Before she was the formidable Joan Holloway, ruling the halls of Sterling Cooper with a flick of her pen, Christina Hendricks was just an eighteen-year-old from Virginia trying to get as far away from home as possible. People forget that. They see the red hair and the iconic 1960s silhouettes and assume she arrived in Hollywood fully formed. But the reality of christina hendricks modeling photos tells a much gritier, more interesting story of a decade spent hustle-grinding across three continents.
Honestly, her modeling career wasn't some glamorous ascent. It was a job. A way to pay for groceries and see the world.
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She didn't even want to be a model. Not really. She wanted to be an actress, but growing up in Twin Falls, Idaho, and later Fairfax, Virginia, that felt like a pipe dream. Then her mom entered her into a Seventeen magazine cover contest. She didn't win, but the photos got her signed to IMG. Suddenly, she was 18, moving to New York City, and deferring her spot at drama school.
The Italy 15-Pound Transformation
One of the most famous chapters of her early portfolio happened in Italy. This is where the "look" we know today really started to take shape. Most models go to Europe and starve. Hendricks went to Italy to build her book and did the exact opposite.
She lived on cappuccinos and pasta. She gained 15 pounds.
Instead of panicking, she loved it. She’s gone on record saying that for the first time, she looked in the mirror and felt like a woman. It’s kinda refreshing, right? In an industry that usually demands shrinking, she expanded and found her confidence. Those Italian christina hendricks modeling photos show a woman coming into her own, leaning into curves that most agencies at the time were trying to hide or "manage."
The Hand Model Mystery and American Beauty
Here is a weird bit of trivia that usually blows people's minds: Christina Hendricks is the hand on the American Beauty poster. You know the one—the iconic red rose against a pale stomach?
- The stomach belongs to model Chloe Hunter.
- The hand is all Christina.
She was working as a hand model because, as a former ballet dancer, she knew how to pose her fingers elegantly. She got paid about a hundred bucks for the gig. She didn't even know it was for a major Oscar-winning movie until she saw the poster at the theater.
Living in London and Tokyo
Between the ages of 18 and 27, Hendricks was a literal nomad. She lived in London for a year, sharing a flat with two teachers. She worked in Japan. She was saving receipts and learning how to be self-employed while other girls her age were just "running around town."
There’s a level-headedness there. She once got an invite to Johnny Depp's birthday party and—this is a true story—she sold the invitation so she could buy groceries. She figured if they only wanted "pretty models" there, it wasn't a place she needed to be. That’s the kind of practical, slightly cynical edge that eventually made her portrayal of Joan so believable.
What the Polaroids Reveal
A few years ago, Hendricks shared a "page of Polaroids" on social media from her modeling days. These weren't the polished, airbrushed images we're used to. They were raw.
- One photo showed her in a cowboy hat, looking like a different person entirely.
- Another featured a 1920s flapper-style dress.
- Some were just close-ups of her face, testing out different hair colors.
What’s wild is how much she experimented. We think of her as the ultimate redhead, but she’s actually a natural blonde. She started dying her hair red at age 10 because she was obsessed with Anne of Green Gables. By the time she was modeling, she had cycled through dozens of colors, including a goth phase in high school that involved a lot of black hair dye and leather.
Dealing with the "Body" Conversation
Even during her peak modeling years, she faced constant pressure to change. When she was 25, her agent told her she needed to lose weight. Her response? Basically, "Do the math." She pointed to her hip bone and told them that even if she lost weight, the bone wasn't going anywhere. That’s her shape.
This pragmatism served her well later. When Mad Men became a hit, the media became obsessed with her body. It was weird for her. She had spent a decade in the modeling world where her body was just a tool, a "bone structure," and suddenly it was a national talking point.
Lessons from the Portfolio
If you look closely at those old christina hendricks modeling photos, you don't see a starlet. You see a professional. You see someone who learned how to wear clothes, how to find the light, and how to command a room without saying a word.
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She didn't "fail" at modeling and pivot to acting. She used modeling to fund her life until she could prove to casting directors that a doctor or a manager could look like her. Her agency actually dropped her when she took the role of Joan because they thought a 1960s period piece was a career killer. Imagine being that wrong.
Actionable Takeaways from Her Career Path
- Own the Pivot: If you're in one career but want another, use the first to fund the transition. Hendricks spent 10 years modeling to get to the 15 years of acting.
- Reject the "Standard": Her refusal to lose weight in Italy actually created the iconic look that made her a star. Sometimes the thing people tell you to change is your biggest asset.
- Value the "Small" Gigs: That $100 hand-modeling job became one of the most famous images in cinema history. You never know where a random Tuesday gig will lead.
The next time you see a throwback photo of her from the 90s, remember it wasn't a fluke. It was a decade of work, a lot of pasta, and the stubborn refusal to be anyone else.
Next Steps for Fans:
To see these era-specific looks for yourself, search for the "Seventeen Magazine 1994" contest entries or check out her verified social media archives where she occasionally posts her "Polaroid pages." You can also look for her early commercial work for brands like Carl's Jr. and Dr. Pepper to see her transition from high fashion to screen presence.