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The Models
Angelina Jolie--Paramount Pictures' Tomb Raider
Rhona Mitra - E3 1996 and 1997
Vanessa Demouy - Print UK
Nell McAndrew - E3 1998
Lara Weller - E3 1999
When covering the topic of the Tomb Raider series, it's impossible to ignore the attention paid to the models who have portrayed Lara Croft. Many online polls have indicated that the 1996 E3's original Lara Croft, Rhona Mitra, remains many fans' favorite option, even to this day. Rhona is
Rhona Mitra |
an English-born 24-year-old of Indian and British heritage. Her popularity stemmed from her looking very much like the onscreen Lara and taking the role very seriously. As with any highly publicized figure, the rumor mill was not kind to Mitra. Word on the street had it that her very prominent father, a respected plastic surgeon in his own right, actually performed a breast augmentation on her. It was not long before Mitra came forward with a forthright denial. As it stands today, Mitra's father has been ruled out as the surgeon who handled the operation.
Rhona Mitra | 
Vanessa Demouy | 
Vanessa Demouy |
Had it not been for the Tomb Raider affiliation, these goings-on centering around this fledgling model/actress would have likely gone unnoticed by most. Incidents like this serve as a testament to just how much of an impact Tomb Raider and Lara Croft have had on the entertainment industry and are indicative of how the press watches icons like this very closely.
Vanessa Demouy | 
Vanessa Demouy | 
Vanessa Demouy |
Core has given clear indications that the reigns are held firm on Lara's human incarnations as well as on her onscreen character.Core supposedly did not even want Mitra to speak as Lara at trade shows without a cue and someone's approval of what she would say. This transcended into what she did off the clock as well. With her outspoken demeanor and penetrating eyes, Mitra took Lara to places in interviews with the hungry press fanatics that Core did not approve of. Interestingly, fans and scholars of the game found her interpretation of Lara to be rather dead-on. Core, apparently, did not.
As their relationship became more tenuous, there were dozens of Lara Croft and Rhona Mitra web pages cropping up on the Internet. It came as quite a shock when gamers learned that Mitra would not return as Lara for the next E3 and that she and Core had officially parted ways. By that time, Mitra had recorded a not-so-hit single with ex-Eurythmics musician Dave Stewart entitled Getting Naked, and fans were anxiously awaiting her next move. That day never came. Online polls concerning who should play Lara Croft in the feature film overwhelmingly showed that Mitra was the public's favorite--even over Sandra Bullock and Elizabeth Hurley.
Vanessa Demouy | 
Nell McAndrew | 
Nell McAndrew |
Shortly after Rhona's tenure as Lara Croft came to an abrupt halt, a new model was introduced. French model Vanessa Demouy, bedecked in Lara Croft attire, was depicted on the cover of a multiplatform French publication titled VSD Jeaux Passion. She did a fair but not stellar job of portraying Croft, and she seemed rather uncomfortable in her new role. She was still and lifeless, which was in stark contrast to her other photo layouts where she seemed very friendly to the camera--certainly unlike her first outing as Lara. Demouy did not have Mitra's natural grace when striking Lara Croft poses. And no one could actually sneer like Lara better than Mitra could. Also, because of Lara's ability to perform amazing physical feats, the role required someone with a certain bit of musculature--something Demouy, at the time of the Lara Croft photo shoots, simply did not possess. Demouy's Lara was a rather Catholic-school girl rendition, and she fizzled rather quickly as a result.
Nell McAndrew | 
Nell McAndrew | 
Nell McAndrew |
When E3 1998 rolled around, 24-year-old Nell McAndrew was thrust into the role to cover the trade show held in Atlanta, Georgia. McAndrew heralded from Leeds in the UK. She, much to many Mitra fans' dismay, was quite a formidable Lara Croft with attitude galore. Interestingly enough, she expressed little interest in tackling the forthcoming film's lead role, if approached.
Nell McAndrew | 
Lara Weller | 
Lara Weller |
McAndrew did however have her sights set on taking Tomb Raider and the Lara Croft craze to the pinnacle of journalistic freedom in America--Playboy Magazine. Appearing on the cover of the August 1999 issue of Hugh Heffner's world-renowned publication, in a camouflage bikini and military helmet, McAndrew struck a pose next to the words "Tomb Raider-- Nell McAndrew--A.K.A. Lara Croft NUDE." In the text accompanying McAndrew's photo spread were actual references to the game. In one particular photo in the spread, Nell is laid out on a boardwalk over water, and below her is a CG picture of Lara in a bikini, stretched out with a semiautomatic pistol resting on her hip. A London high court judge ordered that stickers be placed over the Tomb Raider name on the cover of 20,000 issues of the UK edition of Playboy. George Hamer, an attorney for Core Design Ltd. told High Court Judge Humphrey Lloyd that 
Lara Weller |
Lara's "squeaky-clean image" would be "tarnished for all time." Beyond that, Eidos and Core Design are not known to have gone to court with Playboy over the issue.
Interestingly, when E3 1999 was ready to open its doors, a new Lara Croft model was introduced--Lara Weller. Weller, a 25-year-old model born in Holland, had snagged the role of the official Lara Croft body double in May 1999.
Lara Weller |
While she did not do a poor job of playing Lara, fans had warmed to McAndrew, and Weller just did not get the attention her predecessors received. This may have had something to do with the novelty of the game beginning to wear off for some, but mostly it was just her lack of Lara-esque mannerisms and spirit.
Angelina Jolie |
The Lara Croft model search essentially came to a crashing stop at Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie's feet. Not only does she appear to play Lara Croft with amazing accuracy, but she also goes beyond the model-minded mimicking of the video game star to actually give the character a spine and personality. Good-bye Barbizon, hello silver screen.
Show me The Movie
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