Although Tricia Helfer is today better known for her onscreen work, many fans will know that her professional career actually began with modeling. Here’s an overview of Tricia’s modeling career 1992-2002.

• Overview
• Modeling Facts

Although Tricia is nowadays known as an actress first and foremost, she established herself in the entertainment biz long before her acting career, as a fashion model. In fact, in her time, Tricia was one of the top Canadian models in the business.

Her story of discovery is a classic: While standing in line at a movie theater in Stettler, Alberta, Canada, Tricia was spotted by model scout Kelly Streit, who happened to be visiting family in Stettler at the time. Streit, instantly recognizing an “obvious beauty”, as he recounted the story on Canada’s Next Top Model in 2006, immediately approached Tricia with the chance of participating in the 1992 Ford Supermodel of the World Contest. Although initially hesitant, Tricia decided to enter the competition, and before she knew it, had won it.

Video clip of Tricia winning the Ford modeling contest (Tricia comes in at about 1:55):

The contest and modeling contract with Ford Models instantly put Tricia on the modeling industry map, and she would since move on to sign with both Mode Models (Streit’s home agency) in Canada and Elite Model Management in New York City, US, where Tricia soon moved to pursue modeling full-time, leaving behind both the family farm and planned future university studies in animal psychology.

Since entering the modeling business, Tricia has made numerous runway, ad campaign and editorial appearances. Her magazine covers include Elle, Flare, Amica, Marie Claire, Vogue and Cosmopolitan, and she has appeared in advertisements for e.g. Chanel, Christian Dior, Lacoste, Ralph Lauren, RedKen, Saks Fifth Avenue, Olay, Valentino, Armani and Victoria’s Secret. She has also made numerous runway appearances for some of fashion’s most prestigious names, including Christian Dior, Givency, Carolina Herrera, John Galliano, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino and Yves Saint Laurent.

While modeling in New York at the turn of the millennium, however, Tricia started to take acting classes for commercial work, and unexpectedly found in them a new passion for acting. She described her transition from model to actress to Back Stage August 2010:

“I wasn’t busing tables. I was 28, and I had a modeling career behind me. But the same kind of emotion behind it is when I was moving out to L.A., I said I’m giving up modeling, cutting the ties. I sold my apartment in New York and moved out to L.A. I didn’t know a soul. I felt like it was going to be too easy to run back home to New York whenever things got a little tough. I knew I had to immerse myself. I also had to get rid of that stigma of model-turned-actor, so I had to shut off the modeling—so much so that a few casting directors were like, ‘Did you model?’ ‘Yeah, years ago.’ It’s really not a bad thing, but I was so against that sort of stigma. I knew I had to cut ties to devote myself and feel I didn’t have a safety net.”

“I didn’t grow up wanting to be an actor. I thought you had to be kind of wild and crazy to do that and didn’t realize there was a whole other side to it. I started modeling. I was discovered, as they say. And toward the end of my modeling career, I was thinking, “Okay, this isn’t really doing it for me anymore.” I got into acting classes strictly to help with commercial auditions. And I fell in love with it from the first class. It terrified me, and I found it a huge challenge. I was living in New York City at the time. I started studying at Penny Templeton Studio and doing night classes while I was still working. About a year and a half later, I quit modeling and moved out to L.A. That was January 2002. I came out with representation. I was with a commercial agency in New York, Innovative Artists. I had my commercial agent come to one of the showcases my class did. They took me on theatrically from that. I got CSI that year, just a guest role, [through] auditioning.” (Back Stage, issue Aug 18 2010)

In 2002, Tricia officially put her modeling career to rest, stating on her official site that any future photoshoots would be “related to projects or product endorsements” only.

Some information is courtesy of Fashion Model Directory. Lists are not complete.

Tricia Helfer has officially retired her modeling career as of 2002.

