Who Is Heidi Klum? Everything to Know About the AGT Judge

Heidi Klum—AGT Judge, supermodel, and overall queen—has had a long, illustrious career. Gaining attention as one of the Angels for Victoria's Secret, Klum took her modeling career and grew it into a full-on fashion and design empire. Later becoming the Host and Judge of many hit fashion competitions, it was no surprise when Klum became a Judge for AGT in 2013. As an AGT Judge alongside Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, and Howie Mandel, Klum fittingly has many talents of her own that the public might overlook.

Who is Heidi Klum?

Klum's modeling prowess is far from the only impressive feat she's tackled in her decades-long career. Klum is no stranger to branching off and embracing new hobbies, resulting in her having quite an impressive résumé.  

Heidi Klum Posted a Birthday Tribute to Her Mom—And They're Legit Twins

Heidi Klum is proud of her German roots

Not only is she the Host, Judge, and co-producer of Germany's Next Top Model, she's done numerous German television advertising campaigns for Volkswagen, McDonald's, and more. 

A modeling contest kickstarted Heidi Klum's career

Before landing the big modeling and television gigs, Klum's career started with a competition. According to Forbes, Klum was convinced by her friend to compete in a modeling competition against 25,000 other contestants. In 1992, Klum won the contest and was offered a modeling contract worth $300,000 by the CEO of Metropolitan Models New York. The caveat of the contract being she had to earn the $300,000 back. Without finding much traction in Europe, Klum relocated to the U.S.

While the modeling competition provided the money to get Klum on the radar, her hard work was far from over, and she told Forbes she initially struggled once landing Stateside. "I cried a few nights a week," she said. "But I didn't want to go home a failure. "

Heidi Klum skyrocketed to fame as an Angel for Victoria's Secret

She began to taste success as a Victoria's Secret Angel, walking in many of their runway shows until she began hosting the event herself. Klum hosted the Victoria's Secret Fashion Shows in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, cementing herself as an iconic brand face. In 2010, Klum confirmed that she would be leaving Victoria's Secret, but her career was only beginning. 

Heidi Klum served as Host, Judge, and executive producer of Project Runway

While Klum was making a name for herself as a stunning model for magazines and runway shows, she was simultaneously embracing her interest in television. In 2004, Klum became the Judge, Host, and executive producer for Project Runway, the exhilarating fashion competition that follows fashion designers fighting to win a cash prize and chance to debut at New York Fashion Week. Klum appeared on the show until September 2018 after 16 seasons. 

Heidi Klum is no stranger to dabbling in design

Klum's love for fashion spawned from her childhood dream of becoming a designer, and little Heidi would be proud of what she would one day accomplish. Klum has designed clothing lines for Otto and Jordache, swimsuits featured in Sports Illustrated, shoes for Birkenstock, and jewelry for Mouawad. She's also partnered with Victoria's Secret a few times, helping to design their lingerie line "The Body," named after the nickname Klum received after her first Victoria's Secret Fashion Show. If you want to smell like success, you'll be happy to learn Klum's also designed two fragrances named "Heidi Klum" and "Me."

Heidi Klum is majorly obsessed with Halloween

While Halloween might be the favorite holiday of many, Klum's obsession with Halloween takes the festivities to an entirely new level. At this point, Heidi Klum and Halloween go hand-in-hand, as the modeling mogul has thrown a lavishly extravagant Halloween party for the stars since 2000. Every year, she continues to don more elaborate costumes, constantly defying expectations, most notably with 2022's Worm, which she proclaimed was her "craziest one yet." Klum's costumes virtually always impress, which is why she begins planning her Halloween look in the summer. Now, that's dedication.

Heidi Klum is a talented visual artist

While she may have received most of her recognition through modeling and becoming a Judge for AGT, Klum is also a talented visual artist. Klum loves to paint, with many of her paintings appearing in art magazines around the U.S. In 2002, Klum even dedicated a sculpture she painted called "Dog with Butterflies" to the rescue dogs that played a role in the aftermath of 9/11.

Heidi Klum dishes industry tips in her book Heidi Klum's Body of Knowledge

In 2004, Klum released her book Heidi Klum's Body of Knowledge: 8 Rules of Model Behavior, where she explores what it takes to become a successful model. Rules include persuading others you have the chops to do whatever you’re going for, making people see you as you want to be seen, broadening horizons with travel, and much more. 

Watch AGT on Peacock and NBC.