Gia Carangi Biography
Gia Marie Carangi (January 29, 1960 - November 18, 1986) was a top US fashion model of the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Gia Carangi was a precursor to the Cindy Crawford, Rachel Hunter, Elle MacPherson “Supermodel” era, she appeared on the covers of several fashion publications of her time. The fashion magazine covers featuring Gia include British Vogue April 1st 1979, Vogue Paris April 1979, American Vogue August 1980, Vogue Paris August 1980, Italian Vogue January 1981 and several issues of American Cosmopolitan between 1979 and 1982.
Gia Marie Carangi was known in modelling circles as “Gia”, moved from Philadelphia to New York City at the age of 17, and quickly rose to prominence, reaching international fame with such name magazines as Vogue and others.
Gia Carangi was the favourite model of many distinguished fashion photographers including Francesco Scavullo, Arthur Elgort and Chris von Wangenheim. Gia Carangi posed for photos at many countries world-wide and led a fast life, thanks to her exotic appearance and lesbian lifestyle.
Gia Carangi’s sexual orientation has been disputed. While some think Gia Carangi was 100 percent lesbian, others point out to the fact she had many relationships with males and call her bisexual.
Gia Carangi frequented New York’s jet-set night spots, such as Studio 54, and developed a heroin problem during the latter part of her life. Because of Bipolar Disorder, Gia Carangi experienced extreme mood swings and would walk out of a fashion shoot if she didn’t feel like doing it.
Gia Carangi constantly medicated herself with heroin. Gia Carangi made several attempts at fighting her heroin addiction, attending rehabilitation centers multiple times. In 1983, Gia Carangi was profiled on ABC’s 20/20 magazine, in a piece focusing on the dark side of modeling.
In June of 1986, Gia Carangi was diagnosed with HIV, becoming one of the first famous persons to be diagnosed with the disease, and also the first famous female diagnosed.
Gia Carangi died of complications resulting from AIDS in 1986, at the age of 26.
A biography was published in 1993 by author Stephen Fried and a biographical film, Gia, debuted on HBO in 1998 which helped bring Gia Carangi back to the public’s attention. Angelina Jolie played Carangi in the movie.
In 1996, actress-screenwriter Zoë Tamerlis (a.k.a. Zoë Lund, Bad Lieutenant), herself a heroin addict who would die of drug-related causes in 1999, was commissioned to write a screenplay based upon Gia Carangi’s life. This version of Gia was not produced, but after Tamerlis’s death, footage of her discussing Gia Carangi’s life was incorporated into a documentary entitled ‘The Self-Destruction of Gia‘.
August 5th, 2005 at 11:07 am
I have many things going in my life right now, I feel in luv with my teacher at my college, I see her face every time i close my eyes, but she refuse to talk to me, Gia Marie Carangi what she went through the drugs, her luv life, every thing about has made me stop and really fucking think, life stops for noone not even if you are 20………love lost
August 12th, 2005 at 5:48 am
Gia Marie Carangi was an extraordinarily beautiful and talented woman. I admire her talent and beauty as well as her perserverance. It seems very tragic that she had to die this way but maybe she was right…God had a better and bigger purpose for her life just maybe not here. I don’t feel sorry for her because I don’t think she would have liked that. I just think it sucks that she would have to die so soon, so young, and so beautiful.
August 26th, 2005 at 5:07 pm
well cjames777 i feel soooorrrrryyyy, she was a remarkable woman who had some problemes with drugs! i can’t stop thinking that she is one of the 100000 models wo drug themself to be beauties. now that “SUCKS”!!! i would have wanted to be there to help her in every way i could, because my mother knew Gia Marie Carangi they were good friends when Gia was 21 or so, i hate my mother for not have been helping Gia who had big problemes with heroin… my mother keeps on telling me that Gia didn’t like beeing a supermodel, that when (my mother) she looks in Gia’s eyes she sould see a very big sadness in her heart, that she wanted to be something else, she wanted to be loved and she wanted to be… something else then THE WONDERFUL TITS OF USA!Her pain was so big, she kept on thinking of a other life, a better no one could ever replaceGIA MARIE CARANGI, gia where ever you are, i wish you a better life in heaven!
