Dita Von Teese
Encyclopedia
Dita Von Teese is an American burlesque
dancer, model, costume designer, author and actress.
, the middle child of three daughters. Her mother was a manicurist and her father was a machinist
at a company that made graphite. She is of partly Armenian
heritage.
Von Teese is well known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for her daughter to dress up in. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden-era Hollywood films, and it was from her that Von Teese developed a fascination with the actresses of that day, especially Betty Grable
.
She was classically trained as a ballet
dancer from an early age, and danced solo at age thirteen for a local ballet company. Though she originally wanted to be a ballerina
, Von Teese states that "By 15 I was as good as I’d ever be." She was later to incorporate this element into her burlesque shows, where she frequently goes en pointe
.
The family relocated from Michigan to Orange County
, California
, when her father's job moved. Von Teese attended University High School in Irvine
.
As a teenager, Von Teese's mother took her to buy her first bra
, made from plain white cotton, and gave her a plastic egg containing a pair of wrinkly, flesh-colored tights
. Von Teese says she was disappointed as she had been hoping to receive beautiful lacy garments and stockings, of the type she had glimpsed in her father's Playboy
magazines. This fueled her passion for lingerie. She worked in a lingerie
store as a salesgirl when she was fifteen, eventually as a buyer. Von Teese has been fond of wearing elaborate lingerie such as corset
s and basque
s with fully fashioned stockings ever since.
In college Von Teese studied historic costuming and aspired to work as a stylist
for period films. She is a trained costume designer
, often designing (and copyright
ing) the photoshoots herself.
. Through the wearing of a corset
for many years, she had reduced her natural waistline to 22 inches (55.9 cm), and can be laced down as far as 16.5 inches (41.9 cm). Von Teese stands at 5 ft 5" (165 cm.) and weighs 114 pounds (51.7 kg).
Von Teese appeared on a number of fetish magazine
covers, including Bizarre
and Marquis
. It was around this time when she appeared on the cover of Midori
's book, The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage.
Von Teese was featured in Playboy
in 1999, 2001 and 2002, with a cover-featured pictorial in 2002.
The German
metal
band Atrocity
chose her as the cover model for their 2008 album, Werk 80 II
.
back into striptease
" with long, elaborate dance
shows with props and characters, often inspired by 1930s and 1940s musicals and films. Some of her more famous dances have involved a carousel
horse, a giant powder compact, a filigree heart and a clawfoot bathtub with a working shower head. Her feather fan dance, inspired by burlesque dancer Sally Rand
, featured the world's largest feather fans, now on display in Hollywood's Museum Of Sex
. Her signature show features a giant martini
glass.
Her burlesque career has included some memorable performances. She once appeared at a benefit for the New York Academy of Art
wearing nothing but $5 million worth of diamonds. Additionally, Von Teese became the first guest star to perform at the Parisian Crazy Horse
cabaret club with her appearance in October 2006. Also in 2006, Von Teese appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model
cycle 7 doing a workshop to teach the contestants about sexiness by means of burlesque dancing and posing. In 2007 Von Teese performed at the adult entertainment event Erotica 07 in London
alongside Italian Rock noir
band Belladonna
.
Von Teese's first book, which consisted of her opinions on the history of burlesque and fetish, Burlesque and the Art of the Teese/Fetish and the Art of the Teese, was published in 2006 by HarperCollins
. Vanity Fair called her "a Burlesque Superheroine."
Von Teese participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
in Moscow
, Russia
as part of the stage performance for the German
entry "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang
." The act placed 20th out of 25 participants in the final round of the contest. Later, she said her cleavage was censored during the show because of her voluptuous figure.
, such as Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust, in which she is billed as Heather Sweet, and also in two hard-core
fetish films by Andrew Blake: Pin Ups 2 and Decadence.
In recent years she has appeared in more mainstream features, such as the 2005 short film, The Death of Salvador Dali
, written by Delaney Bishop, which won best screenplay
and best cinematography
at recent festivals, including SXSW, Raindance Film Festival
and Mill Valley Film Festival
, and Best Actress for Von Teese at Beverly Hills Film Festival
. She appeared in the feature films Saint Francis and The Boom Boom Room, both in 2007.
In addition to this, she has appeared in a number of music videos, including the video for the Green Day
song "Redundant," the video for "Zip Gun Bop" by swing band Royal Crown Revue
, Agent Provocateur
's video for their cover of Joy Division
's "She's Lost Control
," and (performing her martini-glass burlesque routine) the video for "Mobscene
" by Marilyn Manson. She has also been featured in a striptease/burlesque act in George Michael
's live tour 2008, for the song "Feelin' Good."
