It's hard to believe when she was younger, Laetitia Casta was often mistaken for a little boy. Born on May 11, 1978 in Port-Audemer in Normandy, France, Laetitia Marie Laure Casta spent most of her childhood as a tomboy, playing in the rivers and woods of the countryside with her older brother.

Today, no one could mistake Laetitia for anything but an ideal feminine beauty. Standing only 5'7", with a curvy frame, she has little in common with waif models. She says, "When I began as a model, everybody tried to remold me: I was too fat, too little, they tried to re-shape my teeth…I am very proud that I have stayed as I was. And there is a beautiful thing which is wonderful, to look like a woman, not a green bean."

Laetitia was only fifteen when she was discovered during a family vacation to Corsica. An agent and a photographer from Madison Models approached her as she was busily building sandcastles on the beach with her younger sister. They handed her father their business cards and extended an invitation to bring his young daughter to Paris for some test shots. Her parents were suspicious at first, but eventually they caved to Laetitia's pleas.

Within weeks of her first shoot, she was walking the runway for Jean Paul Gaultier. Having never worn make-up, she screamed when she caught her reflection in the mirror. By the time she turned sixteen, Laetitia had already appeared on three magazine covers.

On a trip to Paris in 1993, Paul Marciano saw Laetitia's photos and helped launch her advertising career with a number of highly successful GUESS? campaigns, including Malibu, Paris, Carmel and Spring 1998 .After her work for GUESS?, Laetitia's popularity has been on the rise.

Sports Illustrated featured her in their 1997, 1998 and 1999 swimsuit issues. She graced the controversial 1998 "Hot" issue of Rolling Stone. And Maxim Magazine ranked her second in their "50 Most Beautiful Women" issue. Recently, she was handpicked by designer Yves Saint Laurent to be the spokesmodel for his newest fragrance, "Baby Doll."

Laetitia's career has also included an acting roles in the French film, Asterix et Obelix, and a starring role as Chris Isaaks's love interest in the controversial music video for "Baby Did A Bad, Bad Thing," shot by Herb Ritts. In 1999, she published a biography, Laetitia Casta, containing essays and some of her most popular photographs.

In the year 2000, Laetitia received the high honor of being selected as the new French "Marianne", a woman chosen to represent the ideals of the French republic. The award places her in the company of prior notable Marianne's Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot, and Ines De La Fressange.

When she turned 21, Laetitia moved from home and currently shares an apartment in London with her older brother, Jean-Baptiste. Her favorite activities include painting, writing, rollerblading, going to the cinema, and dancing. Proving she's not just another pretty face, Laetitia has earned a brown belt in Judo.

Probably the most famous Laetitia quote comes from designer Vivienne Westwood, who stated, "I don't believe in God, but when I see Laetitia, I might change my mind."