All roads lead to Rome, as the old saying goes. Beauty contests are just one way to make yourself famous. Let’s take an in-depth look at the beauty contest winners who are well-known to the public.
1 Gal Gadot
Gal Gadot competed in beauty contests before she embarked on her film career. Gal Gadot won the Miss Israel title despite her hesitation and was selected to represent Israel in the Miss Universe contest.
2 Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey won Miss Black Tennessee in 1972 as a 17-year-old girl. Winfrey won the contest and worked her way up to the entertainment industry, eventually becoming the talk-show queen.
3 Lynda Carter
Lynda Carter, a 21-year-old Lynda Carter, was Miss World USA 1972 titleholder and represented America at the Miss World 1972 pageant. She starred in Wonder Woman 3 years later.
4 Michelle Pfeiffer
Michelle Pfeiffer, then 19, won Miss Orange County. She was also the sixth runner-up in Miss California 1978. After that, she was signed as an actor and began auditioning for films and TV shows.
5 Vanna White
We didn’t know Vanna White was a model before she became the Wheel of Fortune hostess. At 21 she was Miss Georgia 1978 pageant winner. She made her TV debut 2 years later.
6 Delta Burke
Delta Burke, an Emmy nominee, was Miss Florida 1974 as a high school student of 16 years. After appearing on CBS’s Designing Women in the same year, Delta Burke began her entertainment career.
7 Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone, Catwoman’s star and Miss Crawford County winner in 1975, was also a candidate for Miss Pennsylvania. Following the advice of her pageant judge, she moved to NYC to be a fashion model and later entered the film industry.