However, Von Teese has said that acting is not at the top of her agenda and she would only take roles that she feels are right for her, stating, "I don't understand why women feel the need to go into acting as soon as they become famous...But I suppose if the part were aesthetically correct, then maybe I could consider it."
In early 2011, Von Teese guest-starred in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
in season 11: episode 12 called "A Kiss Before Frying" where she played a femme fatale
version of herself under the stage name Rita von Squeeze. Her character seduces Greg Sanders
(Eric Szmanda
) in a plot inspired by film noir
.
and Marc Jacobs
, labels she is often seen wearing.
She has also done various catwalk work. During Los Angeles
Fashion Week
, Spring 2004, she modeled for former club kid Richie Rich
's fashion label, Heatherette
. In 2005 she appeared in the Autumn/Winter Ready-to-Wear show for Giambattista Valli, a former designer for Ungaro
, in Paris. In the 2006 Milan
Fashion Week
, Von Teese was on the runway, opening for the Moschino diffusion label, Moschino Cheap & Chic, autumn/winter 2006/7 show. In 2007, she appeared twice in the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture
show during the Paris
Fashion Week
. Additionally, she has starred in several ad campaigns. She appeared in Vivienne Westwood
's spring/summer 2005 collection adverts and became the face of Australia
n clothing range Wheels and Dollbaby for their 2006/7 Spring/Summer advertising campaign. She was an ambassador/spokesmodel for HIV/AIDS awareness when she was selected (along with Eve
, Deborah Harry, and Lisa Marie Presley
) for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam VI campaign (a collection of lipsticks and lipgloss where 100% of the proceeds are for worldwide AIDS charities and to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS). Von Teese has appeared in Vanity Fair
, Vogue
, Elle
, and international issues of nearly every fashion magazine. She has also campaigned on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
(PETA), and appeared in their ads. Most recently she has designed a new lingerie range with Wonderbra
.
In spite of this, Von Teese states that she never uses a stylist. "The one time I hired a stylist, they picked up a pair of my 1940s shoes and said, 'These would look really cute with jeans.' I immediately said, 'You’re out of here.'" She does her own make-up, and dyes her naturally blonde hair black at home. Von Teese's unique style is "inspired by eccentric women like Luisa Casati
, Anna Piaggi
, and Isabella Blow
."
She is a collector of vintage china, particularly eggcups and tea sets, and drives a 1938 Packard One Twenty Eight
, a 1946 Ford Super De Luxe, a BMW Z4
and a 1965 Jaguar S-type. She also owned a 1939 Chrysler New Yorker
from 1997 to December 2010.
Prior to her marriage, Von Teese had been romantically linked to vocalist/guitarist Mike Ness
of Social Distortion
and to actor Peter Sarsgaard
. She has also spoken of several lesbian experiences, including a serious relationship with a woman when she was 20. She is currently dating French aristocrat Louis-Marie de Castelbajac.
She has been open about the plastic surgery she has undergone, having had breast implants and her beauty mark
being artificial.
She participated at the PETA
's campaign "Animal Birth Control (ABC)."
had been a long time fan, and was a member of her website. They first met when he asked her to dance in one of his music videos. Though she was unable to, the two kept in contact. On Manson's 32nd birthday, in 2001, she arrived with a bottle of absinthe
, and they became a couple. Manson proposed on March 22, 2004 and gave her a 1930s, 7 carats (1.4 g), European round-cut diamond engagement ring. On November 28, 2005, they were married in a private, non-denominational ceremony in their home.
A larger ceremony was held on December 3 at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan
(County Tipperary
), Ireland
, the home of their friend, Gottfried Helnwein
. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky
.
On December 29, 2006, Von Teese filed for divorce from Manson citing "irreconcilable differences." Von Teese left their house empty-handed on Christmas Eve, and was not able to get in touch with Manson to inform him of her intention to divorce him. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
, Von Teese says "I wasn't supportive of his partying or his relationship with another girl. As much as I loved him I wasn't going to be part of that." Von Teese also stated that she gave Manson an ultimatum, but says "It didn't work. Instead, it made me the enemy." Von Teese did not seek spousal support and seemed to have no interest in his assets. The news broke for the public and for Manson on his birthday on January 5, 2007, when he was served the divorce papers.
Additionally, Von Teese was a featured guest on the sixth episode (original air date: October 25, 2006) of Cycle 7
of America's Next Top Model
. and as a coach in the Burlesque special Faking It. She also appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race
.
Dita Von Teese also appeared on stage at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest during the German entry.
Neo-Burlesque
Neo-Burlesque is the revival and updating of the traditional burlesque performance. Though based on the traditional Burlesque art, the new form encompasses a wider range of performance styles; Neo-burlesque acts can be anything from classic striptease to modern dance to theatrical mini-dramas to...
dancer, model, costume designer, author and actress.
