Biography for
Giada De Laurentiis More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

22 August 1970, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Birth Name

Giada Pamela De Benedetti

Height

5' 2" (1.57 m)

Spouse

Todd Thompson

(25 May 2003 - present) 1 child

Trivia

Granddaughter of producer Dino De Laurentiis and Silvana Mangano.

De Laurentiis studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris before becoming a professional chef.

She holds a degree in social anthropology from UCLA (1996)

Her husband, Todd Thompson, is a clothing designer for Anthropologie.

Her private chef/catering company is called GDL and is based in Los Angeles.

Before having her own television show on the Food Network, Giada worked for Wolfgang Puck and as a food magazine stylist for magazines like "Food & Wine".

She was given a small role in one of her aunt's films and despised being in front of the camera. She doesn't even enjoy having pictures taken of her. She tried her best to stay away from the entertainment industry.

Daughter of Veronica De Laurentiis and Alex De Benedetti.

Sister of Dino De Laurentiis, Eloisa De Laurentiis and Igor De Laurentiis.

Announced on "Today" (1952) that she and her husband are expecting a baby in April 2008 (November 2007).

Niece of Raffaella De Laurentiis, Federico De Laurentiis, Francesca DeLaurentiis.

Her name is Italian for "jade".

Giada and her husband, Todd Thompson, became the parents of a girl, Jade Thompson (aka Jade Marie De Laurentiis Thompson), born on March 29, 2008 in Los Angeles.

Was discouraged by her parents from attending culinary school after high school graduation. Thus, graduated from UCLA and then studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.

Grew up in Beverly Hills.

"Today" (1952) Show contributor.

Daughter-in-law of Mary Thompson.

Sister-in-law of Trevor Thompson and Talley Singer.

Ambassador for Oxfair America.

Friend of Valerie Aikman Smith.

Her yoga instructor is Kathryn Budig.

Stepniece of Carolyna De Laurentiis and Dina De Laurentiis.

Met future husband, Todd Thompson, in 1990, when she was 19 and he was 22. They had a relationship for 13 years, until their marriage in 2003.

Cousin of Luca Escriva De Laurentiis.

Her nickname for her grandmother, Silvana Mangano, was "Noona Luna".

Personal Quotes

(On how she can still be in good shape while being a chef) I have to say that this is by far the question I am most frequently asked, and my answer is always the same: genetics, portion control and fresh ingredients. If you've ever seen my mother either on the show or in photographs, you'll notice that she is quite petite, trim. So I have her to thank for getting me off to a good start. In addition, I've never been one to sit down to a meal with a large plate of food and eat every morsel until I was uncomfortably full. Rather, I graze - eating small portions of food all day long. And the ingredients are clean and fresh. Yes, I absolutely love chocolate, and I do eat it, but just a bite.

(Giving advice on becoming a chef) My biggest bit of advice would be to spend some time actually helping caterers or Chefs, even if it has to be for free or as an intern of culinary externship. It helps immerse yourself in what you potentially want to do. Being involved, learning firsthand and observing the craft and absorbing all you can, makes it easier to define what you want. It will also ultimately make you a better Chef. Culinary school, or even a single class, is a great bet too.

(On her other favorite cuisines) Definitely Japanese. I love how clean and refined the dishes are. They're simple in their ingredients but the flavors and presentation are typically amazing. Second would be Chinese.

Where Are They Now

(2007) Release of her book, "Everyday Pasta".

(2005) Release of her book, "Everyday Italian: 125 Simple and Delicious Recipes".

(2006) Release of her book, "Giada's Family Dinners".

(2008) Release of her book, "Giada's Kitchen: New Italian Favorites".