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September 11th, 2005 at 10:31 am
hi….im from brazil and i just want to say that i love gia’s story the way she …..she was really something……definitily one of a kind
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November 17th, 2005 at 5:51 pm
I LOVE Gia to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have been into her since I first saw the HBO movie back in ‘98. Every since then I have been hooked! After seeing the movie I became so fascinated with her and her story. And even more fascinated when I started learning more about her online and reading the book and seeing all of her beautiful pictures. She is definitely a beauty! I’m completely obsessed with Gia and think of her all the time!!! I have hundreds of pictures of her. Even have a photo book filled with pics of her, lol. I see a lot of myself in her. I can really relate to a lot of the pain that she felt. The lonliness, the emptiness, the sadness, wanting so badly to be loved but never really finding that love. I relate to so many things about Gia. I guess thats why I love her so much!:). I wish they would do another movie about her!!!!!!
December 1st, 2005 at 12:45 am
i saw the gia story once before but saw for real last night 11/29/05 and i must say, yes i feel bad for her but not really she had the world at her feet and she chose drugs over that, that many people could only dream of acheiving. i think Angelia Jolie did a remarkable job of portraying her. i hate her mother had to go through what she did with the drugs etc. i hate GIA had to die in such a painful way i’ve never heard of people’s body falling off the bone like that from aids. i just hope she finally finds the peace and love she was looking for.
what a pity she could have still been here with that peace and love she was looking for. she already had it she just let drugs take over and overshadow the love that the women she was with had for her.
December 2nd, 2005 at 1:04 pm
It’s nice to know others feel the same as I do!I saw the story about her and I’m obbsessed too!What a beautifull girl,And although I never tried anything more than pot,years ago,I don’t judge her..She had a really screwed up life,And I’m sure if she knew she was gonna get that addicted and get AIDS she would not have done it!I know she is in a better place..May she rest in peace.
February 18th, 2006 at 12:56 pm
I would really like to know how she died? Like was it drugs? Sex? Mixing niddles? What happen? I wanna know was she sad ? Upset? Knowing that she had this diease who was the person she told? How did they react?
March 12th, 2006 at 11:16 pm
i love you angelina iam in iran in city zanjan i love you angelina jolie
March 25th, 2006 at 12:49 pm
I remember when Gia was on the cover of so many Cosmopolitan magazines in the late 70s. My older sister, who was 17-19 in the late 70s, I was 14-15 at the time…used to buy Cosmo mag as soon as it came on the newsstand. We both just LOVED Gia covers. We were fascinated with her. She was SO BEAUTIFUL!! It’s funny how beautiful models whose pictures are so eloquently displayed in the media give no indication of how F’d up they may really be.
I’m so sorry Gia met the fate she did. Doesn’t seem right. I just wanted to say I remember her “back in the day” and she was perfect. At least she was in my 15 year old eyes.
may she rest in peace. Her life and troubles were NOT in vein.
March 27th, 2006 at 12:33 am
Her face was just so beautiful and innocent. And she came across as quite determined to get what she wanted too. Wish she had the want and determination to come out of the addiction as well, although it must have been pretty hard. If only she would have lived on, am sure she would have found in her to be happy, but i guess it was not meant to be. Que sera sera. May her soul rest in peace.
March 28th, 2006 at 2:05 pm
‘I MYSELF THINK WAS SUCH AN AMAZING PERSON AND I HAVE DONE ALOT OF RESEARCH ON HER. SHE HAD A VERY EXCITING LIFE.SHE SAW AND DID VERY INTERESTING THING IN HER LIFE THAT SOME CAN’T EVEN EMAGINE OR EXPERINCE.ANYWAY I LOVE HER JUST FOR BEING HER ! EVEN THOUGH I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO MEET HER.
March 28th, 2006 at 2:52 pm
Except for the famous and beatiful part, “there but for the grace of God go I.” Rest in Peace, Gia. You earned it.
May 17th, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Hi I from Poland and i’d like to say something..The story about Gia was fantastic , but her life doesn’t colour.Don’t remember , she doesn’t happy . And I trying understand the reasons who…because it was bed. Pease off Gia !!!