Thurman began her career as a fashion model at the age of 16, when she was discovered at a Stockholm playground. She signed with the agency Elite Model Management. Uma followed in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who were also fashion models. Standing six feet tall with a naturally lanky frame, Thurman was an immediate success, and her modeling credits included Glamour Magazine and Vogue. In 1989, she appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, for the annual “Hot issue”.