Early life
Dita Von Teese was born Heather Renée Sweet on September 28, 1972, in Rochester, MichiganRochester, Michigan
Rochester is an affluent city in north Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan on the northern outskirts of metro Detroit. The population was 12,711 at the 2010 census...
, the middle child of three daughters. Her mother was a manicurist and her father was a machinist
Machinist
A machinist is a person who uses machine tools to make or modify parts, primarily metal parts, a process known as machining. This is accomplished by using machine tools to cut away excess material much as a woodcarver cuts away excess wood to produce his work. In addition to metal, the parts may...
at a company that made graphite. She is of partly Armenian
Armenians
Armenian people or Armenians are a nation and ethnic group native to the Armenian Highland.The largest concentration is in Armenia having a nearly-homogeneous population with 97.9% or 3,145,354 being ethnic Armenian....
heritage.
Von Teese is well known for her fascination with 1940s cinema and classic retro style. This began at a young age and was fostered by her mother, who would buy clothes for her daughter to dress up in. Her mother was a fan of old, Golden-era Hollywood films, and it was from her that Von Teese developed a fascination with the actresses of that day, especially Betty Grable
Betty Grable
Elizabeth Ruth "Betty" Grable was an American actress, dancer and singer.Her iconic bathing suit photo made her the number-one pin-up girl of the World War II era. It was later included in the LIFE magazine project "100 Photos that Changed the World"...
.
She was classically trained as a ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
dancer from an early age, and danced solo at age thirteen for a local ballet company. Though she originally wanted to be a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
, Von Teese states that "By 15 I was as good as I’d ever be." She was later to incorporate this element into her burlesque shows, where she frequently goes en pointe
En pointe
En pointe means "on the tip" and is a part of classical ballet technique, usually practised using specially reinforced shoes called pointe shoes or toe shoes. The technique developed from the desire for dancers to appear weightless and sylph-like and has evolved to enable dancers to dance on the...
.
The family relocated from Michigan to Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, when her father's job moved. Von Teese attended University High School in Irvine
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
.
As a teenager, Von Teese's mother took her to buy her first bra
Brassiere
A brassiere is an undergarment that covers, supports, and elevates the breasts. Since the late 19th century, it has replaced the corset as the most widely accepted method for supporting breasts....
, made from plain white cotton, and gave her a plastic egg containing a pair of wrinkly, flesh-colored tights
Tights
Tights are a kind of cloth leg garment, most often sheathing the body from about the waist to the feet with a more or less tight fit, hence the name....
. Von Teese says she was disappointed as she had been hoping to receive beautiful lacy garments and stockings, of the type she had glimpsed in her father's Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
magazines. This fueled her passion for lingerie. She worked in a lingerie
Lingerie
Lingerie are fashionable and possibly alluring undergarments.Lingerie usually incorporates one or more flexible, stretchy materials like Lycra, nylon , polyester, satin, lace, silk and sheer fabric which are not typically used in more functional, basic cotton undergarments.The term in the French...
store as a salesgirl when she was fifteen, eventually as a buyer. Von Teese has been fond of wearing elaborate lingerie such as corset
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
s and basque
Basque (clothing)
A torsolette is a short corselette, covering the chest to the waist line.The undergarment is similar to a Victorian-era corset, but with less compression of the ribs. The modern-day Torsolette features lace-up or hook-and-eye fastening, as well as boning or vertical seams for structure and support...
s with fully fashioned stockings ever since.
In college Von Teese studied historic costuming and aspired to work as a stylist
Wardrobe stylist
A wardrobe stylist is the job title of someone who selects the clothing for published editorial features, print or television advertising campaigns, music videos, concert performances, and any public appearances made by celebrities, models or other public figures...
for period films. She is a trained costume designer
Costume Designer
A costume designer or costume mistress/master is a person whose responsibility is to design costumes for a film or stage production. He or she is considered an important part of the "production team", working alongside the director, scenic and lighting designers as well as the sound designer. The...
, often designing (and copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
ing) the photoshoots herself.
Fetish and glamour modeling
Von Teese achieved some level of recognition in the fetish world as a tightlacerTightlacer
A tightlacer is someone who practises daily tightlacing; the wearing of a corset for long periods in order to reduce the natural circumference of the waist....
. Through the wearing of a corset
Corset
A corset is a garment worn to hold and shape the torso into a desired shape for aesthetic or medical purposes...
for many years, she had reduced her natural waistline to 22 inches (55.9 cm), and can be laced down as far as 16.5 inches (41.9 cm). Von Teese stands at 5 ft 5" (165 cm.) and weighs 114 pounds (51.7 kg).
