Everyone thinks they know the story. A girl from Porto wins a contest, puts on wings, and becomes a global superstar. Easy, right? Not even close. Sara Sampaio Victoria’s Secret history is actually a masterclass in stubbornness. She didn’t just "arrive" on that glittery runway in 2013. She was rejected. Twice.
Imagine being told "no" by the one brand you’ve dreamed of since you were a teenager in Portugal. Most people would pivot. They'd focus on the high-fashion editorial work or the commercial gigs that were already paying the bills. But Sara? She just kept showing up. Honestly, that's the part that gets lost in the highlight reels of her walking in $2 million bras or posing in the Bahamas.
The Long Road to the Wings
She was 15 when she won the Cabelos Pantene contest in 2007. That was the spark. But her parents—bless them—weren't about to let her drop everything. They made her finish high school. They made her start university in Lisbon. It's kinda funny looking back, thinking of one of the world's most famous models sitting in a classroom trying to focus on a "normal" degree while her headshots were being passed around New York.
When she finally got her shot at a Victoria's Secret casting, she failed. Then she failed again.
It wasn’t until 2013 that she finally made the cut for the PINK segment. If you watch the footage, you can see the nerves, but also that "I finally made it" glow. She wasn't an Angel yet, though. She was a guest. A "sophomore" walker. It took two more years of relentless work before the brand officially handed her the contract in 2015.
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That 2015 "Angel Class" was a big deal. It was the largest group of contract models the company had ever signed at once. Suddenly, Sara Sampaio wasn't just a Portuguese model; she was the Portuguese model. The first one to ever hold that title.
What it was actually like behind the scenes
People always ask about the wings. Are they heavy? "Actually, I'm very lucky," she once said in an interview, laughing about how she’d forget she was even wearing them and accidentally poke people in the eye. But the reality of being a Sara Sampaio Victoria’s Secret icon wasn't just wearing feathers and expensive lace.
It was a grind.
- Constant travel.
- Sleepless nights on planes.
- Being alone in hotel rooms across the world.
She’s been very vocal lately about the mental toll. You’ve probably seen her talking about her ADHD diagnosis or her struggle with trichotillomania (an impulse control disorder where people pull out their hair). It’s a stark contrast to the "bombshell" image the brand sold for decades. She’s admitted that while the job made her career "jump like crazy," it also meant living in a spotlight that demanded perfection.
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And Sara isn't perfect. She'll be the first to tell you she loves junk food and hates the gym. She’s mentioned needing her personal trainer to literally text her "get up" because she's naturally lazy. It’s that human side—the "I eat pizza if it’s on the menu" vibe—that made fans stick with her even after the VS era started to fade.
The Post-Angel Pivot to Hollywood
By 2018, things started changing. The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show was facing massive cultural shifts and declining ratings. Sara, ever the go-getter, didn't wait for the ship to sink. She moved to Los Angeles.
She’d wanted to act since she was a kid, but modeling just... happened. For a long time, being a "bombshell" was an albatross. Casting directors saw the Sara Sampaio Victoria’s Secret pedigree and offered her "arm-candy" roles. Roles with no substance.
Then came the pandemic. While the rest of us were baking bread, Sara was on Zoom acting classes. She used the lockdown to commit to the craft without feeling "guilty" about turning down modeling jobs. It paid off.
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In 2025, she finally broke the "model-turned-actress" curse by landing the role of Eve Teschmacher in James Gunn’s Superman. To get the part, she had to do the unthinkable for a high-end model: she dyed her signature brunette hair blonde. "I always joked I'd only go blonde for a role," she told Observer. Well, she did it. And she’s actually good.
Why her legacy with the brand still matters
Even though she’s now rubbing shoulders with Nicholas Hoult and David Corenswet, her time as an Angel is the foundation of everything. It gave her the financial freedom to say "no" to the bad scripts. It gave her a platform to speak out against abuse in the fashion industry, which she did bravely during the height of the #MeToo movement.
She wasn't just a face; she was a witness to the peak and the pivot of a retail empire.
If you’re looking to follow in her footsteps or just want to capture that "bombshell" confidence, here is the real-world breakdown of how she maintained that status:
- The Workout Truth: She swears by Physique 57 (barre classes) and resistance training. She actually avoids heavy cardio because it makes her lose too much weight too fast.
- Skin Strategy: She famously stopped drinking milk because it was causing breakouts. Simple, but effective.
- Confidence Hack: Her "trick" for photos? Suck everything in, pop the hip, and turn slightly profile. It creates curves where there aren't many.
- Mental Health: She prioritizes therapy and being open about her anxiety. The "glow" comes from being happy, not just from a highlighter.
Sara Sampaio is more than just a Victoria's Secret success story. She's the girl who got rejected, won anyway, and then had the guts to start over in a completely different industry when she was already at the top.
To really understand her impact, look at how she’s transitioned her brand. She isn't just a "former model" anymore. She's a business owner (launching her seltzer brand, Phunk) and a legitimate film actress. The wings might be in storage, but she’s still flying.