Carolyn Murphy was born in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, (August 11, 1973) and grew up throughout Northwest Florida. At the age of 15, she was spotted by Mary Lou Nash, owner and operator of the modeling agency Mary Lou's Models. Nash saw Murphy's potential and soon she was modeling in local ads and magazines throughout Florida and Alabama. Her career kicked into high-gear when she bleached her hair platinum blonde for a photo shoot, ruining her hair and causing it to fall out. Because of this she had to get a short hair cut which made her popular with many top photographers and soon she was in major magazines such as Harper's Bazaar and Vogue and was named VH1/Vogue's "Model of the Year" at the 1998 Fashion Awards. Murphy is featured on the cover of the 2005 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, as well as the 1999 cover of Vogue's "Models of the Millennium." She has also posed for the 2002 Playboy calendar. In 2001, she became the face of Estée Lauder cosmetics. She also started an acting career with the role of "Dubbie the Blonde" in Barry Levinson's Liberty Heights in 1999. In July 2007, earning at an estimated total of $5 million in the past 12 months, Forbes magazine named her sixth in the list of the World's 15 Top-Earning Supermodels. As of 2007, she is still one of the industries most in demand and successful models, she shot fall campaigns for, 7 for all Mankind, Anne Klein, Lord & Taylor, Estée Lauder, and Tiffany & Co. Murphy was asked to pose as Grace Kelly for Town & Country's November 2007 'A Tribute to Grace Kelly' issue due to her striking resemblance to the fashion icon.