of Music,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Gypsy,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Dreamgirls,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and Grease.
Curtis_Kyle_Whittman asks: You've taken photo shoots in some pretty nice places.. Which place did you like the most?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Necker Island holds a special place in my heart
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: because I was there on my honeymoon.
CNNSI_Host: Where did you get your wedding dress?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: My wedding dress was designed by Badgley Mischka.
CNNSI_Host: Do you get to keep the things that you model in?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Rarely.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It's a common misconception with models.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: But, one of the suits in this year's issue, is my own.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It's a blue velvet Malia Mills.
vikecubs asks: How early did your shoots start?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: The body painting, the call times, were at 1am.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: That's so we could be ready for the morning light.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: The body painting was really cool.
CNNSI_Host: You've got to see it to believe it!
CNNSI_Host: What did John think when you found out you are going to be on the cover?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: John was more excited than anyone else I've seen --
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: and he also has a really hard time keeping secrets.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And he wanted to tell everyone.
Kirbus asks: Does it ever shock you that 58 million adults will see you on the cover of Sports Illustrated?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Yes, and it's a little scary.
jontav asks: What's been your most embarassing moment as a model?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm not easily embarrassed.
CNNSI_Host: What's the spirit like on the shoots with the other models?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm really good buddies with the rest of the girls, I dont know them all.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: But we always have a good time.
CNNSI_Host: Welcome! We're here with Sports Illustrated 1999 Swimsuit Issue cover model Rebecca Romijn-Stamos.
CNNSI_Host: Be sure to check out exclusive photos of every model from this year's Swimsuit Issue on www.cnnsi.com, starting Tuesday at 6 p.m. ET.
NeverSummer1 asks: Technicallly, how does runway modelling differ from that of catalogs and magazines?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: You dont have airbrushing.
sam_becker asks: I saw your interview w/ Richard Branson. What was your impression of him?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I didnt get a chance to meet Richard Branson on the island, but I did interview him in London a few weeks later for the show.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: for MTV.
lmogull: ....
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And he's real great -- he likes practical jokes.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: He tried to pour a bucket of water over me -- and he missed by about four feet.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: So he has terrible aim.
Mon Feb 8 17:52:25 1999
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And he also got into a car accident, while I was in the car with him.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: So he's a terrible driver.
CNNSI_Host: Sports Illustrated Swimsuit '99 will premiere on TNT on Wednesday, February 10 at 8 p.m. ET.
CNNSI_Host: Did you get to do anything fun for the show?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Yeah, it's great.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: But tune in on Wednesday night.
jnquest asks: are you recognized a lot, say when you were shopping in downtown NYC?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Yes, especially on airplanes and in airports.
CNNSI_Host: Any marriage proposals?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: The only that's important is the one I accepted.
Cavenaugh15 asks: what is your home town?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Berkeley, California.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It's a great town to grow up in.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It's a great intellectual environment -- mixed with all the craziness from the '60's.
Chuxters asks: How do you like to spend a free evening?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm very arts-and-crafty.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I actually made the bikini that I'm wearing on the cover. (Just kidding.)
dough4444 asks: What is the most interesting fan encounter you've had?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: My favorite fan encounters are with young girls.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I find it most flattering when teenage girls tell me that
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: they watch me on MTV and that they're big fans.
mhb2474 asks: now that you've nabbed the man of your dreams any tips for us single girls?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Never give up hope.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: It will come when you least expect it.
CNNSI_Host: What kind of diet do you keep?
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I dont believe in starving yourself,
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I believe that you should definitely eat when you're hungry.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Dont deprive yourself when you're hungry.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I'm a strong believer in the mind-body-spirit connection.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: And that you can make your body into whatever you want to make it into.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I practice Pilates.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: That's a cross between yoga, stretching and acrobatics.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: I think it's amazing.
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: You have control over what you look like and how you feel -- and they are very stongrly connected.
CNNSI_Host: Rebecca, thanks so much for talking with us!
Rebecca_RomijnStamos: Thanks, it's great to be here -- it's the beginning of a very exciting week.
CNNSI_Host: Thanks to everyone for participating in our chat. Be sure to pick up your copy of Sports Illustrated's 1999 Swimsuit Issue, available on newsstands on Wednesday!
CNNSI_Host: Thanks for coming by!