Brazilian is on a wing and a prayer

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

HOLLYWOOD -- Backstage at the Kodak Theatre before the start of The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show (airing tonight, 10 ET/PT, CBS), model Alessandra Ambrosio, 25, gathered her fellow angel-winged models together to share with them a favorite childhood prayer.

The prayer, she told them, was "to help protect us on the runway."

But Ambrosio, who is not religious, says her church is located "in the stars." And in 2006, the stars shined very brightly on this Brazilian bombshell, who appears to be next in line among Victoria's Secret supermodel royalty, such as Tyra Banks and Heidi Klum. In addition to being the face featured on the most 2006 Victoria's Secret catalog covers, she has shot campaigns for Armani, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Oscar De La Renta, A/X, Guess? and Gap. She has a cameo in Casino Royale and will play herself in HBO's 2007 season premiere of Entourage, hosting a party for Vince (Adrian Grenier).

But despite a very grown-up career, she has retained her childlike playfulness.

"Gisele and I love to talk about astrology," Ambrosio says, referring to fellow Victoria Secret model and close pal Gisele Bundchen. "Today, Gisele was teaching me about numerology. I think mine is 7."

But 8 has special meaning, because that was how old she was when she discovered supermodels. "There was a picture of (Victoria's Secret's) Karen Mulder in a magazine, and I wanted to be like her," recalls Ambrosio, the daughter of gas station proprietor, Luiz.

At 12, she enrolled in a modeling class, and at 15, she began her catwalk career.

Ambrosio, Bundchen and top Victoria's Secret models Adriana Lima and Izabel Goulart all hail from Brazil. Ambrosio believes Brazilians have what she calls "a healthy mix of European, African and native Brazilian that makes us look very different."

The women have been friends for years. "I've known those girls since we were like 15," Ambrosio says. "When I first came to New York, Gisele gave me her apartment for two weeks. And I didn't know any English, so Adriana helped me translate. Izabel is the last one to get into Victoria's Secret, so I taught her in the beginning."

Her fellow models offer nothing but praise.

"Alessandra is really sweet," Bundchen says. "She's an Aries and has the most energy. She can party all night and be up on time."

Lima says she most adores Ambrosio's "beautiful smile. She's always jumping with her energy."

Says Ambrosio, a former sky diver, "I act like a kid all the time."

She recalls the first sexy undergarment she ever wore: a water bra. "It makes nice cleavage, but one day, I stepped out of a taxi on Madison Avenue, and the water came out, and my T-shirt was all wet."

She shares a New York apartment with her sister, Aline, and has been dating her boyfriend for less than a year. But she wants to assure her beau that "nothing bad happened" backstage where she got to meet Justin Timberlake, who serenades the angels in tonight's broadcast with SexyBack. "He just made us all feel comfortable," she giggles.

To see more of USAToday.com, or to subscribe, go to http://www.usatoday.com