Von Teese appeared on a number of fetish magazine
Fetish magazine
A fetish magazine is a type of magazine originating in the 1960s which is devoted to sexual fetishism. The content is generally aimed at being erotic rather than pornographic...
covers, including Bizarre
Bizarre (magazine)
Bizarre is a British alternative magazine published from 1997 to the present. It is currently published by Dennis Publishing; it is a sister publication to the Fortean Times.-Content:...
and Marquis
Marquis (magazine)
Marquis is a fetish magazine owned, operated, published and primarily photographed by Peter W. Czernich and Sandra Würdig. Based in Germany, Marquis covers a wide array of topics related to the worldwide fetish subculture...
. It was around this time when she appeared on the cover of Midori
Midori (author)
is a prominent human sexuality writer, speaker, and sex educator based in San Francisco, California. Her writings and contributions have appeared in many books and magazines...
's book, The Seductive Art of Japanese Bondage.
Von Teese was featured in Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
in 1999, 2001 and 2002, with a cover-featured pictorial in 2002.
The German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Atrocity
Atrocity (band)
Atrocity is a German Heavy Metal band formed in Ludwigsburg.-History:First started in 1985 as Instigators and playing grindcore, Atrocity arose as a death metal band with their debut EP, Blue Blood, in 1989, followed soon by Hallucinations, a concept album about drug use...
chose her as the cover model for their 2008 album, Werk 80 II
Werk 80 II
Werk 80 II is the eighth full-length album by German industrial gothic metal band Atrocity, released on February 29, 2008 and their 2nd full length cover album after the original Werk 80 album released in 1997...
.
Burlesque
Von Teese is best known for her burlesque routines and is frequently dubbed "the Queen of Burlesque" in the press. Von Teese began performing burlesque in 1992 and, as a proponent of New Burlesque, has helped to popularize its revival. In her own words, she "puts the teaseTease
Tease may refer to:* Teasing* Tease by Piano Overlord* Tease , a U.S. TV series presented by Lisa Rinna...
back into striptease
Striptease
A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner...
" with long, elaborate dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
shows with props and characters, often inspired by 1930s and 1940s musicals and films. Some of her more famous dances have involved a carousel
Carousel
A carousel , or merry-go-round, is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders...
horse, a giant powder compact, a filigree heart and a clawfoot bathtub with a working shower head. Her feather fan dance, inspired by burlesque dancer Sally Rand
Sally Rand
Sally Rand was a burlesque dancer and actress, most noted for her ostrich feather fan dance and balloon bubble dance. She also performed under the name Billie Beck.-Early life and career:...
, featured the world's largest feather fans, now on display in Hollywood's Museum Of Sex
Sex museum
A sex museum is a museum that displays erotic art, historical sexual aids, and documents on the history of erotica. They were popular in Europe at the end of the 1960s and during the 1970s, the era of the sexual revolution....
. Her signature show features a giant martini
Martini (cocktail)
The martini is a cocktail made with gin and vermouth, and garnished with an olive or a lemon twist. Over the years, the martini has become one of the best-known mixed alcoholic beverages. H. L. Mencken called the martini "the only American invention as perfect as the sonnet" and E. B...
glass.
Her burlesque career has included some memorable performances. She once appeared at a benefit for the New York Academy of Art
New York Academy of Art
The New York Academy of Art or the Graduate School of Figurative Art is an American private, not-for-profit art university, located at 111 Franklin Street in the Manhattan borough of New York City.-Foundation:...
wearing nothing but $5 million worth of diamonds. Additionally, Von Teese became the first guest star to perform at the Parisian Crazy Horse
Crazy Horse (cabaret)
Le Crazy Horse Saloon or Le Crazy Horse de Paris is a Parisian cabaret known for its stage shows performed by nude female dancers and for the diverse range of magic and variety 'turns' between each nude show...
cabaret club with her appearance in October 2006. Also in 2006, Von Teese appeared on an episode of America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
cycle 7 doing a workshop to teach the contestants about sexiness by means of burlesque dancing and posing. In 2007 Von Teese performed at the adult entertainment event Erotica 07 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
alongside Italian Rock noir
Rock noir
Rock noir is a term used to identify a sub-genre of rock characterized by dramatic performances of theatrically rendered lyrical storytelling. It was originated by Italian band Belladonna, whose debut album Metaphysical Attraction is the first full-length Rock noir album ever released...
band Belladonna
Belladonna (band)
Belladonna is an Italian Rock noir band.- Metaphysical Attraction :Belladonna was formed on February 14, 2005 in Rome, Italy by Luana Caraffa and Dani Macchi. During the course of the following months Belladonna wrote and recorded many songs, eleven of which would become their first full album:...
.
