Sonja Gunilla Persson (born 31 December 1958) is a former Swedish fashion model and current television personality. She is the daughter of Nils Erik Persson (1920–1998) and Iris Strid (born 1926). She has a daughter whose name is Erika, who was born in August 2002. Her mother Iris lives with her daughter.
Gunilla Persson was married to Stephen Linville 1984–1990, whom she met at an acting class in Dallas. She lived in Francis Kellogg's apartment in New York in the late 1980s, during which she also had a romance with Prince Albert of Monaco. Her boyfriend was hotel developer Patrick Ellis from 1990 until 1995.
Persson worked as a tour leader and, after journalistic studies, started her career at Sveriges Radio. She was a presenter of a one-hour celebrity entertainment show conducting interviews with celebrities.
Persson participated in the 1983 Damernas Värld (Swedish women's magazine) modelling competition The Face of the 80s after her boyfriend submitted pictures of her without her knowledge. Eileen Ford, one of the competition's judges, contacted her and signed her to her agency in New York City in 1983, even though Persson did not win the competition. She was also signed at and worked for Elite Model Management. She has appeared on the cover of several magazines including notably for the German edition of Bazaar and has modelled lingerie for La Perla.
In the late 1970s, Persson moved from Sweden to Dallas, US, later moving to New York City where she lived for many years. She studied at Stella Adler's acting school. She moved to California to participate in Svenska Hollywoodfruar, and in early 2015 Persson was forced to leave her Manhattan, New York apartment by her landlord.
Persson appeared in a small role in the 1980s soap opera Dallas while living in Dallas.
Persson made her television debut in 2010 in the reality series Svenska New Yorkfruar (Swedish New York Wives): the series lasted one season and was broadcast on TV3. She has also participated in eight seasons of Svenska Hollywoodfruar (Swedish Hollywood Wives) as of 2017, also at TV3. Persson participated in the celebrity reality series Realitystjärnorna på godset (Reality Stars at the Manor) in 2014, and in 2015 got her own show called Gunilla tycker till (Gunilla states her opinion) where her fans got to vote on different jobs she had to try out. Persson also got a news show in 2017 called The Gunilla Show on Viafree. In February 2013, Persson was a guest on The Schulman Show which is aired on Aftonbladet's website and presented by Alex Schulman. Persson recorded a music video with rapper Dogge Doggelito in 2015. In October 2015, Persson was a guest on the Norwegian talk show God kveld Norge!
