STAKING her CLAIM

AFTER DECADES IN THE GAME, THE STAR HAS LEVELLED UP

- Jennie Noonan

At just 16 years of age, then high-schooler Leslie Bibb travelled from her hometown in Richmond, Virginia, halfway across the United States to Chicago to participate in a model search on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1990.

"I'm a people person, I'm a very extroverted person and I just like to meet people and I think modelling is a good way to meet people," she nervously explained her reasons for entering on stage in front of supermodel judges Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Iman.

"And also - and this sounds horrible - for the money. It's incredible money," she continued through nervous laughter. "But wait, I can explain why. My dad died when I was 3 years old, and I have four sisters, so ... my mum put us all through high school and college and everything. For once, I'd like to look at her and say, 'Mum, I can pay for it, you know, take a break, spend some money on yourself for once,' because she's always spending money on us. It would be nice to give her something back."

Bibb, 52, won the contest and a contract with Elite Model Management. Within two years, she dropped out of the University of Virginia and moved permanently to New York to pursue acting after a crew member on a TV ad she filmed told her she was good at improvising.

The actress has since sketched out a three-decade career that has seen an upswing in the past few years with her memorable role as a smugly wealthy Texan mum and wife on Season 3 of creator Mike White's mega-hit, The White Lotus, plus a scene-stealing part in Apple TV's Palm Royale, the second season of which is now streaming.

“I've got really good hiking boots and a walking stick, and I just keep going,” Bibb told