Von Teese's first book, which consisted of her opinions on the history of burlesque and fetish, Burlesque and the Art of the Teese/Fetish and the Art of the Teese, was published in 2006 by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. Vanity Fair called her "a Burlesque Superheroine."
Von Teese participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Eurovision Song Contest 2009
The Eurovision Song Contest 2009 was the 54th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest and was hosted by Russia after their win in 2008. It took place between 12 and 16 May 2009 at the Olympic Indoor Arena in Moscow, Russia....
in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
as part of the stage performance for the German
Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009
Germany participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, as confirmed by German broadcaster Norddeutscher Rundfunk .The group Alex Swings Oscar Sings was internally selected to represent Germany at Eurovision, and will perform "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang" for Germany at the contest.-Internal...
entry "Miss Kiss Kiss Bang
Miss Kiss Kiss Bang
"Miss Kiss Kiss Bang" is a song by Alex Christensen and Oscar Loya which was the German entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2009, held in Moscow, Russia. In Moscow the duo performed the song under the group moniker Alex Swings Oscar Sings. It was featured on Oscar Loya's debut album Heart 4 Sale.-...
." The act placed 20th out of 25 participants in the final round of the contest. Later, she said her cleavage was censored during the show because of her voluptuous figure.
Acting
Von Teese is also an occasional actress. In her early years she appeared in fetish-related, soft-core pornographic moviesFilm
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, such as Romancing Sara, Matter of Trust, in which she is billed as Heather Sweet, and also in two hard-core
Hardcore pornography
Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often displayed in magazines or on the Internet, or films. It can also...
fetish films by Andrew Blake: Pin Ups 2 and Decadence.
In recent years she has appeared in more mainstream features, such as the 2005 short film, The Death of Salvador Dali
The Death of Salvador Dali
The Death of Salvador Dalí is a short film written and directed by Delaney Bishop. The plot of this fantasy film involves Salvador Dalí consulting Sigmund Freud on how to depict madness in his artwork.-Cast:*Dita Von Teese - Gala Dalí...
, written by Delaney Bishop, which won best screenplay
Screenplay
A screenplay or script is a written work that is made especially for a film or television program. Screenplays can be original works or adaptations from existing pieces of writing. In them, the movement, actions, expression, and dialogues of the characters are also narrated...
and best cinematography
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
at recent festivals, including SXSW, Raindance Film Festival
Raindance Film Festival
Raindance is an independent film festival and film school that operates from various cities including: London, New York, Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Budapest, Berlin and Brussels...
and Mill Valley Film Festival
Mill Valley Film Festival
The Mill Valley Film Festival is an annual, non-competitive film festival presented by the California Film Institute. Known as a filmmakers’ festival, the annual Mill Valley Film Festival offers a non-competitive environment for exhibiting independent and world cinema.Founded in 1978 by MVFF...
, and Best Actress for Von Teese at Beverly Hills Film Festival
Beverly Hills Film Festival
The Beverly Hills Film Festival is a film festival in the United States founded by award-winning independent filmmaker Nino Simone in 2001. The festival debuted in 2001, and has shown regular growth each year...
. She appeared in the feature films Saint Francis and The Boom Boom Room, both in 2007.
In addition to this, she has appeared in a number of music videos, including the video for the Green Day
Green Day
Green Day is an American punk rock band formed in 1987. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt, and drummer Tre Cool...
song "Redundant," the video for "Zip Gun Bop" by swing band Royal Crown Revue
Royal Crown Revue
The Royal Crown Revue is a band formed in 1989 in Los Angeles, California. They are often credited with starting the Swing Revival movement. Live, RCR has been extremely successful: They participated in 1998's Vans Warped Tour, opened for the B-52s and The Pretenders and played at major US Jazz...
, Agent Provocateur
Agent Provocateur
Agent Provocateur is the fifth studio album by American/British rock band Foreigner, released in 1984. A concept album, the songs tell the story of a spy who sees life through both the inside and the outside. The album was the band's first and only number one album in the UK, and it reached the top...
's video for their cover of Joy Division
Joy Division
Joy Division were an English rock band formed in 1976 in Salford, Greater Manchester. Originally named Warsaw, the band primarily consisted of Ian Curtis , Bernard Sumner , Peter Hook and Stephen Morris .Joy Division rapidly evolved from their initial punk rock influences...
's "She's Lost Control
She's Lost Control
"She's Lost Control" is a song by British post-punk band Joy Division. It was first introduced in a concert in June 1978. Two separate single recordings have been released: a guitar-dominated version appearing on the band's 1979 debut album Unknown Pleasures, and a heavier and more electronic...
