Hollywood's Best Swimsuit Moments, From Bo Derek to Pamela Anderson

May 06, 2024

Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon in ‘Beach Blanket Bingo’
The beach party film series (think High School Musical in the 1960s) starred Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon traipsing around in quintessential '60s swimwear, though it almost wasn't so: Walt Disney, who still had Funicello under contract after her stint on The Mousketeers, reportedly would not allow her to appear in the film if she donned a bikini. Eventually, he settled for an "anti-belly button clause," permitting her to appear wearing a two-piece that covered her navel.
Bo Derek in ’10’
Derek and her nude one-piece started the running-across-the-beach-shot trend back in 1979. The scene launched the then-unknown actress to international sex-symbol status, cornrows and all.
Sacha Baron Cohen in ‘Borat’
The image of Cohen’s hairy chest and near-bare buttocks is seared into the minds of moviegoers everywhere, thanks to the lime green “mankini” he wore as a Kazakh journalist on an American adventure in the 2006 smash hit.
Brooke Shields and Christopher Atkins in ‘Blue Lagoon’
Randal Kleiser's 1980 nudity-packed romantic adventure film faced a fair amount of criticism in its day despite the movie's box-office success. Shields' young age (14 at the time of filming) and apparent nakedness were especially controversial, though she later testified that body doubles were used during nude scenes and that her long brunette locks were glued to her breasts when she had to appear topless.
Carrie Fisher in ‘Return of the Jedi’
Fisher's "Slave Leia" costume, while featured in only two scenes of Return of the Jedi, has remained an iconic sex symbol since its debut in 1983. The creation of Leia's metal bikini was prompted by Fisher's complaints that her outfits had been too baggy and mannish in previous Star Wars films. Little did she know her grumbling would give birth to a pop culture phenomenon.
Daniel Craig in ‘Casino Royale’
Craig pulled a Sean Connery in Casino Royale with his very own pair of pale blue swim trunks. These boy shorts are specifically made by La Perla, but the style has been used by other designers and worn by those brave enough to tackle this risque look.
Demi Moore in ‘Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle’
Moore was 40 years old when she donned a teensy-tiny black bikini for the Charlie’s Angels sequel, proving she had a beach body that could compete with those of bombshell actresses 10 years her junior.
Denise Richards in ‘Wild Things’
Wild Things, John McNaughton's 1998 erotic thriller, attracted notoriety for its explicit sex scenes, including a menage a trois featuring stars Denise Richards, Neve Campbell and Matt Dillon. Though the film's shock value has worn off, Richards' steel blue, high-cut swimsuit has become a fabled piece of American pop culture.
Dustin Hoffman in ‘The Graduate’
Mike Nichols' film starred a 30-year-old Hoffman in a performance that would launch his career: A recent college graduate, seduced by an older woman, falls in love with her daughter. Culturally significant and artistically impactful, The Graduate is not only a thought-provoking dramedy, but a reminder of what a young Hoffman looked like lounging in a pool day after day.
Elizabeth Taylor in ‘Suddenly, Last Summer’
Taylor’s character in this melodrama was a disturbed mental patient, but her white one-piece and sultry stare are all glamour.
Elvis Presley in ‘Blue Hawaii’
Blue Hawaii was the first of three Elvis Presley films to be shot in Hawaii and the rocker's biggest commercial success. And though the world finally saw what Presley really looked like shirtless strumming a ukulele, it was reported that producer Hal B. Wallis had to personally recommend a brand of tanning lamp to darken Presley's pale skin against his white swim shorts.
Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr in ‘From Here to Eternity’
Lancaster and Kerr's iconic love scene by the beach in the 1953 award-winning From Here to Eternity rattled the sensibilities of the censors but luckily managed to remain in the film. The image of the waves crashing upon the couple as they kissed on the sand, and Kerr's black suit, accessorized with a wide belt, remains notorious to this day.
Halle Berry in ‘Die Another Day’
Berry paid homage to fellow Bond girl (and bikini icon) Ursula Andress with this eye-catching orange suit, complete with knife holster, in the 2002 James Bond thriller.
Hank Azaria in ‘Along Came Polly’
Fans of the well-known Simpsons voice actor were shocked to see his surprisingly chiseled body when Azaria bared (almost) all in a black-and-white Speedo as a French scuba instructor for 2004’s Jennifer Aniston-Ben Stiller comedy.
