- Bridgette Wilson is a former Miss Teen USA winner, actress, singer, and model.
- Wilson portrayed Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera Santa Barbara from April 1992 to January 1993.
- She was born on September 25, 1973, in Gold Beach, Oregon.
- Pete Sampras, Wilson’s husband, is a seven-time Wimbledon champion and 14-time Grand Slam winner.
- Wilson relocated to Los Angeles after winning Miss Teen.
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Who is Bridgette Wilson?
Bridgette Wilson is a former Miss Teen USA winner, actress, singer, and model. Bridgette Wilson portrayed Lisa Fenimore on the soap opera Santa Barbara from April 1992 to January 1993. She is well-known for her roles in movies such as Last Action Hero, Higher Learning, Mortal Kombat (1995), and Billy Madison.
Bridgette Wilson’s Childhood
Bridgette Wilson was born on September 25, 1973, in Gold Beach, Oregon, and grew up there.
Her ancestors come from England, Sweden, Germany, Denmark, Guernsey [Channel Islander], and France.
Bridgett Wilson was born in the town of Gold Beach, Oregon.
In high school, Kathy and Dale Wilson’s daughter competed on the school’s volleyball team, as well as basketball and track.
Bridgette was an athletic tomboy who went fishing and woodchopping with her father, a manager for the local power company.
Wilson Placed First in a National Pageant
Wilson won Miss Teen USA in 1990, beating out 50 other teenagers.
The actress, who was 16 at the time of the competition in Biloxi, Mississippi, was the second Oregonian to win the title.
She also received a car and $150,000 in cash and prizes.
She stated that she traveled across the country for a year as a spokesperson for various organizations.
Bridgette admits that traveling for a year helped her feel more at ease in interviews and auditions.
Bridgette Wilson was a straight-A student.
In 1991, the Billy Madison star graduated from Gold Beach High School.
Bridgette dropped out of high school too soon.
The actress explained that because she always worked quickly and received A’s in her classes, she was able to complete all of her credits at half-year in her senior year.
Her research project won first place at her high school science fair.
Wilson presented a study on how much vitamin content green peppers lose when cooked in various ways.
She is also a self-taught pianist who began playing as a child.
Bridgette used to teach and run the nursery at an Oregon Sunday school.
Tracy, Wilson’s older sister, is also an actress, best known for Team Knight Rider (1997), a syndicated television series based on the Knight Rider franchise that aired between 1997 and 1998.
Tracy also appeared in Lara Flynn Boyle’s 1997 series The Practice (1997).
Tracy Wilson, Wilson’s sister, was also a crew member in the series, Huff.
Her other roles include Miraculous Collision (2006), Running Springs (2006), Cold Case, A Day In The Life Of A Bathroom Key (2005), The Master Of Disguise (2002), 24, Burning Down The House (2001), and Resurrection (2001).
Bridgette Wilson’s Career as an Actress
Wilson relocated to Los Angeles after winning Miss Teen.
She then enrolled in an acting class, worked in a mattress store, and did odd jobs here and there.
The Gold Beach native got her start on the ‘90s kids‘ sitcom Saved by the Bell as Ginger.
She appeared in four episodes of the NBC series.
Bridgette’s first long-term role was as Lisa Fenimore on the NBC daytime drama Santa Barbara, where she appeared for 51 episodes.
She rose to prominence in films such as Last Action Hero, Murder, She Wrote, Santa Barbara, Higher Learning, Billy Madison, Mortal Kombat, and The Wedding Planner, among others.
Bridgette Wilson was cast in Mortal Kombat as a result of Cameron Diaz’s bad luck
Several celebrities auditioned for the Mortal Kombat film.
Among them was Cameron Diaz, another famous 90s star who had initially beaten Wilson to a role in the film.
Diaz was training for an action film while Bridgette was finishing her work on Billy Madison.
Bridgette is known for her roles in films such as Last Action Hero, Murder, She Wrote, Santa Barbara, Higher Learning, Billy Madison, Mortal Kombat, and The Wedding Planner.