," and (performing her martini-glass burlesque routine) the video for "Mobscene
MOBSCENE
"Mobscene", stylized as "mOBSCENE", is the inaugural single taken from the 2003 Marilyn Manson album The Golden Age of Grotesque. Lines in the song chanted by female vocalists, "Be obscene, be, be obscene..." are inspired by a quote by Oscar Wilde that has been commonly used as a chant among...
" by Marilyn Manson. She has also been featured in a striptease/burlesque act in George Michael
George Michael
George Michael is a British musician, singer, songwriter and record producer who rose to fame in the 1980s when he formed the pop duo Wham! with his school friend, Andrew Ridgeley...
's live tour 2008, for the song "Feelin' Good."
However, Von Teese has said that acting is not at the top of her agenda and she would only take roles that she feels are right for her, stating, "I don't understand why women feel the need to go into acting as soon as they become famous...But I suppose if the part were aesthetically correct, then maybe I could consider it."
In early 2011, Von Teese guest-starred in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer...
in season 11: episode 12 called "A Kiss Before Frying" where she played a femme fatale
Femme fatale
A femme fatale is a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers in bonds of irresistible desire, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art...
version of herself under the stage name Rita von Squeeze. Her character seduces Greg Sanders
Greg Sanders
Gregory Hojem-Sanders, is a fictional character on the CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, portrayed by Eric Szmanda. Greg appeared in every episode, with exception of "Blood Drops", "Fahrenheit 932", "Crate N' Burial" and "Too Tough To Die" from season one, "Cross Jurisdictions" from...
(Eric Szmanda
Eric Szmanda
Eric Kyle Szmanda is an Polish American actor. He portrays Greg Sanders in the television crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a role he has held since the show began in 2000.-Early life and education:...
) in a plot inspired by film noir
Film noir
Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe stylish Hollywood crime dramas, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and sexual motivations. Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as extending from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...
.
Fashion and modeling
Von Teese has appeared on a number of best-dressed lists and frequents the front row of fashion shows, particularly Christian DiorChristian Dior
Christian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
and Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for Marc Jacobs, as well as Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, with more than 200 retail stores in 60 countries. He has been the creative director of the French design house Louis Vuitton since 1997...
, labels she is often seen wearing.
She has also done various catwalk work. During Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
, Spring 2004, she modeled for former club kid Richie Rich
Richie Rich (designer)
Richie Rich is an American fashion designer and performance artist, best known as co-founder of the now defunct fashion label Heatherette.-Early life in California:...
's fashion label, Heatherette
Heatherette
Heatherette is a fashion company and design house run by and former Club Kid Richie Rich, located in New York City. Heatherette came out with a bang in 1999 when they began collaborating on t-shirts and leather goods as a hobby on their living room floor...
. In 2005 she appeared in the Autumn/Winter Ready-to-Wear show for Giambattista Valli, a former designer for Ungaro
Ungaro
Ungaro is a family name and may refer to:* Emanuel Ungaro , a French fashion designer* Gaetano Ungaro , an Italian professional football player* Joseph M...
, in Paris. In the 2006 Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
, Von Teese was on the runway, opening for the Moschino diffusion label, Moschino Cheap & Chic, autumn/winter 2006/7 show. In 2007, she appeared twice in the Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture
Haute couture
Haute couture refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finished by the most experienced and capable seamstresses,...
show during the Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
Fashion Week
Fashion Week
A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers and the media to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, these events let the industry know...
. Additionally, she has starred in several ad campaigns. She appeared in Vivienne Westwood
Vivienne Westwood
Dame Vivienne Westwood, DBE, RDI is a British fashion designer and businesswoman, largely responsible for bringing modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.-Early life:...
's spring/summer 2005 collection adverts and became the face of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n clothing range Wheels and Dollbaby for their 2006/7 Spring/Summer advertising campaign. She was an ambassador/spokesmodel for HIV/AIDS awareness when she was selected (along with Eve
Eve
Eve is the first woman created by God in the Book of Genesis.Eve may also refer to:-People:*Eve , a common given name and surname*Eve , American recording artist and actress-Places:...
, Deborah Harry, and Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley
Lisa Marie Presley is an American singer and songwriter, also known as the "Princess of Rock and Roll". She is the only child of Elvis Presley, and daughter of Priscilla Presley.-Early life:...
) for MAC Cosmetics' Viva Glam VI campaign (a collection of lipsticks and lipgloss where 100% of the proceeds are for worldwide AIDS charities and to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS). Von Teese has appeared in Vanity Fair
Vanity Fair (magazine)
Vanity Fair is a magazine of pop culture, fashion, and current affairs published by Condé Nast. The present Vanity Fair has been published since 1983 and there have been editions for four European countries as well as the U.S. edition. This revived the title which had ceased publication in 1935...
, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, Elle
Elle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
, and international issues of nearly every fashion magazine. She has also campaigned on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is an American animal rights organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. A non-profit corporation with 300 employees and two million members and supporters, it claims to be the largest animal rights...
(PETA), and appeared in their ads. Most recently she has designed a new lingerie range with Wonderbra
Wonderbra
The Wonderbra is a type of push-up underwire brassiere that gained worldwide prominence in the 1990s. Although the Wonderbra name was first trademarked in the U.S. in 1935, the brand was developed in Canada. Moses Nadler, founder and majority owner of the Canadian Lady Corset Company, licensed the...
.
In spite of this, Von Teese states that she never uses a stylist. "The one time I hired a stylist, they picked up a pair of my 1940s shoes and said, 'These would look really cute with jeans.' I immediately said, 'You’re out of here.'" She does her own make-up, and dyes her naturally blonde hair black at home. Von Teese's unique style is "inspired by eccentric women like Luisa Casati
Luisa Casati
Luisa, Marquise Casati Stampa di Soncino was an eccentric Italian heiress, muse, and patroness of the arts in early 20th century Europe...
, Anna Piaggi
Anna Piaggi
Anna Piaggi is an Italian fashion writer and style icon.Anna Piaggi has worked as a translator for an Italian publishing company Mondadori, then written for fashion magazines such as the Italian edition of Vogue and, in the 1980s, the avant-garde magazine Vanity...
, and Isabella Blow
Isabella Blow
Isabella Blow was an English magazine editor. The muse of hat designer Philip Treacy, she is credited with discovering the models Stella Tennant and Sophie Dahl as well as the fashion designer Alexander McQueen....
."
Personal life
Von Teese currently splits her time between her homes in Hollywood and Paris.She is a collector of vintage china, particularly eggcups and tea sets, and drives a 1938 Packard One Twenty Eight
Packard One-Twenty
The Packard One-Twenty was an automobile produced by the Packard Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan from 1935 to 1937 and from 1939 through the 1941 model years...
, a 1946 Ford Super De Luxe, a BMW Z4
BMW Z4
The BMW Z4 is a rear-wheel drive sports car by the German car maker BMW. It follows a line of past BMW roadsters such as the BMW Z1, BMW 507, BMW Z8, and the BMW Z3. The Z4 replaces the Z3. First generation production started in 2002 at BMW USA's Greer, South Carolina plant, with production of both...
and a 1965 Jaguar S-type. She also owned a 1939 Chrysler New Yorker
Chrysler New Yorker
The Chrysler New Yorker was a premium automobile built by the Chrysler Corporation from 1939–1996, serving for several years as the brand's flagship model. A model named the "New York Special" first appeared in the 1930s...
from 1997 to December 2010.
Prior to her marriage, Von Teese had been romantically linked to vocalist/guitarist Mike Ness
Mike Ness
Mike Ness is an American guitarist, vocalist, and chief songwriter for the punk rock band Social Distortion, which was formed in 1978. As of Dennis Danell's death in 2000, he is now the only original member of the band...
of Social Distortion
Social Distortion
Social Distortion is an American punk rock band formed in 1978 in Fullerton, California. The band currently consists of Mike Ness , Jonny Wickersham , Brent Harding and David Hidalgo, Jr...
and to actor Peter Sarsgaard
Peter Sarsgaard
John Peter Sarsgaard is an American film and stage actor. He landed his first feature role in the movie Dead Man Walking in 1995. He then appeared in the 1998 independent films Another Day in Paradise and Desert Blue. That same year, Sarsgaard received a substantial role in The Man in the Iron...
. She has also spoken of several lesbian experiences, including a serious relationship with a woman when she was 20. She is currently dating French aristocrat Louis-Marie de Castelbajac.
She has been open about the plastic surgery she has undergone, having had breast implants and her beauty mark
Beauty mark
A beauty mark or beauty spot is a euphemism for a type of dark facial mole, so named because such birthmarks are sometimes considered an attractive feature. Medically, such "beauty marks" are generally melanocytic nevus, more specifically the compound variant...
being artificial.
She participated at the PETA
Peta
Peta can refer to:* peta-, an SI prefix denoting a factor of 1015* Peta, Greece, a town in Greece* Peta, the Pāli word for a Preta, or hungry ghost in Buddhism* Peta Wilson, an Australian actress and model* Peta Todd, English glamour model...
's campaign "Animal Birth Control (ABC)."
Relationship with Marilyn Manson
Marilyn MansonMarilyn Manson (person)
Marilyn Manson is an American musician, artist and former music journalist known for his controversial stage persona and image as the lead singer of the eponymous band Marilyn Manson...
had been a long time fan, and was a member of her website. They first met when he asked her to dance in one of his music videos. Though she was unable to, the two kept in contact. On Manson's 32nd birthday, in 2001, she arrived with a bottle of absinthe
Absinthe
Absinthe is historically described as a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage. It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel...