Jessica Simpson in ‘The Dukes of Hazzard’
In 2005's The Dukes of Hazzard, Simpson — till then known only to the American public as a pop singer — showed off her, uh, acting chops in a pair of Daisy Dukes. Arguably more memorable, however, was the hot pink bikini hiding underneath her trench coat.
Jill St. John in ‘Diamonds Are Forever’
It's been said that most of St. John's roles required wearing swimsuits, and it's not hard to see why: Best known for her role as Bond girl Tiffany Case in Diamonds Are Forever, she spent at least three-quarters of the film in a bikini, searing the image into America's collective memory for good.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Jude Law in ‘The Talented Mr. Ripley’
Paltrow and Law made movie magic in Anthony Minghella's troubling thriller, though that magic wasn't limited to their performances. Their wardrobe, assembled by costume designers Gary Jones and Ann Roth, remains prevalent in American style today, especially their trendy beachwear.
Kate Bosworth in ‘Blue Crush’
Bosworth was relatively unknown before she played surfer girl Anne Marie in the 2002 movie, which also stars Michelle Rodriguez.
Nicolette Sheridan in ‘The Sure Thing’
Directed by Rob Reiner, The Sure Thing is '80s romantic comedy at its best, featuring standout performances by John Cusack, Daphne Zuniga, Viveca Lindfors and Nicollette Sheridan. Of course, we saved the best for last: Sheridan and her bleach white bikini will forever remain an iconic visual of '80s swimwear.
Pam Anderson in ‘Baywatch’
No iconic swimsuit list would be complete without Anderson in a red one-piece. The actress wasn’t even part of the original cast of Baywatch, the infamous '90s drama about Los Angeles lifeguards, but the show and the accompanying sexy costuming rocketed the former Playboy centerfold to superstardom.
Phoebe Cates in ‘Fast Times at Ridgemont High’
Thanks to a flawless pairing of The Cars' "Moving In Stereo" and Cates' bright red bikini, Fast Times at Ridgemont High had another iconic moment on its hands, though director Amy Heckerling admitted it almost wasn't to be. Cates, it seems, was initially reluctant to go topless in the scene, worried that people might be spying on the shoot from neighboring rooftops.
Rachel McAdams in ‘The Notebook’
McAdams' role as 17-year-old Southern heiress Allie Hamilton in unabashed sobfest The Notebook sparked vintage-inspired swimwear trends everywhere, including many how-to guides for creating your own retro swimsuits.
Sally Field in ‘Gidget’
Gidget, canceled by ABC after a single season in 1965, may not have stood the test of time, but that's not to say it didn't contribute to American pop culture: The sitcom served as a launching pad for then-18-year-old Sally Field, who became America's accidental icon and our original surfer girl.
Salma Hayek in ‘From Dusk Till Dawn’
In Robert Rodriguez's From Dusk Till Dawn, Salma Hayek dons a blood red bikini, feathered headdress and — that's right — a big, yellow snake. "[Dancing with the snake] was probably the biggest challenge I have ever encountered," Hayek once quipped, though it certainly paid off: Hayek's scene is consistently ranked in the best bikini moments of all time.
Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine in ‘Spring Breakers’
"[Director Harmony Korine] didn't want us to have perfect bodies," said Benson when asked about showing a fair bit of skin on camera for 2012's Spring Breakers. Perfect bodies or not, the four girls' differing bikinis have since become inspiration for bikini "types," much like Rachel from Friends' haircut became The Rachel.
Sue Lyon in ‘Lolita’
Lyon was 14 was she was cast as Vladimir Nabokov's infamous nymphette in the 1962 version of Lolita. She was chosen for the role partially because of her curvy figure, as director Stanley Kubrick was told that the film wouldn’t be able to pass the censorship board with a younger-looking teenage girl. Revealing costumes like Lyon’s skimpy two-piece helped subtly hint at the sexuality that was forbidden in more direct forms by the censors.
Ursula Andress in ‘Dr. No’
Andress' bikini is so famous that it has its own Wikipedia page. Fashion experts even suspect that her performance in 1962 as the sexy Bond girl Honey Ryder was responsible for the rise in popularity of two-piece bathing suits around the world.