Agencies:
• Elite Model Management
• Ford Models *first contract; 1992 Ford Supermodel of the World Contest
• Mode Models
• Trump Model Management

Ad Campaigns:
• Chanel
• Christian Dior
• David Jones
• Dillards
• Erreuno
• Giorgio Armani, Mani
• Herbal Essences
• José Cuervo
• Joseph Janard
• Lacoste
• Louis Féraud
• Morgan
• Olay
• Palmer’s
• Ralph Lauren
• Redken
• Roberta Scarpa
• Saga Royal
• Saks Fifth Avenue
• Valentino
• Versace, Versus
• Victoria’s Secret

Magazine Covers 1992-2002:
• Amica: November 1996 (It)
• Biba: March 1994 (Fr)
• Bolero: January/February 2000 (De)
• Cosmopolitan: November 1994 (UK), July 1996 (UK), July 1998 (UK)
• Elle: August 1993 (US), October 1995 (Quebec), January 1996 (Es), December 1998 (De), April 1999 (SA)
• Fashion: September 1992 (Ca), September 2000 (Ca)
• Flare: February 1993 (Ca), October 1994 (Ca), February 1999 (Ca)
• Grazia: 1994 (It)
• Images: Fall 1993 (Ca)
• Madame Figaro: September 23 1995 (Fr)
• Manhattan File: Winter 1996 (US)
• Marie Claire: “Health & Beauty” September/October 1996 (UK), May 1999 (UK)
• Moda: January 1997 (Es)
• New Woman: May 1999 (US)
• Shine: August 2000 (US)
• Vogue: January 1994 (Es)
• Woman: October 1994 (Es)
• Woman’s Journal: December 1994 (UK), July 2000 (UK)

Runway Shows 1992-2002:

Spring/Summer 1993
• Chanel – ? – Ready-to-Wear

Spring/Summer 1994
• Versace – ? – ?

Fall/Winter 1994
• Grès – ? – ?
• Valentino – ? – ?
• Versace – ? – ?

Fall/Winter 1995
• Oscar de la Renta – ? – ?

Spring/Summer 1996
• Gianfranco Ferré – Milan – ?
• Oscar de la Renta – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Ralph Lauren – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Salvatore Ferragamo – Milan – Ready-to-Wear
• Valentino – Paris – Haute Couture
• Valentino – Paris – Ready-to-Wear
• Yves Saint Laurent – Paris – Haute Couture
• Yves Saint Laurent – Paris – Ready-to-Wear

Fall/Winter 1996
• Carolina Herrera – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Jean-Louis Scherrer – ? – Haute Couture
• Oscar de la Renta – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Ralph Lauren – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Salvatore Ferragamo – Milan – Ready-to-Wear

Spring/Summer 1997
• Angel Schlesser – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Antonio Pernas – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Carolina Herrera – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Charo Azcona – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Esteve – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Gianfranco Ferré – Milan – ?
• Guillermina Baeza – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Jacques Fath – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Pedro del Hierro – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Ralph Lauren – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Roberto Verino – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Veva Medem – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Victorio & Lucchino – ? – Ready-to-Wear

Fall/Winter 1997
• Carolina Herrera – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Christian Dior – ? – Haute Couture
• Christian Dior – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Claude Montana – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Givenchy – ? – Haute Couture
• Givenchy – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• John Galliano – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Pierre Balmain – ? – Haute Couture
• Ralph Lauren – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Valentino – Paris – Haute Couture

Spring/Summer 1998
• Castelbajac – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Christian Dior – ? – Haute Couture
• Christian Dior – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Gianfranco Ferré – Milan – Ready-to-Wear
• Givenchy – ? – Haute Couture
• Grès – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Jacques Fath – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Jérôme L’Huillier – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Oscar de la Renta – New York – Ready-to-Wear
• Pierre Balmain – ? – Haute Couture
• Roberto Cavalli – Milan – Ready-to-Wear
• Salvatore Ferragamo – Milan – Ready-to-Wear
• Ungaro – Paris – Ready-to-Wear

Fall/Winter 1998
• Claude Montana – ? – Ready-to-Wear
• Ungaro – Paris – Ready-to-Wear