From Lara Croft to Netflix star, Lucy Clarkson has lived a life in the spotlight. She opens up to Monaco Muse about fame, fashion, and the career moments that defined her journey.
When Lucy Clarkson stepped into the iconic boots of game character Lara Croft at just seventeen, she didn’t realise she was also stepping into history. “It was like living inside a movie,” she recalls. “One day I was running around Cape Town for model castings, the next I was being flown first class across the world with my own glam team. Fans were waiting with posters, cameras flashing, it was completely surreal.”
For the girl from a quiet South Yorkshire village in the UK, it was fame at hyper-speed. Her father had always joked she looked like the video-game heroine; within a year, she was her – the official face of the Tomb Raider franchise. “Becoming Lara Croft changed everything,” Lucy says. “It gave me confidence, discipline, and an early crash course in surviving the spotlight.”
But before her gaming-world fame, Lucy had already carved out an enviable modelling career. At fifteen, she won a national competition with Elite Model Agency, triumphing over 16,000 contestants. Within months, she became the face of MORE! magazine, fronting multiple covers and instantly becoming one of Britain’s most in-demand models. From there came global campaigns with Vivienne Westwood, Chanel, Diesel, La Senza, Marks & Spencer, and De Beers, among others. “It was a whirlwind,” she says. “I was barely out of school and suddenly shooting for Marie Claire and Sports Illustrated. I remember thinking, ‘Is this really my life?’”
Her modelling career took her around the world – from Paris to Cape Town to London – and onto covers of numerous international publications. British tabloids crowned her with cheeky titles like Best Rear of the Year and Best Celebrity in a Thong, beating the likes of singer Cheryl Cole, while some of the UK’s men’s magazines dubbed her Sexiest Woman in the World. “It was flattering, but also funny,” she laughs. “At seventeen, you don’t really grasp what all that attention means. I was just trying to do my job well.” Even decades later, her effortless glamour still captures attention… in 2022, The Daily Star newspaper published two separate features praising her age-defying beauty at forty.
Though modelling made her name, Lucy’s curiosity and charisma soon drew her toward television. “Modelling is about creating an image. TV gave me a voice,” she explains. Her transition into presenting began in 2005, and she quickly found herself at ease in front of the camera. Her credits now span The Beach Channel, The Health & Wellness Channel, Fox Business’s Airport Insider, Elite Estates, and the hit Netflix documentary Gunther’s Millions, which premiered in 195 countries and 32 languages in 2023.
“Gunther’s Millions was such an experience,” she says of the wildly popular series about the world’s richest dog and his eccentric entourage. “The story was outrageous, funny, and unlike anything I’d ever filmed. To know that it reached audiences all over the globe was incredible.”
Her flair for reinvention also saw her compete in television show, The Apartment: Celebrity Edition – Asia’s biggest interior-design competition show – where she spent nearly three months filming in Thailand. “It was tough,” she admits. “We were exhausted, sweating in the heat, working nonstop, and the cameras never stopped rolling. But I built a kitchen with my bare hands, and won that challenge. That was one of my proudest moments.”
Off screen, Lucy has always been as open about her struggles as she is about her success. “I suffered from bulimia early in my modelling career,” she says candidly. “I was so thin, working nonstop in Paris, but underneath it all I was really unwell. Eventually I got help, and it changed everything.” Her recovery inspired her to join the Say No to Size Zero campaign, advocating for healthier standards in fashion. “The industry has evolved since then,” she says, “but there’s still a long way to go in how we talk about body image.”
Today, based in Miami, Lucy’s approach to wellness is a world away from the chaos of her early career. “I live clean, eat fresh, and move every day,” she says. “Pilates has been life-changing for my posture and my mind. I walk everywhere – it’s my therapy. And I have a few little health hacks I swear by: one clove of raw garlic a day with olive oil, NAD+ injections, papaya seeds for gut health, and a good dose of chlorella spirulina. Oh, and I love David Beckham’s IM8 supplements, they really work.”
For someone who’s spent her life in fashion, Lucy’s style philosophy is refreshingly unpretentious. “Every woman needs a great pair of jeans,” she says. “They’re timeless. You can wear them with heels and lipstick or barefoot on the beach. And I’d love to see halter necks and off-the-shoulder pieces make a comeback. They’re sexy without trying too hard.”
She’s equally straightforward when it comes to the celebrity world, and she doesn’t shy away from its messy side. “Yes, I’ve dated a few famous people,” she admits with a mischievous grin. “Vin Diesel, David Blaine, Ritchie Neville from boyband Five, and Mickey Rourke, among others. Mickey was one of the nicest and sexiest men I’ve ever met.” Still, she’s realistic about the downsides of celebrity relationships. “Dating in that world can be complicated. I prefer to keep my personal life separate from my career, it keeps things genuine.”
Her candour extends to her encounters with the stars. Meeting Angelina Jolie on the Tomb Raider set and at the film’s premiere remains one of her most treasured memories. “She was so sweet and beautiful. I was seventeen and absolutely terrified, but she put everyone at ease,” Lucy says. Then, with a laugh, she recounts the infamous Tomb Raider premiere stunt that made front-page headlines. “I lifted my dress to reveal something funny written on my bum cheeks. It was cheeky, literally, and completely took on a life of its own in the U.K. tabloids. It still makes me laugh today.”
Not every story was so light-hearted. At fifteen, during her first Vivienne Westwood runway show, Lucy was ordered out of the makeup chair by Naomi Campbell. “It was mortifying. I just went red and ran away. But it was also a wake-up call – the industry can be brutal, and the egos large. You have to develop a thick skin fast.”
Through every twist of her career, one constant remains: a fierce independence. “I’ve learned to trust myself,” she says. “You have to in this business. No one’s going to do it for you.” That same self-belief has fuelled her newest venture, As Seen In The Press, launching in late 2025 with her PR agency, IntriguePublications.com. “It’s a platform that helps people and brands get featured in the press and media globally, either through affordable placements or DIY PR courses and guides. It’s about giving others the tools to take control of their own publicity. I’ve lived both sides of that world, so it feels like the right next chapter.”
Motherhood, she adds, gave her a deeper sense of clarity and purpose. “Becoming a mum changed everything. It’s the most grounding, humbling, and beautiful thing I’ve ever done. It shifted my focus from fame to fulfilment.”
Looking back on a career that spans catwalks, covers, and cameras, Lucy is both grateful and grounded. “I’ve lived ten lives already,” she laughs. “From modelling in Paris to filming in Thailand, to starring on Netflix – it’s been quite the journey. But I wouldn’t change a thing.”
Her reflections carry the confidence of someone who has truly earned her place in every world she’s entered. “The best advice I can give anyone starting out, whether it’s in fashion, TV, or any creative field, is simple,” she says. “Grow a thick skin, be yourself, and save your money. This industry can be unpredictable, but if you stay authentic and are sensible with your finances, you’ll always land on your feet.”
She pauses, then smiles that unmistakable Lara Croft smile – confident, mischievous, unstoppable. “I’ve had fame, scandal, love, heartbreak, the lot,” she says. “But I’m still here, still excited, still evolving. Honestly?” She leans back, eyes bright. “I feel like my best chapter is only just beginning.”
Follow Lucy’s new venture on Instagram: @AsSeenInThePress