, and they became a couple. Manson proposed on March 22, 2004 and gave her a 1930s, 7 carats (1.4 g), European round-cut diamond engagement ring. On November 28, 2005, they were married in a private, non-denominational ceremony in their home.
A larger ceremony was held on December 3 at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan
Kilsheelan
Kilsheelan is a small village in South Tipperary, Ireland. It is also a civil parish in the barony of Iffa and Offa East. It is one half of the Roman Catholic parish of Kilsheelan & Kilcash in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Waterford and Lismore. It is situated on the north bank of the River Suir,...
(County Tipperary
County Tipperary
County Tipperary is a county of Ireland. It is located in the province of Munster and is named after the town of Tipperary. The area of the county does not have a single local authority; local government is split between two authorities. In North Tipperary, part of the Mid-West Region, local...
), Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, the home of their friend, Gottfried Helnwein
Gottfried Helnwein
Gottfried Helnwein is an Austrian-Irish fine artist, painter, photographer, installation and performance artist.-Work:Helnwein studied at the University of Visual Art in Vienna...
. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky
Alejandro Jodorowsky Prullansky, known as Alejandro Jodorowsky, is a Chilean filmmaker, playwright, actor, author, comic book writer and spiritual guru...
.
On December 29, 2006, Von Teese filed for divorce from Manson citing "irreconcilable differences." Von Teese left their house empty-handed on Christmas Eve, and was not able to get in touch with Manson to inform him of her intention to divorce him. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, Von Teese says "I wasn't supportive of his partying or his relationship with another girl. As much as I loved him I wasn't going to be part of that." Von Teese also stated that she gave Manson an ultimatum, but says "It didn't work. Instead, it made me the enemy." Von Teese did not seek spousal support and seemed to have no interest in his assets. The news broke for the public and for Manson on his birthday on January 5, 2007, when he was served the divorce papers.
Filmography
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Romancing Sara | Allison | Credited as 'Heather Sweet' |
| 1997 | Matter of Trust | Girl with C.T. | Credited as 'Heather Sweet' |
| 1999 | Pin-Ups 2 | Credited as 'Dita' | |
| 2000 | Decadence | Credited as 'Dita' | |
| 2001 | Slick City: The Adventures of Lela Devin | Lela Devin | |
| Tickle Party: Volume 2 | Credited as 'Dita' | ||
| 2002 | Bound in Stockings | ||
| Naked and Helpless | |||
| 2004 | Blooming Dahlia | Elizabeth Curt | |
| Lest We Forget: The Video Collection Lest We Forget (album) -Notes:*Tracks 1, 4, 8 and 14 are from Holy Wood *Track 2 previously unreleased*Tracks 3, 7 and 18 are from The Golden Age of Grotesque*Track 5 is from the Not Another Teen Movie ... |
Girl In Martini Glass | ||
| 2005 | The Death of Salvador Dali The Death of Salvador Dali The Death of Salvador Dalí is a short film written and directed by Delaney Bishop. The plot of this fantasy film involves Salvador Dalí consulting Sigmund Freud on how to depict madness in his artwork.-Cast:*Dita Von Teese - Gala Dalí... |
Gala | Won Best Actress at Beverly Hills Film Festival |
| 2006 | Saint Francis | Soul, Pica Bernard | |
| 2007 | Indie Sex: Extremes | Herself | Documentary |
| The Boom Boom Room | Adeline Winter | Filming | |
| 2011 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is an American crime drama television series, which premiered on CBS on October 6, 2000. The show was created by Anthony E. Zuiker and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer... |
Agnes / Ellen Whitebridge / Rita von Squeeze | "A Kiss Before Frying" (season 11: episode 12) |
Additionally, Von Teese was a featured guest on the sixth episode (original air date: October 25, 2006) of Cycle 7
America's Next Top Model, Cycle 7
America's Next Top Model, Cycle 7 started airing on September 20, 2006 as the first to be aired on The CW network. The season's catch-phrase is "The Competition Won't Be Pretty." The season's promotional theme song is "Hot Stuff " by Pussycat Dolls.To date, this cycle is the most watched season in...
of America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model
America's Next Top Model is a reality television show in which a number of women compete for the title of America's Next Top Model and a chance to start their career in the modeling industry....
. and as a coach in the Burlesque special Faking It. She also appeared as a guest judge on RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race
RuPaul's Drag Race is an American reality television series produced by World of Wonder for Logo. RuPaul plays host, mentor and inspiration for this series, which details RuPaul's search for "America's next drag superstar."...
.
Dita Von Teese also appeared on stage at the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest during the German entry.