Reaching star status can be achieved in a variety of ways. While some are recognised for their singing or acting talents, others have carved out successful careers by embracing their looks and capitalising on their sex appeal. Let’s take a closer look at celebrities who have built their fame largely from their appearance.

Sydney Sweeney
Sydney’s all-natural 34DDs – which she apparently claimed were ‘the best boobs in Hollywood’ – have helped give her career a lift. After bit parts in Heroes, Criminal Minds and 90210, the 28-year-old actress got her big break in Everything Sucks! before landing roles in The Handmaid’s Tale, Euphoria and The White Lotus. She’s more than happy to lean into the endless obsession on her chest, even posting a photo of herself on Instagram, wearing a sweatshirt emblazoned with ‘Sorry for having great tits and correct opinions’. When she was on Saturday Night Live in March 2023, Sydney drew attention to her breast assets as a waitress at restaurant chain Hooters for a skit, which her co-star Bowen Yang said was her idea. ‘She came in and was like, “Please, everyone, make jokes about my boobs”.’ But she wasn’t confident about her breasts until recently. ‘I used to feel uncomfortable about how big my boobs were… [Now] I like them. They’re my best friends!’

Chris Hemsworth
Let’s face it, it’s unlikely that ‘man mountain’ Chris would have won the role of Nordic god Thor in the Marvel films if he didn’t look the way he did. Remember the ‘Fat Thor’ jokes? The Aussie actor, 42, knows that his ripped abs and defined biceps have given his career a boost, and he has been open about his transformation. It’s even led to him launching his own fitness and wellness app Centr. ‘The roles I’ve taken on have shaped my physique. It just goes hand in hand with the parts I play,’ he said. He also said how he’s not seen as a ‘serious actor’ due to his muscles. ‘Bodybuilding is seen as vanity. The training across 10 years of doing it is a full-time job.’ 

Pamela Anderson
Baywatch star Pammie’s career has been built on her breasts. In 1989, she was discovered at a BC Lions Canadian Football League game in Vancouver, after she was projected onto the JumboTron wearing a tight Labatt’s Beer T-shirt, and was promptly hired as the brewing company’s spokesmodel. All the attention led to her Playboy cover that same year and the Playmate of the Month centrefold in February 1990, before she had a boob job to increase her 34C bust to 34D, and then to 34DD. Subsequent ops saw Pamela, now 58, going up to a buxom 36DDD and then a 38H, before she had her implants removed in 1999. ‘My breasts have had a brilliant career. I’ve just tagged along for the ride,’ she said.

Kim Kardashian
Despite constant speculation that she’s gone under the knife to increase the size of her 34C breasts, Kim, 44 – who credits her full chest to ‘a great supportive bra’ – is happy to play into her voluptuous figure and make the most of her curves. ‘We all have our hang-ups and things we might want to change, but my curves make me who I am. So I embrace my body and the changes I’ve gone through,’ said the SKIMS founder. ‘If anything, those changes remind me of what I’m able to create with my body.’

Emily Ratajkowski
Model-actress Emily, 34, is confident, proud and happy with her busty front (all real, of course), recently sunbathing naked. ‘I love my boobs. Boobs are kind of great,’ she said. ‘Boobs are funny. They hurt sometimes, and sometimes they’re the thing that makes me feel the most powerful. They’re a key to my sexuality. They’re all those things.’ Emily, who said she had D-cup breasts when she was 12, shot to fame when she signed with a modelling agency at 14 before moving into acting with roles in iCarly, but it wasn’t until she appeared naked in the Blurred Lines and Maroon 5’s Love Somebody music videos that she was noticed. ‘It really bothers me that people are so offended by breasts. When we see breasts, we don’t think of beauty and femininity. We think of vulgar, oversexualised images,’ she said.

Carmen Electra
Best known for her stint on Baywatch, Carmen, 53, has really leant into her sex siren status. She posed for Playboy before her acting career kicked off and had a boob job to increase her 32Bs to a DD in her late ‘20s, which she joked may have contributed to her success. ‘It took a bit of time to get used to. I didn’t want to go as big as that. It’s nice that I don’t have to wear a push-up bra anymore, but I could have left myself alone,’ she said. ‘I think I was fine the way I was. I had nice breasts before – though they were small. I wish I would’ve just stayed natural.’

Salma Hayek
As she proudly flaunts her body on social media, it’s evident that Salma loves her curves including her breasts. ‘I’m not complaining,’ she said. The Mexican actress, 59, has denied rumours that she has had breast implants, saying that they’ve grown because of the menopause. ‘The boobs grow a lot. A lot of people said that I had breast augmentation; I don’t blame them!’ she said. ‘My boobs were smaller. So was the rest of my body. But they have just kept growing. Many, many sizes.’ The mum-of-one explained that her boobs have grown through pregnancy, breastfeeding and the menopause. ‘I just happen to be one of those women where it happened in every, single step!’

Sofia Vergara
Sofia readily admits her natural 32F breasts was a stepping stone to her modelling and acting career. ‘My giant boobs and my body opened doors for me; they were my passport to the world when I was 20 years old when I started as a model. It would be absurd to deny it or for that to make me feel bad,’ said the Modern Family star. Sofia, 53, said her ‘exaggerated’ hourglass figure has limited her to certain characters. ‘The way I look, I can’t play a scientist, or a judge. So, I decided to seek a life for myself.’ She’s proven that she’s more than just her looks though, with her talent ensuring her longevity in the business. ‘If you only see my boobs, then that’s your problem,’ she said.

IMAGES: GETTY, INSTAGRAM