Alexandra Elizabeth Paul (born July 29, 1963) is an American actress, activist, health coach, and former model. Paul began her career modeling in New York before landing her first major role in John Carpenter's horror film Christine (1983). This was followed with prominent roles in American Flyers (1985), 8 Million Ways to Die (1986), and Dragnet (1987). She is best known for her role as Lt. Stephanie Holden in the television series Baywatch from 1992 to 1997. She has performed in a total of over 100 movies and television programs. Paul was born in New York City to Sarah, a social worker from England, and Mark Paul, an American investment banker. Paul was raised alongside her identical twin sister, Caroline, and younger brother, Jonathan, in the rural town of Cornwall, Connecticut. According to Paul, her mother was "a very liberal Democrat and [her] father was a very conservative Republican." Her twin sister Caroline has been a San Francisco firefighter (where she is often mistaken as Alexandra) and best-selling author. Her brother, Jonathan, is an animal rights activist. Paul attended the Cornwall Consolidated School, and the Groton School in Massachusetts. At ages 17 and 18, Paul underwent two major abdominal operations to remove choledochal cysts, which left her with a scar spanning from her sternum to her naval. Paul was accepted into Stanford University, but chose not to attend so that she could focus on an acting career.