Shelley began a career in modeling during her teens in the 1960s and eventually reached the pinnacle of her profession in the 1970s, as she became one of the highest-paid Supermodels of the era. Like many a Supermodel, Hollywood came knocking on her door. But it seems that her success in modeling had become both an asset and a hindrance to her acting career. Modeling may have opened Hollywood doors for her, but "There's a funny prejudice in general against models who act," Shelley stated. "I guess it's because they look for pretty girls who haven't necessarily studied acting," she added. But whether modeling or acting, for Shelley (who studied acting at Herbert Berghof Studios under Jack Wolzer in New York in the 1970s), it's a business where one is self-employed. In order to succeed, Shelley said, "You do that by studying, being prepared, by being responsible when you are working. The same as any other career." It was a way to beat the stigma that came with being a model-turned-actress.
