Next person biography:
Jo Champa was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, to an American mother and an Italian father. At the age of seven, she moved to Rome, Italy, where she was raised. Before turning 18, Jo had already become one of Gianni Versace's favorite runway models.
Jo acted as a muse to iconic photographer Helmut Newton, starring in some of his most legendary photographs, which are now on display at the Museum in Berlin and in Newton's limited edition book, 'Sumo'. She has also been photographed by celebrated photographer Douglas Kirkland and appeared in several of his notable books.
Champa began her film career at 18 with Claude d'Anna's French-Italian production, "Salome", which opened the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival. She went on to star in several significant Italian films, including "Dolce assenza" by Claudio Sestieri, "The Family" by Ettore Scola, which earned an Oscar nomination, "Le vie del Signore sono finite" by Massimo Troisi, and "Il sole buio" by Damiano Damiani.
In the United States, Jo starred in Steven Seagal's Out for Justice (1991),Michael Preece's Beretta's Island (1993),Bernardo Bertolucci's Little Buddha (1993),and Jeremy Leven's Don Juan DeMarco (1994),opposite Marlon Brando and Johnny Depp. Her most recent role was in Sofia Coppola's Somewhere (2010).
Jo has also guest-starred in various television series, including Walker, Texas Ranger, Avvocati, and CSI: Miami. In Italy, she hosted the successful fashion television show "Kermesse" for RAI TV.
Champa has been a special contributing editor and columnist for Italian Vogue and L'Uomo Vogue. Italian Vogue defined her as "an icon of Italian style. We love her because she is a refined and creative woman, a tireless supporter of Italian cinema and culture in the United States".
Jo has also produced, hosted, and organized numerous extraordinary events throughout her career. She produced "An Academy Tribute to Sophia Loren" for the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences with special guest, Sophia Loren. She then produced the launch of the Andrea Bocelli Foundation at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, with a dinner and performance starring Andrea Bocelli.
Jo is known for partnering with luxury designer brands, with the philanthropic goal of enhancing their visibility in Hollywood while raising money for various foundations, including Race to Erase MS, the National Breast Cancer Coalition Fund, and the Carousel of Hope for Juvenile Diabetes.
