Brooklyn Decker and other hot models who act

REBECCA ROMIJN – When she was in high school, the moron guys at her school would tease her and call her the “Jolly Blond Giant.” The 5-foot-10 student got even by modeling, and met her future husband John Stamos at a Victoria Secret fashion show. They have since divorced, but her acting career is still going strong. Ho Ho Ho.

Brooklyn Decker is not just a pretty face. The Sports Illustrated swimsuit model has two movies opening this weekend. It's practically a Brooklyn Decker Film Festival. Continue through the slideshow to see other top models who took up acting.

TYRA BANKS – Before she was the Donald Trump of former models, Tyra was the biggest model in the world, and even tried her hand at acting (did you see her in “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air?”), but she showed more talent as a mogul than an actress.

VANESSA WILLIAMS – After the controversial end to her beauty pageant career, she turned to modeling (with those eyes, how could she NOT be a model) and then moved smoothly into acting, and eventually joined the “Desperate Housewives.”

ANDIE MACDOWELL – Her acting career has been so solid that many people forget that she was a top model. One of my favorites is her performance in “Groundhog Day” as the long-suffering TV news producer having to deal with the pompous weatherman Bill Murray.

JOSH DUHAMEL AND TYRESE GIBSON – Two pretty-boy models who made the inevitable jump to acting, and appeared together as soldiers in “Transformers.”

CINDY CRAWFORD – One of the modeling world's superstars, her acting career was not quite as impressive (“Fair Game” was an early attempt), but she has remained a major player in the Hollywood celebrity game.

BROOKE SHIELDS – This is a chicken and egg question – which came first, Brooke's modeling career or her acting career? It's a toss-up, and “The Blue Lagoon” was one of her earliest acting efforts.

LIV TYLER – Born into rock ‘n' roll royalty (she's the daughter of Steven Tyler of Aerosmith), she could have coasted in life, but those long legs, those puffy lips and that gorgeous face would not be denied. She modeled, appeared in her dad's videos and then found success in movies, including “That Thing You Do,” directed by Tom Hanks.

DIANE KRUGER – When filmmakers were looking for the perfect face to play Helen of Troy in the film “Troy,” they found it in the face of this German-born model. She has since found success in films opposite Nicolas Cage (“National Treasure”) and Liam Neeson (“Unknown”).

CHACE CRAWFORD - His boyish good looks served him well in modeling, before he made the leap to acting in the TV series “Gossip Girl” and now movies. He stars opposite Jane Fonda and Elizabeth Olsen in the upcoming comedy-drama “Peace, Love and Misunderstanding.”

ELIZABETH HURLEY – Her modeling career was huge before she made the transition to acting, and it continues to be a lucrative second career. Although her acting career hasn't been too successful, it managed to survive the film “Bedazzled.”

ROSIE HUNTINGTON-WHITELY – She replaced Megan Fox in the “Transformers' franchise, and she didn't seem to have the same effect on young boys. Not that anyone noticed.

When Brooklyn Decker attended the premiere of her movie "Battleship," she did more for Navy recruiting than the Village People.

COURTENEY COX – Remember that Bruce Springsteen music video when he reached into the audience at a concert and pulled a young woman up to the stage to dance with him? Everybody knew that lucky woman was no ordinary stranger. She was a model, but who ever dreamed that she would grow up to be one of the “Friends” on TV?

CHANNING TATUM – Like many actors, he paid the bills with modeling assignments when he was starting out, and now people are discovering what modeling agents knew all along. He's OK, if you like the type – tall, buff and good-looking. Recently starred in "21 Jump Street."

FREIDA PINTO – Before her acting career went international in “Slumdog Millionaire,” this Indian actress was a top model, and her modeling career has taken off again as her acting introduces her to new audiences.

CHRISTIE BRINKLEY – She was one of the most successful models of all time, and she may have been hired as eye candy in “National Lampoon's Vacation,” but her portrayal of Chevy Chase's fantasy woman, first in a sports car and then in a swimming pool, was unforgettable.

MILLA JOVOVICH – The Ukranian-born model made a smooth transition to acting through the “Resident Evil” zombie films. Some cynics have said that models are zombies with nice shoulders, so it makes sense.

MEGAN FOX – Born in Tennessee, she started acting on television (she played the housekeeper's sexy granddaughter on “Two and a Half Men”), but stunned adolescent boys everywhere when she starred in “Transformers.”

MARK WAHLBERG – After he rapped as Marky Mark, and long before he led his entourage around Hollywood, Wahlberg was the face and abs of Calvin Klein, showing off his body in front of the whole world.

ANGELINA JOLIE – Yet another former model with an Oscar on her mantle (“Girl, Interrupted”), the actress takes on diverse acting challenges, but when she slips into a skintight outfit like the one in her Lara Croft movies, it's like a slap in the forehead – “Oh, that's right, she used to be a model.”

CHARLIZE THERON – Another former model with an Oscar (“Monster”), she has had a solid acting career. But that new advertising campaign, in which she appears opposite Marilyn Monroe and Grace Kelly through the magic of film trickery, is stark evidence that this woman has been, and always will be, a model.

CAMERON DIAZ – She doesn't have an Oscar to call her own, but she has the impeccable timing of a professional comic, and the long legs of a former model. Both were on display in her naughty role in “Bad Teacher.”

HALLE BERRY – When she climbed out of the water in the James Bond flick “Die Another Day,” wearing nothing but an orange bikini and a smile, hearts fluttered and pulses quickened. She earned an Oscar for a different role (“Monster's Ball”), but that bikini shot was a pleasant reminder that she used to be a fashion model.