Elizabeth Hurley, 55, shares photo from 'first bikini shoot ever': 'Boy, was I nervous'

Elizabeth Hurley owns the title of bikini queen, proving it with a throwback photo of her first-ever swimsuit shoot.

"Happy Birthday to the glorious Steven Meisel," Elizabeth, 55, wrote on Instagram of the famous photographer who turned 67 on Saturday. "This was my first bikini shoot ever and, boy, was I nervous." In the photo, Hurley slouches in a wooden chair wearing a red two-piece bathing suit with a white outline.

Meisel, a prolific photographer who has shot every celeb under the sun such as Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Madonna, has photographed Elizabeth before, including for Vogue. He also documented her model son Damien Hurley, 19, in a leather-clad campaign for makeup artist Pat McGrath. "Proud mama," Elizabeth captioned a July Instagram post announcing the collaboration.

Today, it's safe to assume that Hurley has released those butterflies — her swimsuit brand Elizabeth Hurley Beach, for which she models, gets regular exposure on her Instagram account.

Last year, the British actress shared another throwback shot by Meisel for Vogue, depicting her wearing a similar bikini in yellow. "Baby me for Vogue magazine by Steven Meisel," she wrote on Instagram.

This week, Elizabeth reflected on another important memory: her relationship with actor Hugh Grant, 60, whom she dated for 13 years. "I'm still extremely good friends with Hugh," she said during the People in the ’90s podcast. "You know, we went through so much together. But I've been thinking, one of the most important things to keep good relations with your exes is to have a lot of respect for their current life."

Video: Elizabeth Hurley says she's still friends with ex Hugh Grant

The couple's most iconic moment was captured in a photo from the London premiere of Grant's film Four Weddings and a Funeral in 1994. There, Elizabeth wore a black Versace dress secured with gold safety pins, a decision that made her a star. “I was so unprepared for what happened that night,” she told Harper's Bazaar in 2019, adding that the dress still fits today. “I urgently needed to find a dress to wear for Hugh’s premiere, and in those days I had no idea about fashion.”

Although Elizabeth and Hugh broke up in 2000, they still share affection. "We haven't been romantically involved for 20 years, I think, even though we have such a strong friendship," Elizabeth told People. "But we're always very aware that there are other people in our lives. There's partners, there's children. You can't just, sort of, live in a lovely, rosy, mist of the past. You have to move with the times and be very respectful of the present, which we are."

Read more from Yahoo Life:

• Rachel Brosnahan honors Kate Spade three years after designer's death: 'Missing Katy B today and every day'

• Hailey Baldwin says she wouldn't 'ever' pose nude

• Elizabeth Hurley on how she maintains a 'strong friendship' with ex Hugh Grant

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