Bridgette was cast in Mortal Kombat in 1995 after Cameron Diaz dropped out due to a wrist injury.
Unfortunately for Diaz, she broke her wrist during Mortal Kombat training.
As a result, the film decided to cast Wilson, who had previously finished second to Diaz.
Bridgette, like Cameron, suffered injuries while filming; the actress dislocated her shoulder.
Bridgette Performed Her Own Stunts
Bridgette Wilson insisted on performing all of her own stunts in John McTiernan’s Last Action Hero (1993).
She did so in order to feel more “connected” to her character, “Meredith Caprice/ Whitney Slater.”
Later, the actress from Oregon claimed that most of her best footage was left on the cutting room floor.
In fact, many of her fans complained that she left the film far too soon.
Wilson is a well-known singer in Japan, where she has two CDs: “I Only Wanna Be With You” and “Gimme a Kiss.”
She also recorded a cover of Leif Garrett’s “I Was Made for Dancing,” which became a big hit in the country. Da Doo Ron Ron and I Was Made For Dancin’ are two of her singles and EPs.
In an interview, the Shopgirl star stated that she has always loved singing and that becoming a performer was a conscious decision.
Bridgette Wilson Married A Grand Slam Champion
Pete Sampras, Wilson’s husband, is a seven-time Wimbledon champion and 14-time Grand Slam winner.
In September 1999, Sampras first noticed her in a Los Angeles movie theater.
He then told his friend that he’d love to meet her. They were eventually linked by an unidentified friend.
Before Sampras proposed at his Los Angeles home, the tennis champion and the actress dated for nine months.
On June 7, 2000, Sampras proposed to his actress girlfriend with a platinum ring set with an oval-shaped diamond from Cartier.
Bridgette Wilson Wed in Her Backyard
On September 30, 2000, they married in Sampras’ backyard of his Beverly Hills home, sixteen weeks later.
There were 80 guests in attendance, including former NHL players Wayne Gretzky and Andre Agassi.
Wilson’s husband, a Grand Slam champion, rented a large tent to cover his private tennis court and turned it into a reception hall.
According to In-Style, Elton John surprised the audience with a surprise performance at the ceremony.
The bride wore a Vera Wang gown in georgette and reportedly wore $400,000 in diamond jewelry.
Why Did Bridgette Wilson Retire From Acting?
Although the athlete’s wife continued to act sparingly in the years following the birth of her sons, interviews conducted around the time of her final film revealed that she was ready to retire.
Ms. Sampras stated to Pregnancy that she wanted to be there when [the boys] woke up and also to put them to bed.
Wilson stated that she, too, could not bear being separated from her children.
She added that leaving her children was extremely difficult for her.
As a result, after 2008’s “Phantom Punch,” Wilson took a break from acting.
Eleven years later, the former high school volleyball player provided voice talent for “Mortal Kombat 11.”
Wilson Previously Worked As A Spokesperson
The former pageant winner was also a MADD national spokesperson (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers).
The five-foot-nine actress previously stated that the program was ideal for her.
She added that, while she had never lost a loved one to drunk driving, she had known people who had.
Wilson also supports the American Oceans Campaign and a number of AIDS charities.
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Bridgette Wilson’s Net Worth
Bridgette Wilson allegedly has a net worth of more than $20 million, derived primarily from her 28-year acting career.
While her current professional endeavors are not yet known to the public, it has been reported and assumed that she is living the life of a multimillionaire.
Although Wilson has been out of the acting business for quite some time, financial difficulties are very likely the last thing she would want to deal with, given her richer husband’s vast fortune.
The multi-award winner is worth more than $150 million.
To give you an idea of their wealth, Sampras and his actress wife listed their 20-acre Lake Sherwood estate for $19.95 million in 2011.
The parents of two then paid $5,996,000 for the Bel Air 5,100 square foot estate previously owned by actor Albert Brooks in 2014.
In addition, the couple previously owned a 6,900-square-foot Los Angeles Brentwood home, which they listed in 2016 for $8.9 million.
