Kate Upton, a 19-year-old native of Florida, caused quite a stir wearing her two-toned, red-string bikini on the cover of the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. Her appearance as a sexy nun in the movie release of "The Three Stooges" on Friday, April 13, 2012, is sure to create more buzz among the media, as well as her fans and detractors.

It's no wonder that Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover models have been appearing in feature-length movies for a long time. The silver screen is always looking for a pretty face. You probably remember Christie Brinkley toying with Chevy Chase in the National Lampoon Vacation movies.

Here are the five SI Swimsuit cover models with the most feature movie appearances to their credit. The movie names and dates are also provided, for those who are interested in seeing the films.

Rebecca Romijn (SI Cover 1999, 2006): Anyone familiar with the X-Men films will remember the character Mystique, which launched the movie career for Rebecca Romijn. In total, she has been in eight feature films, the most of any SI Swimsuit Issue cover model, including: X-Men (2000), Femme Fatale (2002), X2: X-Men United (2003), The Punisher (2004), Godsend (2004), X-Men: The Last Stand (2004), Man About Town (2006), and Lake City (2008).

Beyonce Knowles (2007):

Knowles burst into the entertainment scene as lead singer of Destiny's Child in the 1990s and is commonly referred to by her first name only, Beyonce. Appearing on the SI cover long after she was already famous in music and movies, you can find her in six motion pictures: Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002), The Fighting Temptations (2003), Dream Girls (2006), The Pink Panther (2006), Cadillac Records (2008), and Obsessed (2009).

Elle Macpherson (1986, '87, '88, '94, 2006): MacPherson's five SI Swimsuit Issue covers is a record. You may remember her from the hit TV series "Friends" where she played Joey's roommate and girlfriend. She has appeared in five full-length movies: Sirens (1994), The Mirror Has Two Faces (1996), Batman & Robin (1997), The Edge (1997), and With Friends Like These ... (1998).

Tyra Banks (1996, '97):

It's hard to say if Banks' early fame was due more to her two SI Swimsuit covers, or for being one of Victoria's Secret's original Angels. Either way she has gone on to be someone repeatedly ranked among the world's most influential people by "Time" magazine. Like Elle MacPherson, Tyra Banks can also be found in five full-length feature films: Higher Learning (1994), Love Stinks (1999), Love & Basketball (2000), Coyote Ugly (2000), and Halloween: Resurrection (2002).

Kathy Ireland (1989, '92, '94): Ireland has gone from the boardwalk to the board room, as CEO and designer of her own product marketing company, Kathy Ireland Worldwide. You would have a hard time keeping up with Kathy Ireland today, but you can still catch up with her in four movies: Alien from L.A. (1988), Necessary Roughness (1991), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), and National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993).

An avid sports fan for nearly 50 years, Harold Andrews regularly attends new release feature films and has seen several of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues.

Sources:

sportsillustrated.cnn.com

threestooges.com

biography.com