Vendela Kirsebom is generally thought of as being Swedish. It's true that she was born in Sweden (on January 12, 1967), and that her father is Swedish. Her mother, however, is Norwegian — accounting for her beauty and intelligence.

At the age of 18, after graduating the Rudolf Steiner School in Stockholm, Kirsebom moved to Italy to pursue a career in modeling.

In 1989, she arrived in New York. Within three months, Kirsebom became the spokesperson for Elizabeth Arden, appearing in numerous ads for the cosmetics manufacturer over the ensuing six years.

She went on to appear in countless ads for other companies, was featured on magazine covers, including Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions, portrayed herself in an episode of Murphy Brown, and had a leading role (as Mrs. Freeze) in Batman and Robin.

In 1996, she married Norwegian businessman Olaf Thommessen.

Kirsebom has been active with various charitable organizations, including UNICEF, for which she has been  international spokesperson since 1995. Now residing in Los Angeles, she is on the Board of Directors of USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, and is involved in the American Cancer Society.