Brigitte Nielsen's Real Name: Gitte Nielsen

Quick answer: The actress and model is known professionally as Brigitte Nielsen. Dansk Film Database and Encyclopedia.com independently identify her as Gitte Nielsen and date her birth to July 15, 1963. The two sources name different birthplaces, so this page omits a place from the meta description and records both below (Dansk Film Database; Encyclopedia.com).

Real name and early life

She is known professionally as Brigitte Nielsen. Dansk Film Database lists her as Gitte Nielsen, born 15-7-1963 in Rødovre, Denmark, the daughter of the engineer Svend Nielsen and the librarian Hanne Nielsen. Encyclopedia.com independently says she was born Gitte Nielsen on July 15, 1963, in Copenhagen, Denmark, to Svend, an engineer who died in 1999, and Hanne, a librarian. Encyclopedia.com's heading on the page spells the original surname "Nielson"; the body and Dansk Film Database use Nielsen, the form used here. Because the two sources give different birthplaces, Rødovre and Copenhagen, both are recorded rather than used in the meta description. Dansk Film Database says that in 1979, at 16, she went to Italy to model and later worked for designers including Giorgio Armani and Gianni Versace, with work in Milan, Paris, Berlin, and New York. Encyclopedia.com independently says she previously worked as a model in Paris.

Career highlights

Dansk Film Database says her first film was the title role in Red Sonja (1985), and it names a later highlight as Karla Fry in Beverly Hills Cop II, using the film's Danish title, Frækkere end politiet tillader 2. Encyclopedia.com independently lists the title role in Red Sonja (1985), Ludmilla in Rocky IV (1985), Ingrid in Cobra (1986), and Karla Fry in Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), along with later credits including Bye Bye Baby (1988). Dansk Film Database also lists a later credit as Ludmilla Drago in Creed II (2018) and voice work in the animated film Ronal Barbaren (2011).

Name notes for searchers

People looking up Brigitte Nielsen or Gitte Nielsen are looking for the same Danish-born actress and model, later known for Red Sonja, Rocky IV, and Beverly Hills Cop II. The professional spelling Brigitte is the form she is searched under; Gitte is the earlier name given by Dansk Film Database and Encyclopedia.com.