Romijn (pronounced "Ro-Maine" in the USA - its proper Dutch pronunciation is [ro:'mÉ›in]) was born in Berkeley, California, the daughter of Elizabeth (née Kuizenga), a public school English teacher and textbook author, and Jaap Romijn, a custom furniture maker. Her father, a native of Barneveld, The Netherlands, is Dutch, and her mother is a second-generation Dutch American who met Romijn's father while studying in Europe. Romijn's maternal grandfather, Dr. Henry B. Kuizenga, was a Presbyterian minister and seminary professor. Her maternal grandmother is first cousins with Dorothy Letterman, David Letterman's mother. Many sources say that she was once nicknamed the "Jolly Blonde Giant" but she has admitted to making that up 'for a laugh'. While studying music (voice) at the University of California, Santa Cruz, she became involved with fashion modeling and eventually moved to Paris for more than two years. She stands 5 feet 11 inches (1.8 m).